C Curriculum Explorer
Science·Insects & Minibeasts·conceptual

Not all minibeasts are insects

Not all minibeasts are insects: distinguishing insects from other minibeasts. Spiders have 8 legs and 2 body parts (arachnids), woodlice have 14 legs (crustaceans), worms have no legs, snails have a shell and one foot. The 'Is it an insect?' sorting game.

Suggested ages 7–9

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Evidence of understanding

  • Sort a set of minibeasts into 'insect' and 'not insect' groups using the six-legs rule
  • Explain why a spider is not an insect by noting it has eight legs and two body parts
  • Name at least one difference between insects and another minibeast group such as worms having no legs or woodlice having fourteen

Assessment prompt

If you showed Not all minibeasts are insects a spider and asked whether it's an insect, could they explain why not — for example, that spiders have eight legs, not six?

Standards alignment

No external standards are linked to this topic.