Tips on how to get the most out of these conversation questions.
Let’s Talk about Insects!
How would you define an insect?*
Can you name five different kinds of insect?
Can you name two wingless insects? Which insects are common where you live?
What’s the biggest insect you’ve ever seen? Which insects do you find interesting or even fascinating?
Why do people sometimes find insects repulsive?
Which insects are you afraid of?
How are insects beneficial to the environment?
How are insects beneficial to humans?
In what ways can insects be harmful to humans or the environment?
Are there any insects which have a special significance in your country or culture?
Which insects are noisy?
Have you ever been bitten or stung by an insect?
Have you ever kept insects as pets?
What can people do to attract beneficial insects to their gardens?
Have you ever eaten insects? If not, would you ever try them?
What could be the benefits of eating insects?
Why do you think insects receive less media attention than bigger animals when it comes to conservation efforts?
There has been a significant decline in insect populations around the world. What do you think could be the main causes?
How can social media and technology be used to raise awareness about the importance of insects and the threats they face?
Would it be ethical for humans to deliberately make a dangerous insect extinct?
Think of three different insects and then think about how they are depicted in the arts and literature. Are they shown in a positive or negative light? Why do you think they are depicted this way?
* According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, “All insects have three body parts: a head, a thorax, an abdomen, they have six legs, they have a pair of antennae, and they have zero or two pairs of wings.”
More Discussion Topics
Animals and Have you ever kept insects as pets?
What can people do to attract beneficial insects to their gardens?
Words and Vocabulary
Art and Artists
Full List
Dragonfly photograph: Syed Foyez Uddin, Unsplash
Ladybird photograph: Filipe Resmini, Unsplash