This simple activity was designed for intro level biology (life science).   Students read about different types of arthropods and learn what characteristics they share, such as an exoskeleton and segmentation.

Then they reading focus on specific groups:  insects, arachnids, crustaceans and centipedes. The goal is for them to learn that each group has a different body plan. For example, arachnids have 8 legs and insects have 6 legs.

 Students are directed to color each insect according to the directions so that they can see that in each plan the abdomen, thorax and head are consistent.

 Coloring them the same way reveals that all arthropods have similar body plans.  Questions at the end can be answered from careful reading of the text.

Time Required:  20-30 minutes
Grade Level:  6-9

HS-LS4-1  Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence