How can you tell they’ve got it: Insect communication and behaviour?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Describe at least three ways insects communicate such as the bee waggle dance, ant pheromone trails, and firefly light signals; Explain what information a bee conveys through its waggle dance, including direction and distance to flowers; Describe the monarch butterfly migration and explain why it is remarkable in terms of distance and navigation. Or just try it together: Can your child explain how bees tell each other where to find flowers, how ants leave invisible trails, or how fireflies use light to send messages?

Science Insects & Minibeasts Ages 9–11

Insect communication and behaviour

Your child knows insects send messages without words. A bee dances to show where flowers are. Ants leave a scent trail. Fireflies flash light to find a mate.

In curriculum terms

Insect communication and behaviour: bees perform a waggle dance to tell hive-mates where flowers are. Ants lay pheromone trails for others to follow. Fireflies flash light patterns to find mates. Crickets chirp by rubbing their wings. Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles across continents. How insects 'talk' without words.

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Describe at least three ways insects communicate such as the bee waggle dance, ant pheromone trails, and firefly light signals
Explain what information a bee conveys through its waggle dance, including direction and distance to flowers
Describe the monarch butterfly migration and explain why it is remarkable in terms of distance and navigation

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Try this together

Can your child explain how bees tell each other where to find flowers, how ants leave invisible trails, or how fireflies use light to send messages?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Social insects: ants and beesages 7–9Must understand social insects before studying their sophisticated communication systems

Incredible insects: record-breakersages 7–9Record-breaker fascination sets up interest in extraordinary behaviours like migration

Insect communication and behaviourthis skill · ages 9–11

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1). No NSW K–6 outcome code matched (v0.1). No Victorian Curriculum 2.0 code matched (v0.1).

Nearby on the map

Insect Adaptationsages 9–11 Insect anatomy in depthages 9–11 Insects in ecosystemsages 9–11 The most successful animals on Earthages 9–11

All Insects & Minibeasts skills →