Please Help! Insect model science project!

[sksjasams]

My DS13 is in 7th grade and they need to make a model of an insect. No playdough or clay. It has to show all the parts of an insect including body segments, compound eyes, mandibles, pincers, legs, antennae, etc. Plus it has to have wings. It has to be light enough to hang from a wire strung across the room, and come with some sort of hook and fishing line to hang it.

DS chose the dobsonfly for his insect. We can't find many examples of insect models online and nothing for dobsonfly models, except origami, which wouldn't work.

Anyone elses kids have to do this project? What did you make the insect out of? How did you attach the wings, legs, etc? We have thought of paper mache and styrofoam, but not sure where to begin. We have this weekend and next, but would like to get it built this weekend and maybe paint next weekend.

Thank you for any suggestions and help!

 

[HookdonWDW]

I would use Styrofoam, tulle netting, straight pins, pipe cleaners, tacky glue and paint. Good luck!

 

[StacyMarie]

I would use Styrofoam, tulle netting, straight pins, pipe cleaners, tacky glue and paint. Good luck!

You read my mind HookdonWDW! I was going to suggest the same thing, styrofoam balls, tulle, and pipe cleaners!

 

[DOREEN1779]

AC Moore or Michaels sell tiny green and white styrofoam balls and small wooden stakes( I have used toothpicks for smaller circular balls). You can also buy small cuts of fabric to highlight a smooth area of the bug. They also sell small black wire that stays put on the foam. I love styrofoam. I helped my son make a rooster for a project in November and it was great. Also, glossy tissue paper is cheap and available at most dollar stores. It is very easy to work with. Instead of glue, use adhesive glue dots. Tacky glue is too messy and dampens and does not stick to styrofoam as well.

 

[DOREEN1779]

I looked at a picture of the dobsonfly, that is one ugly bug!

 

[zoemurr]

would find a way to make it out of colored duct tape..

 

[sksjasams]

I looked at a picture of the dobsonfly, that is one ugly bug!

I'm sure that's why he chose it!!

Thanks to you all for your suggestions Just a couple questions please...the dobsonfly has a long torso, so I'm not picturing how styrofoam balls would work. Would you line them up?

His teacher said you can get special paint at walmart because regualr paint won't work on styrofoam. Anyone know what kind of paint this is?

What kind of small black wire do you mean, Doreen, and how does it stay put on the styrofoam?

Thanks again and I appreciate any more ideas!!

 

[zoemurr]

out of tinfoil. Son says to cover the styrofoam head w/duct tape and then the tinfoil body and tape them together. Paper for wings (or two pieces of DT stuck together so it is flat and cut out the proper shape) and small sticks for the legs. DT would hold string on also. You can get many different colors at any craft store.

You're a nice mom.. my 7th grader would be on their own.

 

[Sandy61]

My DS did this last year. He used a big piece of styrofoam to "carve" it. The styrofoam was from packing a tv I think. He painted it and used brown pipecleaners for legs and antennae.

 

[NJGirl]

I've seen it done by stuffing a sock or a knee high or stocking with fiber fill to make the body segments. You can easily use some thread or fishing line to tie off each body segment...kinda like sausage links..lol

 

[DOREEN1779]

the black wire can be found in the jewelry section. it is bendable and used for beadwork, tiaras, and heavier bracelets. You can anchor it using the same meathod you insert a picture frame. Carve out a small divit, glue a base or shield on the styrofoam, run the hard wire under it and tie it off. Or....there are toothpicks with wedges in it that are strong enough, you can add more for support. Our rooster was pretty big and we used wood sticks(purchased at Michaels) to connect the body, neck, head and legs. we used the toothpicks to outline the head and under the neck. As for the body, we cut the foam. To mold it and make it puffy we used pillow stuffing. We stuck leaves on pilow stuffing to make it look like feathers. For that ugly bug, I would use tar paper or a brown cleaning cloth wrapped around the pillow stuffing. The paint for styrofoam can be found in the paint section. It is pretty common because people use it a lot for planets and the solar system. You should take a stroll through the craft store, you can really get great ideas by looking at the different materials available.

 

[NotUrsula]

Personally, I'd go with wire and window screening. There isn't much body on this fly; mostly just a long tube, and the head is triangular, which is easy to do with a folded piece of screen. Spray paint for metal will take nicely. Have him wear lightweight gardening gloves while he works with the screen; it can be a bit sharp.

Go to a craft store and get two bent-nose needlenose pliers for manipulating the materials easily, and thick bendy armature wire to make the legs (if you buy a pipe cutter clamp you can score the wire in the right places for segments; it's a useful little tool to have.)

 

[sksjasams]

Thanks for the great ideas! I'll have DS read through this and we will head to the craft store tomorrow.

We have Michaels, but no AC Moore. We do have Hooby Lobby but have never been there. Is that better or worse than Michaels?

 

[HeatherAnn23]

Bendaroos are great too. They are colored, and stay where you bend them. We've used them for many projects, they have them at Walgreens.

 

[stm61]

Thanks for the great ideas! I'll have DS read through this and we will head to the craft store tomorrow.

We have Michaels, but no AC Moore. We do have Hooby Lobby but have never been there. Is that better or worse than Michaels?

Depends on your area. We have Michaels and Hobby Lobby within driving distance. Hobby Lobby's prices are sometimes better then Michaels and they tend to have a better variety of kid friendly stuff. Other places we've lived, Michaels was a bigger store and had better variety, with similar prices.