The Amazing BUG World

Denise Gutierrez / EDUC508

LEARNING CONTEXT

This learning experience will help kindergarten students understand the many types of insects and their characteristics. They will be introduced to different kinds of insects and assimilate their similarities and differences. The students will learn how to take care of insects and learn to sort the insects from non-insects.

The learning experience will include standards in ELA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Art. Students will read a variety of fictional and non-fictional books, engage in group discussions and work on various in school and at home activities.

PROCEDURE

Students will:

• Engage in story time and ask questions about bugs, their behavior and their habitat

• Go outdoors and explore insects• Classify bugs by identifying major structures common to them• Create writing pieces• Learn about a bug’s body and transformation such as butterflies and chrysalis

through books and visuals.• Demonstrate knowledge of bugs with a written or drawn response using

common materials• Learn about patterns through basic math activities• Do activity worksheets involving puzzles and coloring.

Students will:

• Engage in story time and ask questions about bugs, their behavior and their habitat

• Go outdoors and explore insects• Classify bugs by identifying major structures common to them• Create writing pieces• Learn about a bug’s body and transformation such as butterflies and chrysalis

through books and visuals.• Demonstrate knowledge of bugs with a written or drawn response using

common materials• Learn about patterns through basic math activities• Do activity worksheets involving puzzles and coloring.

Teacher will:

• Read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books about insects

• Plan a fieldtrip to the park where students will search and explore different types of insects

• Give a lecture on insect anatomy and life cycle• Provide common materials to create insect artwork• Prepare materials for Garden Counting Game and puzzles• Create a insects KWL chart

PROCEDURE (cont’d)

INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

• Bridging, Round Robin and Venn Diagram as scaffolding strategies.

• We will take a field trip to the local park to search for and explore different types of bugs. Upon our return, students will complete their KWL charts and draw a picture of what they saw.

• Students will watch a video about the life cycle of a honey bee.

• Students will visit image sites on the internet and point out names of bugs, their habits, and habitats

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES FOR STUDENTS

• Computer• Common art materials such as: crayons, markers,

colored pencils, paint, brushes, water colors, construction paper, pictures, scissors, glue.

• Activity worksheets• Magnifying glass• Jars

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES FOR TEACHERS

• Computer for image search and video• Consent forms for field trip• Reading materials (fiction & non-fiction books)• K-W-L Chart• Easel• Laminator

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS (BOOKS)

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)• The Grouchy Ladybug (Eric Carle• How Many Bugs In A Box (David A. Carter) • From Caterpillar To Butterfly (Deborah Heiligman)• Where Do Insects Live (Susan Canizares and Mary

Carpenter Reid)• What Do Insects Do? (Susan Canizares & Pamela

Chanko)

TIME REQUIRED

• Planning - about one week to prepare schedule and gather necessary materials.

• Implementation – One to two weeks

• Assessment - An end-of-project Assessment Checklist to evaluate students' grasp of key concepts and ideas.

LEARNING STANDARDS FOR ELA (1)

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

Performance Indicator: 1- Students know about letters, words, and sounds. They will apply this knowledge to read simple sentences.

2 - Listen to spoken sentences and recognize individual words in the sentence; listen to words and recognize individual sounds in the words.

LEARNING STANDARDS FOR ELA (2)

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen and speak for literacy response and expression.

Performance Indicator: 1- Understand what is heard or seen by responding to questions (including who, what, and where).

2 - Organize and classify information into categories of how and why or by color or size.

ELA STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (1 0F 5)

Students will cut and paste the words to create sentences from prior readings.

ELA STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (2 0F 5)

"UG" and "UT" Word Family Wheels

The word family wheel would be cut and placed on card stock with a fastener used to turn the wheel.  After the wheel is assembled the word family "ug" is placed by the letter "b". The wheel is turned to make a new word.  The children would be required to say the new word. 

ELA STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (3 0F 5)

After reading “From Caterpillar To Butterfly”, students create a four page booklet showing the stages of growth in illustrations. They will use

complete sentences, as they are able.

ELA STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (4 0F 5)

Venn Diagram

Using the venn diagram, students will compare two insects. In the outer circles, they will write things about them that are different. In the center circle, they will write things that are alike. On the lines below they will summarize the differences and similarities

ELA STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (5 OF 5)

Match the words with the corresponding insect

MATH LEARNING STANDARD

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

MATH STUDENT WORK ACTIVITIES (1 OF 4)

Students will count the spots on each ladybug and match the ladybug to the corresponding flower.

MATH STUDENT ACTIVITIES (2 OF 4)

MATH STUDENT ACTIVITIES (3 OF 4)

Connect the number dots.

MATH STUDENT ACTIVITIES (3 OF 4)

Basic Arithmetic

SCIENCE LEARNING STANDARD

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing, creative process.

SCIENCE STUDENT ACTIVITIES (1 OF 4)

Insect Anatomy

Insects have a lightweight, but strong exterior (outside) skeleton called an exoskeleton. Their muscles and organs are on the inside. This multi-layered exoskeleton protects the insect from the environment and natural enemies. The exoskeleton also has many sense organs for sensing light, pressure, sound, temperature, wind, and smells. Sense organs may be located almost anywhere on the insect body, not just on the head.

SCIENCE STUDENT ACTIVITIES (2 OF 4)

Students will develop an understanding of life cycles of insects. They will investigate common characteristics of insects and the effect they have on their environment, and they will explore ways that social insects are different from other insects.

SCIENCE STUDENT ACTIVITIES (3 OF 4)

Students learn about the insect life cycle. This short video shows the life cycle of a butterfly. Students will view pictures of the different stages as well as receive a description of each stage. At the end there is a short sequencing activity for the students to test what they just learned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uu9lUTf04g

SCIENCE STUDENT ACTIVITIES (4 OF 4)

Children will draw and name the parts of an insect

SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING STANDARD

Standard 3: Geography

Students apply geographic knowledge and skills (e.g., location, place, human/environment interactions, movement, and regions).

SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENT ACTIVITIES (1 OF 4)

BUTTERFLY FARM: Students will go on a field trip to a Butterfly Farm. Teacher will read books about butterflies to the class before you go to the Farm. When returning to the classroom after the trip children will be asked for their observations about the butterflies that they have seen. They will write a journal about the findings on the butterflies, their habitats, eating habits, etc.

SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENT ACTIVITIES (2 OF 4)

BEE HIVES: The class will do a study on bee hives and how the different type of bees of the hive help to make the honey. Teacher will write up the findings on the blackboard so that the children can copy the words in a booklet made from large lined paper. Students will be asked to make a picture of a bee and a hive to put on as a cover.

SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENT ACTIVITIES (3 OF 4)

JUMPING FLEAS: Students will do a study on fleas. Fleas are wingless, but when it jumps it is able to launch itself into space with almost 20 times the acceleration of an Apollo moon rocket. (At rest, a flea's rear legs are like coiled-up springs. These "springs" are set off by tiny elastic structures positioned above them making the flea shoot forward). Students are sure to find this interesting and fun!

SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENT ACTIVITIES (4 OF 4)

TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Technology Foundation Standards for Students:

Use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity

Use technology tools to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences

Use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources

ART LEARNING STANDARD

Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles. 

THE ARTS STUDENT ACTIVITIES (1 OF 3)

LADYBUG CRAFT:

Materials for the Craft:Paper plate, black paint and brush, fasteners, wing template and black marker.Instructions for the Craft 1.  Paint a paper plate black.2.  Paint or color the wings red Red construction paper can also be used. 3.  Use fasteners to attach the wings.  The children can now move them back and forth. 5.  Add black spots to the wings and wiggly eyes to the body to complete the craft.

THE ARTS STUDENT ACTIVITIES (2 OF 3)

Butterflies Craft:

Instructions for the Craft1. Photocopy butterfly wings on card stock paper.2.  Children color or paint the wings 3. Paint and glue on egg carton cups 4.  Complete by adding facial features

THE ARTS STUDENT ACTIVITIES (3 OF 3)

Caterpillar Craft

Instructions1.  Draw circles on colored paper (about 12 per child).  They could also traced on construction paper.

2.  Hole-punch the circles in the middle.  Have the children push the circles along a pipe cleaner in a color pattern

3.  Secure the ends so they do not fall off

K-W-L CHARTK-W-L Chart

Students will be asked what they already know about insects, and what they would like to know. Student’s input will be organized on a K-W-L chart worksheet. A poster will be displayed with student questions on the wall to use as a reference throughout the course of the project.

Students will be reminded of the questions of the day and will be invited on a bug field trip to discover answers to some of their questions.

ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

Can students discern differences between several similar types of bugs?

Did students understand how technology facilitates the outcomes of the game?

Did students demonstrate in their writing an understanding of the structure of a journal entry?

Did the students demonstrate in their writing or diagram an understanding of the role of bugs in their own environment?

REFERENCES

Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/Ladybug.shtml

New York City DOE http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EnglishLanguageArts/StandardsCurriculum/default.htm

First Schoolshttp://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EnglishLanguageArts/StandardsCurriculum/default.htm

Google clipart images

Ovando, C., Collier, V., & Combs, M. C. (2006). Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts 4th Ed. New York: McGraw Hill.

REFLECTION

Although I am not pursuing a career as an educator, and this assignment was difficult for me, the experience of creating this learning unit was fulfilling. It gave me the opportunity to gain hands on experience and idea of how teachers prepare their lessons.

This learning experience can help students learn that all bugs are not insects. It will give them an understanding of the differences and similarities that animals have with human and how they form their own communities. I think both English speaking students as well as LEP students can benefit from this unit as it can be taught in both English and Spanish