Promoting student-led authentic science investigations
MothEd is purposefully designed to provide elementary and middle school students the opportunity to shape the scientific practices of their classroom, to survey moth abundance and diversity of their local places, and to inform the ongoing ecological work of entomologists.
Are you interested in using MothEd in your classroom? Check out our comprehensive MothEd Teacher Guide for activities, scaffolding, pacing, and resources.
Enter your email, below, to stay up to date on the latest MothEd resources and announcements with our Monthly MothEd Newsletter.
Studying moths provides a unique opportunity
There are over 12,000 moth species in North America. Yet, most moth research to date has focused on a handful of species that are either identified as agricultural pests or have the potential to cause mass defoliation as adults (e.g., certain Tent Caterpillars or the Spongy Moth, formerly Gypsy Moth).
The potential for conducting student-led research in a range of urban and rural habitats is great; traps are inexpensive and discreet, and students can easily deploy them at their homes, around school grounds, or at places of interest in local communities.
Resources for Teachers
MothEd offers two types of resources. You can visit our resource page for a complete list of standalone MothEd resources and activity sheets. OR, you can download our comprehensive Teacher Guide for a scaffolded progression of lessons and resources to support implementation in your classroom.
MothEd Publications
The MothEd research and development team has published a series of articles in both scholarly and practitioner journals with several more currently in review. They include:
- Keas, B., Brown, B., Stroupe, D., Best, S., LeTarte M., and White P. J. T. (2024) Conducting authentic moth research with students to encourage scientific inquiry. Science Scope 47(4), 56-62.
- Brown, C. B., and White, P. J.T. (2024). Entomologists in the K-12 Classroom: A Scoping Review. Insects, 15(10), 742.
- Stroupe, D., Walser, M., & White, P. (2025). Authenticity and entomology knowledge in science classrooms. In C. Chinn, E. Tan, C. Chan, and Y. Kali (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19th International Conference of the Learning Sciences-ICLS2025 (pp. 3-10). Helsinki, Finland: International Society of the Learning Sciences.