VirtualBugs

Here is the schedule we will be following for this collaboration.  If there are conflicts, I am sure we can revamp as we go:

• May 5th (10:20 - 10:50)  Rene reads Hey Little Ant by Phillip Hoose.  Class introductions
• May 16th (12:20 - 12:50)  Chris's class presenting on the praying mantis
• May 22nd  (12:20 - 12:50)  Kathy's class presenting on the butterfly *
• May 30th (12:20 - 12:50)   Culminating VC with Karin from the Royal Botanical Gardens, Ontario
• June 2nd (9:20 - 9:50)  Rene reading Mr. Blueberry by Simon James
• June 6th (12:20 - 12:50) Kathy's class presenting (theme is ponds, no topic chosen yet)
• June 13th (12:20 - 12:50) Chris's class presenting (theme is ponds, no topic chosen yet)
• June 16th (12:20 - 12:50)  Culminating VC with Karin from the Royal Botanical Gardens, Ontario

 

* I am changing my focus to cover the butterfly.  I went through my curriculum map for science and the butterfly is the main focus so...I hope this doesn't throw things off. 

 

 Lisa Zimar added a  Life Cycle of a Ladybug.kid.  and  Stages of a Butterfly.notebook 

 

Hope these are helpful!

 

Here is a copy of the Life Cycle of a Ladybug saved as a Kidspiration 1.0 file:  LadybugLifeCycleKID1.kid

 

This wiki will be used to create a unit plan for collaboratively teaching about insects.  I have set up an outline for both of you to fill in with the lessons you will teach in your own classrooms and where you plan to collaborate throughout the unit.  The more specific you are about the steps in the process, the better! 

 

Go ahead and change the name of the unit to whatever you would like it to be!  I just called it VirtualBugs to get us started. 

 

Perhaps you could use 2 different colors for text to help determine who typed what :-)

 

You have space to add new wiki pages and post pictures of student artwork (make sure to get parent permission before you post images of students and/or their work, according to your district's web policy!);

 

Authors: Kathleen Partridge

 

Concepts:

(Please list the concepts you plan to focus on during your unit on Insects here:)

• Parts of an insect's body - head, thorax and abdomen
• Characteristics of an insect - 3 body parts, 1 or 2 prs. of wings, 3 prs. of legs
• Compare/contrast insect body and human body.
• Life cycle of the butterfly - egg, larva, pupa and adult

 

Objectives:

• Name the parts of an insect - head, thorax, abdomen
• Describe at least 2 characteristics of insects - have wings, 3 prs. of legs, antennae, mouthparts, etc.
• Name the 4 stages of the life cycle of an insect 

 

Materials and Pre-requisite Knowledge:

Bugs! by Nancy Winslow Parker - this book is a great book for basic facts concerning insects.  It also has little rhymes about each insect that I use as the unit is ending as a reinforcement type activity.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle - this book is a great way to teach the children about the metamorphosis of a butterfly along with reviewing days of the week and counting.

The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle - this interactive book teaches the children several facts concerning the cricket but also teaches the children that never giving up has its rewards.

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle - this interactive book teaches the children facts concerning the firefly and also teaches the children that having patience is a good thing.

Waiting For Wings by Lois Elhert

How Many Bugs In A Box by David Carter

Caterpillar, Caterpillar by Vivian French - this book is awesome. A little girl learns about life cycle of a butterfly from her grandfather. A sweet, yet informational story.

Interactive Chart - If I were an insect, I'd like to be a ___________________________________.

Buggy sentences:

• Some bugs are ______________________________________.
• Some bugs have _____________________________________.
• Some bugs can _____________________________________.

Butterfly Word Rhymes - using paper butterflies, write rhyming words on the wings, cut apart.  Have the children match the rhyming words.

Student Book - An Insect Has...  An insect book.doc

Student Book - The Butterfly Book  The butterfly book.doc

*Art Project - Hexagon Honeycomb: using bubble wrap, paint it yellow and then press to paper.  Make bees using thumb print, yellow paint and black markers.

*Honeycomb Cereal Math - use cereal as counters

*Make a counting book using How Many Bugs In A Box by David Carter as a model

*Use geometric shapes to make insects such as butterflies

*Number Caterpillar - using a circle that is the caterpillar head and circles numbered 1-10, have the children put them in order so they create a caterpillar

*Large Motor Activity - using scarves or hair scrunchies with ribbon attached, have the children "dance" to Beethoven's Flight of the Bumblebee

 

 

 

Brief Description of Lessons for this Unit:

(Briefly explain each lesson in the order you plan to teach it, including where you plan to include the Interactive Video Conferences; materials needed for each lesson; pre- and post-IVC lessons to help introduce/extend the learning done in the Virtual Learning Experience....)

 

• Lesson Structure: (Title)
  • Materials: (What will you need to teach the lesson?  Specific book titles, art supplies, websites, technology activities [SMART Board or Kidspiration activities], etc.  Is this where you plan to include the Virtual Learning Experience?)
  • Procedures: (What are the steps, questioning strategies, etc. that you will follow during the lesson?)
  • Duration: (How long will it take to cover the information in this lesson?  Give approximate dates for the lesson, particularly if it is the IVC)

 

• Lesson 1: Creating the life cycle of the butterfly using different types of pasta
  • Materials: preprogrammed template of a leaf on cardstock, pasta (orzo, spiral, shell and bow), glue
  • Procedures: this activity will be used as a closure activity to the life cycle of the butterfly.  Using pictures of the 4 stages of a butterfly I would have the children work together to put the pictures in the correct order (this would serve as a review for the children).  I will then have them match the types of pasta to the different stages of the life cycle: orzo - egg, spiral - caterpillar, shell - chrysalis, bow tie - butterfly.  Once we have those figured out I will have them glue the pasta in the correct places on the template.  As a final activity, we will label the stages.
  • Duration: I will be doing this activity in two parts, both possibly lasting around 30 minutes each.  The first session will be doing everything except the labeling of the 4 stages.  The labeling of the stages will be done during my language arts sessions (small groups) so I can use this time to review letter names and letter sounds.

 

• Lesson 2: Build A Bug Game
  • Materials: preprogrammed game boards, bug body part cards, bug die (one per every 2-4 children)
  • Procedures: using the bug die, the children roll the die and then add that bug part card to the game board.  The game continues until a student has "built" a whole bug using the bug cards.  This activity will be used in my science center once the game has been modeled and tried out several times.
  • Duration: I will use this activity throughout the final week of my insect unit, during center time.  The children have 15-20 minutes per session, hopefully they will be able to finish the game in this length of time.  I will also set this game out for a free play activity once I am done using it during center time.

 

• Lesson 3: See How We Grow!  Part 1 - Sequencing the photos of the students by year
  • Materials: preprogrammed form I created (When I was one, I...)
  • Procedures: I send the form home with the children on a Friday and ask that it be returned early the next week.  The parents help the children fill out the form and also send in pictures of the children at ages 1, 2, 3, and 4.  We look at the pictures and read through the forms at calendar time, usually 4 children each day.  When I was one I.doc
  • Duration: 1 week

 

• Lesson 4: See How We Grow!  Part 2 - illustrating the "life cycle" of each student
  • Materials: booklets that say "When I was ____, I _____________________."
  • Procedures: Using the information that the parents sent in, the children work with me in small groups to fill in their books.  They either try to write the information on their own or they dictate the information and I write it.  They illustrate the pages of their books.
  • Duration: One week doing some work daily in small groups

 

• Lesson 5: See How We Grow!  Part 3 - comparing the student "life cycle" with those of the butterfly
  • Materials: students photos, butterfly life cycle cards
  • Procedures: the children will  lay their student photos down and those of the butterfly life cycle underneath.  They will discuss the differences\similarities between the two.  I will focus on the outcome using my baby picture and a picture of me today. 
  • Duration: One 30 minute whole group session .

 

• Lesson 6: See How We Grow!  Part 4 - creating PhotoStories of the student's "life cycles"
  • Materials: student photos, PhotoStory program, forms that the parents filled out
  • Procedures: I will create the photostory by downloading the images into the template.  The children will narrate the pages (ex. When I was one I crawled.), choose the slide transition and the music to create their PhotoStory.  When I was one I.doc
  • Duration: Not sure of duration, this depends on how much time it takes for each child to record their information.  I will do this at playtime.  Once they are finished we will view all of them.

 

• Lesson 7: Ladybug, Ladybug, Who Do You See?  Part 1 - using the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear illustrated by Eric Carle as a model, this student book was created as sentence strips
  • Materials: sentence strips of Ladybug, Ladybug, Who Do You See?, pocket chart
  • Procedures: introduce the preprogrammed book of Ladybug, Ladybug, Who Do You See? by using the pocket chart and sentence strips of the student book. I would do this for a couple of days at calendar time by doing choral readings, individual readings, etc.  I will use this time to review sight words, find the missing word, word guess activities, etc.
  • Duration: two or three days during calendar time, 5-10 minutes per session

 

• Lesson 8: Ladybug, Ladybug, Who Do You See?  Part 2
  • Materials: student book of Ladybug, Ladybug..., sentence strips, pocket chart, crayons, insect pictures
  • Procedures: I would review the sentence strips with the children using choral reading and questioning.  Each child would be given a copy of the book, we would read through the book practicing tracking with our fingers.  We would talk about sight words, concepts of print, etc.  We would begin illustrating our books together, one page per day.
  • Duration: one 30 minute session per day, whole group (5 days)

 

•  Lesson 9: Ladybug, Ladybug, Who Do You See?  Part 3  Sequencing the story 
  • Materials: glove, bug pieces, sentence strips if needed
  • Procedures: the children will take turns sequencing the order of the story by using the story glove and bug pieces.  The children will recite the story and add the correct bug piece to the glove in the correct order
  • Duration: I will do this in small groups so each student has his own glove.  The children can choral speak the story and add the pieces at the same time.  You can also do this as a flannel board story using the same bug pieces.

 

• Lesson 10: Ladybug, Ladybug... Part 4   Review of the story & sight words.  Create nonsense sentences by using the sentence strips to see who can figure out new words.
  • Materials: sentence strips, animal cards
  • Procedures: After rereading the sentence strips with the children I would replace one of the insect words with an animal word that the children are familiar with from our nursery rhyme unit.  I would then have the children reread the sentence strips with me and use the new word (example...Ladybug, ladybug, who do you see?  I see a pig looking at me.)
  • Duration:  I would do this at calendar time for two or three days, changing either the insect at the beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence.  This is a big hit with the kids!

 

• Lesson 11: Counting Ladybugs!  Reviewing numbers 1 - 12
  • Materials: lima beans spray painted red with black marker dots added, egg carton that has the cups numbered 1 - 12
  • Procedures: the children count out the appropriate number of lima bean ladybugs and add them to the egg carton cups.  Have a partner check the work. 
  • Duration: 20 minute center activity

 

• Lesson 12: Counting LadyBugs Graphing
  • Materials: lima beans spray painted red with black marker dots added, 1/2 egg carton that is numbered 1-6, graphing sheet
  • Procedures: the children will put one lima bean in the egg carton, close and shake it.  They open the egg carton, see where the bean landed and color in that number on the graphing sheet.
  • Duration: one session 20 minutes in length.  I use this as a free choice activity once they know how to do this.

 

• Lesson 13: Count On Caterpillars, 1-10
  • Materials: paper leaves, spiral colored pasta pieces (caterpillars), number cards 1-10
  • Procedures: Give each child 10 colored pasta pieces and one paper leaf.  Using the number cards, show the children a number and have them put that number of caterpillars (pasta) on the leaf.  Have them count out the caterpillars.  Have the children determine whether they have more caterpillars on or off of the leaf.  Continue...
  • Duration: 30 minute session

 

• Lesson 14: My Ladybug Spot Book - Number review
  • Material: preprogrammed ladybug pages, black crayons
  • Procedures: the children add spots to the ladybugs with a black crayon, then they fill in the number on the page "My ladybug has ______ spots."
  • Duration: one 30 minute session

 

• Lesson 15: Interactive Insect Activities - Smart Board activities
  • Materials: Smart Board, LCD projector
  • Procedures: The children will use these interactive activities to review insect facts.  One page is a sorting activity (insects vs. non insect), one is a cloze activity and one is sequencing the life cycle of a butterfly activity.
  • Duration: 20 - 30 minutes depending on how much discussion is involved

                           Insect activities.notebook

• Lesson 16: Beautiful Butterflies - IVC between my UPK class and Chris's UPK class (May 22)
  • Materials: props, poem, song, etc.
  • Procedures: through songs, poems, skits and interactive activites with the other class, my children will be reviewing butterfly facts as they teach the facts to the other group of UPK students.
  • Duration: 30 minutes

 

• Lesson 17: Am I An Insect? Game
  • Materials: Heading  strips: insect, not an insect, picture cards of living things
  • Procedures: The children will draw a card from a card pile, decide if it is an insect or not, and then place it under the proper heading.
  • Duration: I would use this activity in a couple of different sessions as a way to check their knowledge at the end of the unit.

 

• Lesson 18: What Do We Know About Insects? 
  • Materials: chart paper, markers
  • Procedures: at the beginning of this unit, I would ask the children what they know about insects and chart their responses.  I would keep this chart and refer back to it as we learn about insects, updating facts as we go.
  • Duration: throughout the unit

 

• Lesson 19: What are insects? an introduction  (Part 1)
  • Materials: In The Tall Tall Grass by Denise Flemming, chart paper, markers
  •  Procedures: Ask, "What do you think lives in the grass?" then read the book, In The Tall Tall Grass.  Review pictures and ask students what they see in the grass.  List the animals, insects and bugs on chart paper.  Discuss what makes up an insect - a head with two antennae and six legs.
  • Duration: 20 - 30 minutes

 

• Lesson 20:  What are insects? (part 2)

                Materials: Have small and large plastic insects for children to explore with premade parts

                of an insect with labels.

               Procedures: Review what were some of the insects from the book, In The Tall Tall Grass.

               Ask them to tell you what are the parts that make up an insect.   Attach insect part on chart paper

               and label it. Continue until done and ask what insect does this look like - ant.  Have two or three

               more insect parts made up (bee, ladybug, grasshopper). Have children place body parts on paper

               and label it.

               Duration: 30 minutes

 

• Lesson 21:  Create an insect habitat   

                Materials: Large rolled paper on wall - outside/inside room- crayons, insects made by children -

                paper, tissue paper, foam shapes, glue, toothpicks, coffee filters, etc.

                Procedures:  Ask each child what were some of their experiences with insects.  At the end of

                sharing stories (which could be recorded on chart paper) have each child create their own insect. 

                Use a variety of materials - some may be a drawing cut out, a two-dimensional creation or created

                with shapes.  While some are making insects others can start to color the class mural including

                different habitats ( pond, tree, grasses) for the variety of insects to be made.

                Duration: 3- 4 days  

 

• Lesson 22: Have an Insect Parade

               Materials: Books - The Very Quiet Cricket & The Very Clumsy Clicke Beetle, hat pattern , colored

               paper to match insect colors, crayons, scissors, yarn (elastic string), tape,stapler, objects to help

               make sounds (musical instruments)

               Procedures: Read The Very Quiet Cricket or The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle. Have the

               children think about the sounds an insect makes.  Ask each child to make that sound.  Some may

               need paper or and object to help make that sound (like a musical instrument).  Have each child

               become an insect and make their sound.  Each student makes an insect hat (It looks llike the

               head of the insect they will be making the sound for).  Then have a bug parade having each insect

               making their sounds.  Each student makes their sound when tapped on the head/shoulder so they

               can hear each other. 

               Duration: 30 minutes initial (keep practicing the sounds) then 2- 4 days to make hats.

 

• Lesson 23: Sorting and classifying insect/bugs   -  two different days

               Materials: Book The Best Bug Parade  by Stuart J. Murphy, plastic insects and bugs, chart paper,

               graphs, rulers, strings or ribbons cut into different lengths to match bug lengths.

               Procedures: Have students take two bugs, ask if it is an insects or not and explain how they

               know.  Then compare how long or short they are.  ( Or measure using a ruler and put

               the length number on a  graph for each kind of insect or bug. Count which bug/s has the most,

               least, or the same length.

               Duration: I would do this two different days - The first day exploring the lengths( 20 minutes) -

               the second day recording the lengths on a graph ( 30 minutes).

 

• Lesson 24:

              Materials:

              Procedures:

              Duration: