Drawing and Labeling an Insect

In the study of nature, it is such an easy and powerful activity to have the children draw and label the subject of current study.   This helps students own the information and remember it.  It is far more engaging than giving them a worksheet with lines to fill in the words to label a pre-printed insect.  Kindergarteners are very capable of drawing and labeling science illustrations.

The insect we drew today was an ant!  Here's how we did it!

Step One:  Place your paper landscape.  Draw an "sleeping" oval.  This is the HEAD.

Step Two:  Under the sleeping oval, draw a "standing" oval.  This is the THORAX.  

Step Three:  Draw an upside down "tear drop" under the thorax.

Step Four:  Add three legs to each side of the thorax.

Step Five:  Add ANTENNAE to the top of the head.  These are the feelers so make them curve down a little.

Step Six:  Add two eyes.  We are looking down on the insect so we will not see the mouth.  Add stripes to the abdomen.

Step Seven:  Label each part.  (I do this one at a time as some of the words are long and the children will need time to write them.)

We used markers to color our insects.