At the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop on Saturday, November 4, professional entomologists taught K-12 teachers about various ways insects can be incorporated into the classroom to engage students in STEM learning. They also got to get up close with a variety of insects and arthropods at the workshop, including this tarantula.

A day before Entomology 2017 gets into full swing, the Entomological Foundation welcomed a group of Denver-area teachers for a workshop on how to engage students in K-12 classrooms through the use of insects and related arthropods.

The workshop is an annual project of the Foundation, hosted in conjunction with the Entomological Society of America (ESA) annual meeting.

Presentations from entomologists and extension professionals included:

• Entomology curriculum resources for the classroom, with Andrine Shufran, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University
• Pollination station, with Rebecca Baldwin, Ph.D., University of Florida
• What flies in the classroom can teach about evolution, with Jennifer Weeks, Ph.D., University of Florida
• Using live insects in the classroom, with John Guyton, Ph.D., Mississippi State University
• Citizen science and beneficial insects, with Doug Golick, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Biology and behavior of mosquitoes, with Faith Oi, Ph.D., University of Florida

And the workshop concluded with breakout sessions allowing attending teachers to explore sample resources and to handle some live insects and a tarantula, as well.

Teachers in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop meet a tarantula, with facilitator John Guyton, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University.

Teachers in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop meet a tarantula, with facilitator John Guyton, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University.

A teacher in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop meets a tarantula, with facilitator John Guyton, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University.

A teacher in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop meets a tarantula, with facilitator John Guyton, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University.

A teacher in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop meets a tarantula, with facilitator John Guyton, Ph.D., of Mississippi State University.

A teacher in attendance at the Entomological Foundation’s 2017 STEMbugs Workshop had the opportunity to get up close with a variety of insects and arthropods.

Facilitators provided a wealth of tools and resources for teachers to incorporate insects into their classrooms.

Facilitators provided a wealth of tools and resources for teachers to incorporate insects into their classrooms.

Facilitators provided a wealth of tools and resources for teachers to incorporate insects into their classrooms.

Facilitators provided a wealth of tools and resources for teachers to incorporate insects into their classrooms.

Facilitators provided a wealth of tools and resources for teachers to incorporate insects into their classrooms.

The Entomological Foundation is a not-for-profit organization partnered with ESA. The Foundation’s mission it is to build a future for entomology by educating young people about science through insects. Resources for students, teachers, and parents can be found at www.entfdn.org.