GLOS Educatief Lesson Packages Animals Biology

Lesson Kit: Insects, Friend or Foe

Published Aug 17, 2021

Is an insect your friend or your foe? Most people find insects rather scary. But they are also very useful! But useful to whom, exactly? And can we make use of insects in our own gardens or in agriculture? The Science Hub of Wageningen University (WKWU), together with scientists, teachers and teacher-training students, has developed a lesson kit on the theme of insects.

The lesson kit contains activities for groups 1–8. The themes for the different levels are:

Groups 1/2: Creepy-crawlies in the classroom
Groups 3/4: Insects around us
Groups 5/6: Soil creatures
Groups 7/8: Natural enemies and crops

The lesson kit includes, among other things, a guide for each level, background information about insects, identification cards, assignment cards, magnifying glasses and a quartet card game. After completing this project, the children will have knowledge of various soil creatures and insects and their natural enemies. They will also have the skills to investigate which animals they are and what characterizes them.

The following people contributed to the development of the lesson kit:

Gera van Os – Researcher, Applied Plant Research, WageningenUR
Frans van Alebeek – Researcher, Applied Plant Research, WageningenUR
Truus Berntzen – Teacher, Koning Davidschool
Jan-Gert Jansen – Teacher, 't Palet
Helen Brandsma – Student, Christelijke Hogeschool Ede

Would you like to learn more about the lesson kit? And would you like to get started with it? Then contact the Science Hub.

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