Insects are everywhere! Learn about some of the different types of insects that live near you and the important roles they play in the environment.
Put Your Project Into Action
Show Your Skills
- Insect collection
- Create a map and display about migration
- Showcase examples of the life cycle of one or more insects
Service and Leadership
- Plant a pollinator garden
- Create a monarch waystation
- Provide habitat for beneficial insects
- Teach others about how insects are beneficial
- Start a BioBlitz at your school or local park
- Start a 4-H SPIN Club at your school
Entrepreneurship
- Keep honey bees and sell honey
Technology Connection
- Take pictures of the insects you find - submit them to a citizen science initiative
- Create a video discussing a particular insect
Connecting with a Mentor
- Talk with a local Master Gardener, Master Naturalist, or Extension employee
- Visit a local environmental education center
Events
- Visit a honeybee farm, natural history museum or butterfly garden/center
- Participate in a BioBlitz
- Related Illinois citizen science projects:
- I-Pollinate - https://ipollinate.illinois.edu/
- Bee Spotter - https://beespotter.org/
Project Manuals & Exhibit Requirements
- Teaming with Insects 1
- Teaming with Insects 2
- Teaming with Insects 3
Purchase manuals on the Shop Illinois 4-H Store.
View exhibit requirements and scoresheets on the Illinois State Fair page.
Credits
4-H Spark Sheets are a collaborative effort of 4-H staff, volunteers, alumni and teens from across Illinois. A big thanks to the many contributors and reviewers!
