Writing Activities: Year 3

Dung beetle

Dung beetles are beetles that eat dung… yuck! Many dung beetles (known as ‘rollers’) roll dung into round balls. Other dung beetles (known as tunnellers) bury the dung wherever they find it. However, other dung beetles (known as ‘dwellers’) do neither, and simply like to live in manure. Lovely!

In this clip, we will see the struggles of a dung beetle determined to roll its ‘tasty’ treat…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p014dg1l/player

To enable embedded content please change your cookie preferences.

Credit: BBC One – Africa

Literacy idea

Write an acrostic poem about the dung beetle in the clip, where the first letter of each line spells out the words ‘DUNG BEETLE’.

You can use the example below to help you:

Determined, the beetle rolls her huge ball of dung

Under the hot African sun, she struggles with all her might

Never will she give up her fight…

G

B

E

E

T

L

E

Wider curriculum idea

Using these facts about dung beetles from natgeokids.com, make a true or false quiz for your family members or friends. Remember to note down the correct answers yourself!