Minds On
Action
Homes made by insects
Insects, just like people, need shelter to protect themselves from other animals and from the weather.
Explore a few insects that build homes.
Honeycomb
Honeybees like to be with other honeybees so they build a home called a honeycomb that is like an apartment building. They make their homes out of wax that they make from their own stomachs. They keep their food and young honeybees in the honeycomb.
Ant Hill
Ants love to work hard so they build underground tunnels for their homes. The leftover dirt becomes a small hill above the ground. This hill protects the ants from other animals.
Leaf Bed
Every day, crickets create their home by rolling a leaf around itself like a blanket. They even sew up the edges to protect itself from other animals and cold using silk that it makes itself.
What are some materials that these insects used to build their homes?
For each animal select the type of material they use to make their home.
Helpful insects
Insects have an important role to play in our environment.
- Insects eat other insects, which can be helpful to us.
- Insects pollinate the flowers of plants like tomatoes, squash, or apple trees. This allows the plant to grow food for us to eat.
- Insects that live in our soil can help to make it healthy.
A closer look at… the helpful honeybee!
The honeybee is a very important insect. Bees use the nectar from flowers to make honey. They
drop the nectar into a honeycomb, flap their wings to dry it out, and then cover the honeycomb
with a wax… like a teeny-tiny jar of honey!
Brainstorm
The importance of insects
Time to think! Why are insects important for a healthy environment? How can insects help other insects and people?
Record your answers using a method of your choice.
Innovation in Canada
This learning activity features emerging technologies, STEM contributions, and Canadian innovations that are making a difference.
A rooftop beehive
The rooftop at Hillcrest Mall has been turned into a beehive where humans are creating shelter for bees, and bees are providing honey for humans!
Check out this video to learn more about Hillcrest Mall’s honeybee hives, and to discover why honey can have different flavours.
We can help protect these important insects by building them homes. If we build them homes close to our gardens, they can help to pollinate flowers, make our soil even better and give food to birds and bats.
Design an insect home
You will be designing a home for an insect.
Explore the following examples of designs for insect “homes” or “hotels.” Consider the materials used. Some are natural materials found outdoors and some are human-made materials found indoors.
Think about how you will design your insect home!
Consolidation
Design time!
When you plan something, you think about the steps you have to follow and the materials you will need.
Now that you know what insects need, and have explored some designs for insect homes, it’s time to start designing your insect shelter or “hotel.”
Here are some things to think about as you design your insect hotel:
Think about…
Draw a picture of your design or record an audio clip describing your design. Include in your drawing or audio clip the insects you hope to attract.
Explore these examples of insects for ideas.
Remember the purpose of our learning:
By creating homes for insects, and welcoming them to our yards, we can help them with their shelter needs.
Insects help create a healthy environment by pollinating plants, eating other insects, and feeding birds.
Time to think!
What could happen to our healthy environment if there were no insects?
Record your ideas.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.