Introduction

This lesson was developed as part of the San Diego State University Learning Through Cyber Apprentice Program.

In this lesson the students will be learning all about insects. The students will be able to identify and know the function of the anatomical parts of an insect which include compound eyes, legs, antennae, head, thorax, and the abdomen. The students will be able to identify three helpful and harmful insects. The students will learn about haiku poems and be able to write one themselves about butterflies. The students will understand what complete metamorphosis is and be able to tell which insects go through it. The students will also be asked to write a report about their favorite insect. This report will include their habitat, food, family, life cycle, and adaptations. The students will be asked to be detectives and search out this information, completing tasks for each.

Learners

This lesson is aimed at Second Graders and covers both Science and Language Arts.

Students will only get a brief description of what a haiku poem is and must be able to write them. Students will need to synthesize the information they look at for each task. Students must have experience in writing a report and writing paragraphs. The students must also have prior experience to working in heterogeneous groups.

Curriculum Standards

Science Standards Addressed

The student develops an understanding of the characteristics of living things.

• 2a
• 2b
• 2c
• 2d

Reading Standards Addressed

The student understands, analyzes, interprets, evaluates, and extends the meaning of a wide variety of significant literature--nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama. The student develops the necessary skills to read and comprehend thoroughly literary and informational text, connecting text with prior knowledge and personal experience.

The student understands, analyzes, synthesizes, and evaluates informational and technical text, connecting text with prior knowledge and experience.

• 2.3
• 2.4

Writing Standards Addressed

The student writes in a variety of forms to produce literary and informational text, completing authentic tasks characteristic of the real world. In the process, the student demonstrates awareness of audience and purpose, command of standard language, and knowledge of the writing process.

The student writes effectively for a range of audiences and a variety of purposes, following the conventions of standard, written language, and using the steps of the writing process as needed.

• 1.1
• 1.2
• 1.5
• 1.6
• 1.7

In order to successfully complete this unit, students will be required to work together in teams or pairs. Students will complete drawings that require them to be creative. Students will use decision making skills in order to determine their favorite insect. Students will be required to synthesize information in order to complete the activities. In is also important that students follow all directions.

Process

The Process

Hi detectives! You are going to be exploring the world of insects! You will be learning about many different insects in this lesson.

1. First, let's look at some basic facts about insects.

2. Now that you know some basic facts about insects, let's be detectives and search out some harmful and helpful insects.

This link will give you examples of helpful and harmful insects. Now, can you name me three helpful insects and three harmful insects?

Write them down now. Write down next to each why they are helpful or harmful.

3. In one paragraph, write about the three helpful insects that you chose. In another paragraph, write about the three harmful insects that you chose. Make sure you include descriptions of each. At the bottom of each paragraph, draw an illustration of the three insects that you chose.

4. Now your job as the detective is to pick an insect, draw it, and label the body parts of that insect. Label the eyes, legs, antennae, head, thorax, and abdomen. Next to each label, tell the function of the body part. Make sure you draw the insect large enough so that all of the body parts can be seen. Use a full sheet of paper. but first you need to search out these body parts!

For examples of insects and their body parts click on this link. Click on the insect of your choice and you can see it enlarged.

This link will also give you information on the body parts of an insect. Scroll to the bottom and click on show1:bee anatomy.

This link will let you know the definitions of different body parts.

5. Now it is your time as the detective to search out all the facts about butterflies that you can. Here you will learn about a monarch butterfly.

Scroll to bottom and click on monarch butterfly under show 3. Learn about more butterflies by clicking on Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs, Click Here. make sure and click on butterflies.

6. Now that you have successfully searched out facts about butterflies, you will use those facts to write a poem called a haiku.

How many of you know what a haiku poem is? Well let me tell you.

Haiku poems originated in Japan.

A haiku poem is a poem that does not rhyme.

Haikus are written in the present tense.

It has three lines total.

The first line has five syllables.

The second line has seven syllables.

The third line has five syllables.

That is 17 syllables total.

Haikus are usually written about nature.

This link will give you examples of haiku poems that students like you made up themselves.

Now you need to write your own haiku about a butterfly. Brainstorm some ideas that you know about butterflies. After you write down a few facts, write your poem. Once you finish your poem, draw a picture of that butterfly. Remember to count your syllables carefully.

7. Wow, you have learned a lot about insects so far! Now it is time to discover all about metamorphosis. Some insects go through complete metamorphosis and some do not. Click here to learn about metamorphosis. Click on ALL ABOUT BUGS.

8. This is the last step of your project as detectives. You will be searching out many different insects. After you finish searching, you will be writing a report about your favorite insect. In this report you will have to write about your favorite insect's habitat(where they live), the food they eat, the family they belong to, their lifecycle, and how they adapt to their surroundings. So get searching!

Here you will learn about all different types of insects. Click on BUGS,BUGS, AND MORE BUGS, CLICK HERE. Here are some more insects.

Here you will learn about ants.

Do you know anything about roaches?

How about spiders? There are a lot of spiders listed here, so pick one that looks interesting to you!

Now it is time to write your report!

This project will take at least a day or two for each step. This depends on how fast the students work on this and how much time is provided. It also depends on how many computers are available. We recommend that the students work together in pairs or group when doing this project.

This is a multidisciplinary project: Science, Reading, and Writing.

If students are broken up into pairs or groups, have them take turns scrolling through the Web sites. Groups should be heterogeneously mixed. Extra time may be needed for lower-level reading students.

Variations

This lesson should be carried out in a computer lab/classroom setting. Students need to do the research on the computer and do the writing and drawing at their desks. Perhaps, books could be added for supplemental instruction.

Resources Needed

For links, look below in Reference and Credits section. There are no additional materials required for this lesson.

Here are some books that could be used for supplemental instruction on Insects.

ABC of Crawlers and Flyers

The Big Bug Book (M. Facklam)

Bugs (Parker & Wright)

Discover Hidden Worlds-Bugs

Eyewitness--Insects (S. Parker)

Eyewitness Jr.--Amazing Insects (L. Mound)

Golden Guides--Insects (H. Zim)

Picturepedia--Insects and Spiders

Why do bugs bite and sting? (S. Parker)

Zoo Books--Insects

Evaluation

Describe to the learners how their performance will be evaluated. Specify whether there will be a common grade for group work vs. individual grades.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Haiku Poem	You did not follow the directions for a haiku poem.	Your poem is missing some syllables or lines and is not about butterflies.	Your poem has 17 syllables and 3 lines about butterflies.	You use describing words and you followed directions for a haiku poem.
Favorite Insect Report	Your report is not complete.	Your report is missing some important information.	Your report talks about habitat, food, family, life cycle, and adaptations about a favorite insect.	Your report gives good examples and more information about your insect than asked for.
Anatomical Parts of an Insect	Your picture did not include all the body parts and their functions.	Some of your labels and functions were not correct.	Your picture included all the body parts and their functions.	Your picture included a lot of detail and was neat.
Helpful and Harmful Insects Activity	You did not write about 3 helpful and 3 harmful insects or drew a picture.	You did not write 2 paragraphs. Some of the information you gave was incorrect.	You wrote about 3 helpful and 3 harmful insects and drew a picture of each one.	You explained clearly why the insects are helpful or harmful in detail. Your pictures are neat and detailed.

If students successfully complete all of the projects with a three or four on the rubric, they will have successfully completed this WebQuest.

Conclusion

This lesson incorporates Science, Reading, and Writing. This will allow students to browse through various Web sites which are educationally and topically appropriate.

Credits & References

Links

Insect Mania

University of Kentucky

Alien Empire

Think Quest

Haikus

City Bugs

Think Quest 2

Think Quest Junior

All About Ants

Yucky Roach World

Spiders

Images

Thank you to John Lewis of Nashville, Tennessee for the spider images.

Thank you to Insect Mania for the rest of the images used.