Sorting Insects (Cut & Paste Activity)

Do They Have Wings? An Insect Sorting Activity
This is an engaging and hands-on cut-and-paste sorting activity designed to reinforce children’s understanding of a fundamental characteristic of insects: the presence or absence of wings.

This resource is an excellent tool for elementary science centers, biology units, or as a fun assessment of the Class Insecta.

Learning Objective:
Children will develop observational skills and solidify their ability to categorize various insect species into two distinct groups: those that possess wings and those that do not.

Resource Components:
The resource includes two printable components:

Sorting Mat (Worksheet): A printable page featuring two large, clearly demarcated sorting boxes or columns. These boxes are labeled:

INSECTS WITH WINGS

INSECTS WITHOUT WINGS

Image Sheet: A separate page containing a variety of insect illustrations or photographs (e.g., butterflies, flies, ants, ladybirds, lice, etc.) ready for the children to cut out.

How to Use:
Children cut out all the individual insect pictures from the image sheet.

They examine each insect carefully, noting its physical characteristics to determine if it has wings.

Finally, they glue or stick the insects into the correct corresponding box on the Sorting Mat.

This activity is perfect for building confidence in identifying insect features and promoting fine motor skill development.