Educator Resources

Teaching and Learning with Insects: An Ambitious Science Approach

A new online course is being developed by the Urban Ecosystem Project. We are looking forward to working with educators from across the State of Iowa and nationwide in The Teaching and Learning with Insects: An Ambitious Science Approach course.

Mosquitoes & Me Curriculum

Since 2016, the Urban Ecosystem Project (NIH-SEPA R25 GM129210) has been using entomological inquiry in out-of-school settings to engage historically-underserved upper-elementary youth and their educators from communities and schools in the urban core of Des Moines, Iowa USA. Through our work we have developed the curiosity-based curriculum and responsive pedagogy of Mosquitoes & Me.  Click to find out more about the Mosquitoes & Me Curriculum.

Mosquitoes & Me – Activities at Home

We are now posting at-home mosquito science activities for everyone to enjoy. These games and science activities are inspired by our Mosquitoes & Me programming and don’t require special equipment or mosquito-science expertise. Click to get started with Mosquitoes & Me Activities at Home.

Memoirs of Black Entomologists

The work of Mosquitoes & Me and Mosquitos y Yo aims to inspire young scientists, especially in the field of entomology. Every scientist has a unique story about their personal, educational and professional experiences which shapes their career. The publication Memoirs of Black Entomologists: Reflections on Childhood, University, and Career Experiences is an inspiration for individuals underserved in the sciences, particularly those from racially- and ethnically-minoritized communities to pursue entomology! Studying entomology can lead to a wide range of career opportunities.

Mosquitoes & Me WINGO game

Click here to download materials to play the WINGO game from the Mosquitoes & Me Curriculum Unit 3.  It’s a lot like Bingo and takes you on a journey with a group of mosquitoes that may or may not spread West Nile virus!

Mosquitoes & Me in Children’s Literature!

Sela Hanson, an elementary education undergraduate student in the School of Education at Iowa State University, joined our Urban Ecosystem Project in Fall 2018 and worked at our 2019 Summer Camp.  As part of teacher preparation coursework, Sela was asked to write a children’s book and decided to draw on the mosquito science learning. 

Click here to see the book that Sela wrote and think about how you might use it to introduce young children to the magic of mosquitoes!

Video Resources

The life of a mosquito (claymation)