4-H Butterfly Explorers: An online educational package for teachers

Despite the importance of insects in agriculture and horticulture, few students are introduced to entomology as a potential career field. In Florida, entomology is not commonly taught in schools and the urban setting of Seminole County, FL makes this topic scarce in classrooms. To increase local education on entomology, five Seminole County agents collaborated to create the Seminole County 4-H Butterfly Explorers Program. The four-week program was designed for ages 7-8 years old with short video lessons, hands-on activities, educational games, and a butterfly rearing project. Teachers were given make-and-take kits for all activities. A google site was used to guide teachers through the program and allow for easy integration of entomology into their classroom curricula. The webpage includes ordered lesson plans, recorded videos, activity instructions, insect care guides, supplemental activities, and other resources related to entomology. In 2022, 18 second grade classes, with 335 students, participated in the program and utilized the online learning modules. A post-program teacher survey showed that 100% of teachers (n=13) believed participation in the program increased student knowledge in insects and science and related skills. 83.3% of teachers indicated high to very high student abilities to identify insects (+75.64% from prior to the program) and 91.67% reported high to very high student abilities to understand life cycles and make observations (+60.9% from prior to the program). Due to program success, the team was awarded Chrysalis funds to support the program again in 2023. Outcomes from the 2023 school year will be presented.