Bug+Collection+without+the+pins

In most high school Zoology classes, students are required to assemble and display a bug collection. First they must find the bugs, euthanize them, identify them, and then pin them in glass cases for the world to see and admire. I feel that there is a better way to build a bug collection while learning the joys of digital photography at the same time. A great lesson in both zoology and digital photography would be to require students to find and catch different bugs and then photograph them before setting them free again to go about their natural work in nature. What better way to catch some of nature's creatures than in their natural habitat?

The technology teacher, zoology teacher, and/or photography teacher could collaborate on this lesson. Digital cameras could be borrowed from the library or disposable digital cameras could be required as one of the materials required for taking the course.

Each student would be required to take at least 4 different photos of each bug. Each project would require 25-35 bugs to complete a collection. The students could use PowerPoint to showcase their collections.

PowerPoint is an excellent way for students to compile projects because it is easy to download video, photography, and audio to each slide. Each slide of the project should contain 4 photos of the bug being discussed. The student could add narration (audio), clipart, animation, and a brief description of the bug including (family, sub-family, species, etc...). The decription could be narrated, added in a text box, or added in the speaker notes section of each slide.

See an example of a PowerPoint slide for a bug collection at: https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/mshouser/S603/Bug%20Collection.ppt

The following four photos were used in the PowerPoint presentation slide: