When identifying insects, it is a lot easier to classify down to the family level and skip the genus and species level. Using the Peterson Guides will help to identify the family. Most entymologists will use the dichotomous key to identify the insects. For our purposes, the dichotomous key is too technical. It will be easier for our students to design their own key using like characteristics.
Students can begin to separate insects by shape, such as grasshoppers, beetles, and butterflies.
From there, they can begin to classify them even more, including color, size, shape, etc. You will find more varieties of insects near water and less near the barren areas, although, any area can be used to study the insects.