Incredible Insects

Brianna ThomasDecember 13, 2010

Literature Focus UnitEDU 315

Literature Selection• Butterfly & Moth by Paul Whalley• Eyewitness Insect by Laurence Mound• The Fascinating World of Ants by Angels Julivert• The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by J. Cole & B. Degen• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle• Zoobooks-Insects and Insects 2 magazines• Peterson First Guides: Insects by Chris Leahy• Five Little Lady Bugs by Melanie Gerth• Butterflies by J.P. Latimer and K.S. Nolting• Caterpillars by Latimer and Notling• Insects and Spiders by Barnes and Noble• 100 Things You Should Know About Insects & Spiders by S. Parker

Theme Study

• Students will take part in a thematic unit study of insects. Throughout this study the topic will be incorporated into reading and writing, art, music, science, social studies and physical education.

• Students will develop knowledge and understanding on different types of insects, their habitats and life cycles.

Language Arts: Reading Activities

• Students will read many different types of books, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They will be involved in different reading formats varying from silent reading, partner reading, guided reading and reader’s theatre.

• The teacher will read aloud from two stories: The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive and The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the whole class.

• Students will read their own written story aloud for the rest of the class.

Language Arts: Writing Activities

• Students will write a journal or do a learning log about the insects they are observing as a class, completing at least one entry per week.

• Students will write a non-fiction story about one of the insects they have learned about.

• Students will write a poem about an insect they have encountered.

• Students will choose vocabulary words for the word wall based on facts about insects.

• Students will make an acrostic poem using the word “insects” or choosing their own specific name of an insect.

Language Arts: Speaking Activities

• Students will participate in a reader’s theatre of the book Five Little Lady Bugs as a class.

• The students will discuss the books, videos and/or articles that they see-either in small groups or as a whole class.

• Students will be given the opportunity to share their stories on the author’s chair.

• The class will be split into small groups and each group of students will focus on one insect. Then each group will share what they learned with the entire class.

Language Arts: Listening Activities

• Students will show their listening skills while the teacher reads stories aloud.

• Students will listen to nature sounds of different animals/insects.

• Students will listen intently and respectfully to their fellow students as they share poems and stories.

• Students will listen closely as they watch insect videos.

Language Arts: Viewing Activities• Students will view models of fake

insects as well as preserved-real insects. • Students will view videos of insects.• Students will bring in pictures of insects and

pass them around for everyone to see. • Students will view insects that they are taking

care of as a class. • Students will go on a nature walk to find and

observe insects in their natural habitat.

Language Arts: Visually Representing Activities

• Students will make diagrams of insects, their habitats and life cycles.

• Students will make an Insect Word Wall.• Students will make an ant farm, constructing the different

types of ants and making a “farm” to display them. • Students will illustrate and display their poems of insects. • Students will take pictures of insects

during the nature walk and make a collage on a wall of the classroom.

Science Activities

• Students will research the life cycle and habitats of a certain type of insect.

• The class will learn about multiple types of insects and the differences between them. Then they will list facts on a large chart to compare and contrast them.

• Students will take care of and observe an ant farm, butterflies, silk worms and meal worms as a class.

• Students will make hypothesis of caterpillars, meal worms and other insects-what will they turn into?

• Students will look at real butterflies that were preserved in a glass case.

• Using a giant inflatable of insects, students will explore the major parts.

Mathematics Activities

• Students will tally and graph how long it takes for the different insects to change forms.

• Students will estimate and measure how long the worms get.

• Students will work on size perspective-what are the sizes of various insects? They will line photos of insects up from smallest to largest.

• Students will work on the symmetry of insects-especially that of ladybugs.

Social Studies Activities

• Students will learn about insects in many places around the world.

• Students will complete a KWL chart about insects. • Students will find a story about how insects have

affected or impacted a culture-for better or worse. • Students will create a Venn diagram comparing two

types of similar insects.• A visitor will come in and describe how silk comes

from silkworms

Music and Art Activities• Students will cut-out and color an ant. • Students will make a collage of butterflies, different

types and colors. • Students will take pictures during the nature walk and

display them in the classroom. • Students will make a mask of ladybug.• The teacher will lead the class in “the itsy-bitsy spider”

with words and actions.• Students will listen to nature music with insect sounds.• Students will perform the song “The ants go marching”

each student having a role in the song.

Physical Education Activities

• Students will play “Simon says” acting like different insects announced by a leader.

• The teacher will assign different ant roles to students and have them carry out their tasks.

• Students will work as a team to create an ant farm or a spider web.

• Cocoon toilet paper game using toilet paper

Technology

• http://www.insects.org• http://www.earthlife.net/insects/six.html• http://www.kidinfo.com/Science/insects.html• http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/kids/insects/story

26/bigbeetlehome.htm• Magic School Bus “Bugs, Bugs, Bugs” Movie• The Very Hungry Caterpillar –DVD• City of Bees –DVD• Digital Photography of insects power point

Language Arts Strategies• Activating background knowledge: students will think about all the facts

and ideas they know about insects already. • Brainstorming: students will think about many insects in a new way as

they write about them in stories. • Connecting: Students will research cultures and events different insects

are involved with. • Predicting and monitoring: Students will predict what will happen to the

insects in the classroom and will monitor and observe them each day.• Playing with language: Creativity will be shown as each student writes a

poem and journals about their insect observations. • Revising: Students will write and revise their written stories and

assignments. • Visualizing: Students will listen to the nature sounds of insects and picture

themselves in that habitat.

Language Arts Skills

• Comprehension: Students will differentiate between genres of literature. They will compare and contrast different types of insects .

• Print: Students will come up with and learn vocabulary about insects through the Insect Word Wall.

• Language: Students will demonstrate different language skills through their reading, writing and speaking activities.

• Reference: Students will make charts, graphs, diagrams, read articles, watch videos and look at websites.

Grouping Patterns

• Large Group: The class will participate in the nature walk, music performances, physical activities, viewing videos, grand conversations, teacher-led stories, taking care of class insects, and visits from experts on the topic.

• Small Group: Students will be in smaller groups to discuss and research information, do partner reading, and ant farm teams divided according to ant type.

• Individual: Each student will work on their own to write stories, poems, journal entries, art projects, bring in photographs and do worksheets/assignments.

Assessments • Journal entries and KWL chart-according to a rubric• Group activities, performances, physical activities and

grand conversations-by active participation• Writing of stories and poems-with a proper-writing form

rubric and peer conferences• Small group work and author’s chair- informal observation

by teacher• Insect Word Wall-Spelling test• Math worksheets, Venn diagrams and social

studies research projects-grading checklists• Artwork, poems and photography-portfolio• Poetry: 6+1 analytical writing traits

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Morning Lang. Arts *Grand conversation*Read aloud: Magic School Bus* Children pick out books on the topic

•Work on the word wall vocabulary•Journal about insects•Teacher reads aloud: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

•Teacher shares poems aloud •Write sentences using word wall•Read with partner

•Write short non-fiction story•Perform readers theatre for “Five Little Lady Bugs”

•Students write and share their poems•Read individually and in small groups•Watch movie

Art/ Music *View photographs of different insects

•Make collage of different butterflies

•Make ants farm•Sing “Ants Go Marching”

• Ladybug masks•Sing: “Itsy-bitsy spider”

•Nature walk-pictures•Listen to nature music

P.E. *“Simon says”, act as different insects

•Cocoon toilet paper relay game

•Ant -roles activity •Spider –web teamwork game

•Students choice of favorite game this week

Afternoon

Math *Students will work on their counting using insect toys

•Size perspectives- line photos up by size

•Start tally/graphs of different insects

•Symmetry of insects-especialy ladybugs

•Estimate lengths and measure worms

Science *Begin learner’s log journal*Students will learn about the major types of insects

•Hypothesize what insects will turn into

•Make hypothesis of insect sizes and lengths

•Research life cycles of insects

•Giant inflatable of insects to explore the major parts

Social Studies *Students will learn about types of insects around the world

•Students will complete a KWL chart

•Students find a story about how insects impact different cultures

•Venn diagram comparing different insects

•Visitor comes in and tells about silk worms