Let insects spark curiosity and critical thinking in your classroom!
The “Bugmobile” brings bugs and educators to schools, homes, and meeting halls all across the region!
Let the bugs come to you! Bugs on the Move is an exciting opportunity to bring Bug Ambassadors and experienced educators into classrooms, homes, and meeting halls in the Missoula area. Teachers can choose from a comprehensive list of programs that are designed to support NGSS standards and engage students in the world of arthropods. All the excitement and impact of a field trip, no bus required.
- Live Bug Ambassadors are featured in every program.
- A knowledgeable educator that loves bugs and kids and is excited to introduce your class or group to their new 6, 8, and many-legged friends.
- Complete logistical support to ensure a stress and hassle-free experience.
- Information about how each program supports NGSS standards.
Bugs on the Move programs are great for a wide range of learners. Whether you’re a group of families homeschooling together, a scouting troop, or a formal classroom teacher, we’re excited to work with you and your students! We typically work with grades K – 5 but are able to adapt some programs for middle and high school level students as well.
Preschool – $80 for a class of up to 20 kids
K – 6th grade – $120 for a class of up to 30 kids
Receive a 50% discount for additional programs happening on the same date at the same location. Please note, for this discount to apply, all additional programs must be the same (see program descriptions below). The first one is full price, the additional ones are 50% off. For example, a school with three Super Spiders programs happening on the same day would pay $240: $120 for the first program and $60 each for the 2nd and 3rd.
These prices include travel costs within a 20 mile radius of Missoula. Beyond that, standard state set mileage reimbursement fees apply.
All programs feature one classroom visit, are one hour long, and follow the pricing structure laid out above. See program descriptions for details.
Program dates are not guaranteed until total payment is received. Your payment is 100% refundable if you cancel your program at least two weeks prior to the scheduled program date. If you cancel your program less than two weeks prior to the scheduled program date, you will receive a 50% refund. A link to pay for your program will be sent once a date and time are set.
Program Descriptions
We LOVE playing to learn about bugs with preschool classrooms and groups. During each program we’ll meet a friendly Bug Ambassador, act out something cool about that bug, and then do a simple and fun craft that helps us to keep learning about that animal. These programs are designed to be fun, simple and active – perfect for young learners with a healthy case of the wiggles.
What would a bug look like if it were perfectly adapted to camouflage with your schoolyard habitat? In this fun and creative program students will practice their observation skills on bugs from around the world that are experts in the art of camouflage, discussing how these traits help them to survive. The adventure wraps up with a chance to design an insect, a brand new species, using leaves and other natural elements from around your school to inspire its camouflage.
What kind of inventions can we come up with if we use the bugs around us for inspiration? During each visit students will observe Bug Ambassadors and participate in engineering challenges to prototype an invention inspired by that animal.
Standards: “Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking plant and animal structures and functions that help them survive, grow and meet their needs” (NGSS: 1-LS1-1)
Our Powerful Pollinators program offers area second graders the opportunity to interact with live Bug Ambassadors and investigate the structures of insect pollinators that aid in the distribution of pollen. The emphasis is less about identifying specific species and more about helping students develop the ability to observe, make connections, ask questions and argue from evidence, all in the context of pollination.
Standards: “Develop a simple model that mimics the structure and function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants” (NGSS: 2-LS2-2)
During this program students will discover the fascinating world of aquatic arthropods with which we share the local rivers and streams. These amazing animals have unique life cycles and fascinating adaptations and traits. Students will pour through bins of river water to observe and sort the nymph stages of caddisflies, stoneflies, mayflies and more.
Standards: “Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death” (NGSS: 3-LS1-1)
During this program students conduct an experiment utilizing “habitat choice chambers” to investigate the habitat preferences of isopods (roly polys). There is a strong focus on the scientific method, specifically on how to develop a hypothesis and the basics of good experiment design. This program fosters a sense of curiosity about the world of isopods and how simple experiments can help us understand their world better.
Standards: (NGSS: 4-LS1-1) and (NGSS: 4-LS1-2)
This eight-legged program is easily one of our most popular and it focuses on all things “spider”. We cover everything from spider anatomy and feeding habits to how they grow and defend themselves. We’ll meet a wide range of spiders and play a trivia game to dispel some of those troublesome myths about our eight-legged friends.
In this fun and active program students will learn all about the special adaptations and behaviors arthropods use to survive in the wild. We’ll hold Bug Ambassadors and play movement-based games to learn about their survival adaptations. We’ll wrap up our time together with a simple craft that engages the students’ imaginations. Each student will envision a new species of arthropod that is uniquely adapted to survive in its habitat. This program is perfect for high-energy groups and those with a wide age range.
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Let us now a little bit more about your class and we'll reach out as soon as we can!
Feel free to contact Carolyn Taber with any questions directly: 406-317-1211 or carolyn@missoulabutterflyhouse.org