Invertebrate Basics Lessons

Invertebrate or Not – What is an invertebrate? What is a vertebrate? We are going to play a game to test your invertebrate and vertebrate knowledge and discover that some of our favorite animals are invertebrates. 

Poison vs Venom – What is poisonous? What is venomous? We are going to play an interactive jeopardy game to test your bug knowledge! 

Arachnids – Explore the different invertebrates that are arachnids and the incredible adaptations that they have. 

Life Cycles – Students explore the different life cycles that invertebrates have, and how different they are from our life cycle. 

Adaptations – Student scientists investigate the physical and behavioral adaptations of invertebrates using discussion and game play. 

Anatomy – Students will have the opportunity to be a scientist and discover the anatomy of a variety of invertebrates. 

Classifications – Students will actively learn why and how scientists put invertebrates into certain categories. 

Food Web – Discover how interconnected the food web is through an interactive game. 

Decomposers – Students will discover which of our favorite bugs are decomposers, and why some of our least favorite bugs are so important. 

Aquatic Invertebrates – Think and act like a scientist to explore the adaptations and critical ecological relationship of key aquatic invertebrates. Analyze real data and investigate how environmental changes can impact these invertebrates and their ecosystems.

Desert Invertebrates – Think and act like a scientist to explore the adaptations and critical ecological relationship of key desert invertebrates. Analyze real data and investigate how environmental changes can impact these invertebrates and their ecosystems. 

Slime – Is slime yucky, or is it something animals actually require? Through fun, hands-on activities, kids will get to learn why slime is important. 

Invertebrate Fact or Fiction – Are daddy long legs spiders? Do bees want to sting you? Through hands on activities students will discover which invertebrate myths are fact or fiction. 

Fossil History – Are there fossils of bugs? Through hands-on activities student scientists will discover the fossil history of bugs. 

Nature Club programs are designed for students ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. These 45-minute sessions take place at the school or community site, 1-2 times a week after regular school hours for at least four weeks. Nature Clubs are conducted by esteemed Butterfly Pavilion educators, distinguished authorities in conservation, and invertebrate studies.

Our award winning “Nature Club” Programs deliver a world-class educational experience for school-aged children, fostering their understanding and admiration for invertebrates. Through the afterschool programs, students will cultivate an understanding of invertebrates, foster compassion and empathy, and gain a sense of empowerment to become caretakers of both invertebrates and the world around them.

Pricing 

Length: 45 minutes 

Fee: $100/session + travel; minimum of four sessions booked 

Group Size/Session: 30 participants/session 

All outreach programs incur a travel fee of $0.65/mile round trip between your site and Butterfly Pavilion. Partial program scholarships may be available for qualifying groups. 

Contact us for registration and more details 720-974-1861, education@butterflies.org.  

Butterfly Pavilion Nature Club has been awarded a 2023 Innovative Environmental Education Program Award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education!  https://caee.org/programs/act/be-recognized/nature-clubs