Insects:

Observing a Cricket

MANCHESTER COLLEGE

LESSON PLAN by James Vincent

Lesson:  INSECTS: Observing a Cricket                   Length:  45 minutes               Grade:  Kindergarten

Academic Standard:  K.2.2   Draw pictures and write words to describe objects and experiences.

Academic Standard:  K.3.2   Investigate that things move in different ways, such as fast, slow, etc.

Academic Standard:  K.4.1   Give examples of plants and animals.

Performance Objective:  The student will observe & discover that insects are made up of different body parts.

Performance Objective:  The student will name and identify the body parts of an insect by pointing to the head, body, antennae and legs.

Assessment:  Formative:  students providing examples of believed insects; identifying a cricket; evaluate answers to the questions posed in Step 4.

Assessment:  Summative:  evaluate answers given to the questions in the CLOSURE; cricket artwork.

Materials:      - Magnifying glasses
                        - Crickets (cooled down so they don’t move; BE CAREFUL, they warm up within 5 minutes)
                        - Clear containers for crickets

                        - Books about insects
                        - Pictures and/or posters about insects
                        - Dry erase board or tablet

                        - Paper and art supplies (markers, paints, crayons)

Procedure

Introduction/Motivation:   - Senses are used to observe (sight, hearing, smelling, tasting & touching).

                                               - Senses are tools that help you observe and describe. You should use more than one tool to observe, but you might not

                                                  use all senses.

                                               - Show pictures of insects.
                                               - Ask children to name some things they think are insects.
                                               - Can anyone tell me what a cricket looks like (Knowledge)?

                                               - Today you are going to be scientists and observe a cricket. You may use your eyes, ears, noses, (and possibly hands to

                                                 observe).

                                                 You will also use magnifying glasses to take a closer look at the cricket.

Step-by-Step Plan:    1. Characteristics of insects:

                                                a. They have three main parts: the head, thorax, and abdomen.
                                                b. They have a pairs of feelers on the top of their head called antennae.
                                                c. They have six jointed legs. Some use their legs for jumping, swimming, or grasping.
                                                d. Instead of skin they have an outer covering called an exoskeleton.

                                                e. Insects can have two sets of wings, one set of wings, or no wings at all.

                                              - Examples of insects: flies, moths, beetles, bees, wasps, ants, ladybugs, grasshoppers, butterflies, crickets, and

                                                dragonflies.  Spiders are not insects because they have 8 legs.  Instead, they are called arachnids.

                                    2. Put the children in small groups no more than 4 children per group.
                                    3. Show the children the cricket and how gently you are handling it. Remind them their job is to observe the cricket so well

                                        they could describe it to a friend.
                                    4. Pass out the magnifying glasses and crickets. Allow 4-5 minutes of time for observation (Interpersonal/Naturalist;

                                        Comprehension).

                                        Teacher:  Walk around and monitor handling and ask different questions like: “What color is it (Knowledge)?

                                        Does it make noise (Comprehension)?  Can you see different body parts (Application)?  What does it feel like

                                        (Analysis)?  Does it smell like anything?” (Intrapersonal; Comprehension)

                                    5. Make sure children are observing different parts: head, wings, number of legs, antennae.

            Closure:  Bring class back together and ask, “What were your observations?”  Scaffold questions to different students.  “Do they have parts

                            like ours (head, legs, eyes)?  What were some body parts different from ours (antennae, wings)?  Write observations down on the

                            board or on a tablet.  (Naturalist/Intrapersonal/Interpersonal/Logical; Knowledge/Comprehension/Application)

                            Have students recreate their observations by illustrating a cricket, using the paper and art materials provided.

Enrichments:  Read On Beyond Bugs! All About Insects by Tish Rabe; Illustrated by Aristides Ruiz.  After the reading, ask students who can name

                         a part of a cricket and point to it on this picture? (head, legs, body, antennae, eyes)

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