TEKS: Grade 2; Systems- (8) Living Organisms and Nonliving Objects
a. Identify characteristics of living organisms
Insect cutouts for nametags
Paper grocery bags
Art supplies
Nets
Aspirators
Sidewalk chalk
Broomsticks
Fabric for nets
Strong thread
Journals
Stickers
Ice cream
Candy
Milk carton
Fabric paint
Cigar boxes
Insect pins
Styrofoam board
Books: The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta
Introduction of teachers and students
Create a nametag and take home sack
Let's see what we can find?
Explanation of an Insect
Play a Part
Song- What makes an insect an insect?
Let's read!
Nets
Collecting containers
Starting a collection
Insect ice-cream
Journal decoration and writing
1. Teacher and Student Introductions- Each teacher will
introduce his or her self and tell a little about him or herself.
The students will then take turns telling their name, age, school
attended, and any other information. As part of this getting to
know each other session, ask students, " Have any of you
had any interesting experiences with insects? Do you know what
an insect is?" Well today we are going to be talking about
insects. We will discuss what exactly they are, where they live,
and how they are able to survive. Read book: The Icky Bug Counting
Book by Jerry Pallotta
2. Nametags/ Take Home Sacks- Students will be given a
construction paper cutout of an insect so that they can create
their own nametag. They will be able to use pom-poms, crayons,
wiggly-eyes, and any other craft supplies available. The nametags
will be hung around student's necks with string. After the students
finish the nametags they will work on decorating a paper sack
that will be used for taking projects home at end of the week.
3. Let's see what we can find?- The teacher will begin by telling students that they will be going outside to see what types of insects they can observe. Ask students, " Where do you think we should look to find insects?" and "What do you think we will find when we look in the garden?"
While outside, teachers explain that insects are found everywhere
and that there are various methods of collecting the ones of interest.
Ask students how they think one could catch insects. Proceed by
showing them the correct way to use a sweep net. Allow students
to see what you have collected in net and then show how you transfer
insect into container. Tell students that in order to handle and
do research on certain insects you must use a kill jar. But reiterate
that there are plenty of insects available for scientific reasons
and that entomologists do not just go around killing insects for
no reason. Allow students to continue exploring and to keep track
of where they saw certain insects. After an allotted amount of
time has passed by, re-group the class and talk about what they
saw. By using sidewalk chalk, graph the number of common insects
they found on the concrete walk. Use ants, butterflies, bees,
and beetles. Continue to ask them questions about where they found
the most insects. Did you find more insects by the water? How
many of you observed insects around the flowers? What kind of
insects did you see in the trees? Were there any insects that
you had never seen before? Etc.
4. Explanation of an Insect- Present a poster of insect
characteristics and read The Big Bug Book by Margery Facklam.
5. Play a Part- Explain that we are going to be creating an insect with their own bodies. Remind students that an insect has three separate body parts. Pick one student to be the head. Have this child sit down Indian style. Ask for two more volunteers to be the thorax, and the abdomen and have them sit down behind the first child. The remaining students will be the six legs and antennae. After students have made their first insect, have them create one on their own without help of the teacher.
Adapted from Ranger Rick's Nature Scope- Incredible
Insects
6. Song- Head, Thorax, Abdomen by Toni Casarez, Cedric Wesley, and Wendy Garrett
(To the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes")
Head, Thorax, Abdomen, Abdomen
Head, Thorax, Abdomen, Abdomen.
6 legs, 2 antennae and compound eyes
Don't forget the ones with wings, ones with wings.
Movements for Song Head, Thorax, Abdomen
Head: Point to head
Thorax: Point to stomach area
Abdomen: Point to rear and shake
6 Legs: Show 6 Fingers
2 Antennae: with index finger wiggling above head
Compound Eyes: hands cupped like "c" around eyes
Wings: interlock hands at thumbs and wiggle fingers in flying
motion
Song- Crickets Beetles, and Bees
(to the tune of "Frere Jacques")
Crawling beetle, crawling beetle,
On the ground, on the ground,
Crawling, crawling, crawling,
Crawling, crawling, crawling,
All around, all around.
Hopping cricket,
Hopping cricket,
In the grass, in the grass,
Hopping, hopping, hopping,
Hopping, hopping, hopping,
Very fast, very fast.
Busy bumble bee, busy bumble bee,
In the air, in the air,
Flying, flying, flying,
Buzzing here, buzzing there.
Before singing this song, show students pictures of a beetle, cricket, and
a bee. Also, students can act out the action words that are being sung about.
Adapted from Ranger Rick's Nature Scope- Incredible
Insects
7. Let's Read- Miss Spider's Tea Party, by David
Kirk, will be read outside before lunch.
8. Let's make a Net- Tell the students that we will be
making our own nets to use when we collect insects. Have the major
sewing of the nets done before hand. Have the students decorate
their nets with fabric crayon iron-ons. Give the students the
broom handle and pre-bent wire and have the students assemble
the net frame. Let the students sew the nets around the wire to
complete the nets. Keep reminding students that they will be using
their own nets to collect insects the next day.
Collecting Containers- Student will decorate milk cartons that will be used for a scavenger hunt on Friday.
10. Starting a collection- Students will have the opportunity
to keep their own insect collection throughout the week. Each
morning, the students will go and seek insects that will be studied
that day as well as other insects. In the afternoon, there will
be time set aside for them to pin and identify their insects.
The children will make their own collection boxes using old cigar
boxes. They will line the bottom of the box with styrofoam for
the pins to stick in. If the children do not want to pin their
insects themselves, the teachers will help them do it.
11. Insect Ice cream- Tell students- Remember when we talked
to you about the different body parts of an insect. Well now,
it is time for you to create your own insect. We are going to
do this piece by piece using ice cream and various candies. Have
teacher ready to distribute ice cream to students as soon as other
teacher has gone over that specific part. Ask the students if
they can tell us one part of an insect? When students agree that
what they have suggested is a part, they will receive that scoop
of ice cream. Then proceed to ask the parts and continue to complete
their insect with ice cream and candy. Different candy will be
used as eyes, antennae, legs, and wings.
Closure
The students will receive a small notebook and will be given time
to decorate the outside cover. After they are finished decorating
their journal we will ask them to write about their day. Ask them
to draw and label an insect in their journal. Encourage them to
ask for help if needed. Journal writing will occur each day of
the week.
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