What a Bee or Butterfly Sees

If you could shrink yourself to the size of a bug, what would you see? Imagine how HUGE your shoes look to a tiny creature!

• 1.

  Hey, I was heading for that flower. I hope you’re not going to pick it, said the bee. Do you ever imagine what a flying insect’s life is like, drinking nectar from fruit tree blossoms? Do their wings get tired? Does wet weather get on their nerves? Picture a bug’s perspective on life to help you figure out any insects’ strengths and weaknesses.

• 2.

  With bright Crayola® Markers, illustrate how you imagine an insect sees the world. Get down on your hands and knees to do some on-the-spot research. Draw everything to scale, such as your foot or a plant. Use Crayola Twistables Colored Pencils to add details and textures.

• 3.

  Compare your drawings with other students. Which ones are most accurately to scale?

Benefits

• Students recognize the different perspectives of diverse small creatures, particularly flying insects, and their habitats.
• Students expand their knowledge about insects, scale, and perspective.
• Students describe their ideas graphically in a drawing that shows a realistic scale.

Adaptations

• After researching insect life cycles, list the pros and cons of insect life. Compare different insects, such as the fruit fly with its brief life, and the cockroach, with its ability to survive nuclear disaster. Choose an insect that you would most like t
• Visit a natural science museum. Focus on insect displays and exhibits that help you understand them, such as looking through the many-sided eyes of a housefly.
• Assessment: Evaluate the accuracy of the scale and detail in each drawing.