Grouchy Ladybugs







One of the first things I do each day of insect week (or weeks) is go back to our class KWL chart.  We add anything to the L column that needs to be added.  Next, we look at our W column to see what information we should be looking for today.  Once again, I have informational picture books about ladybugs that I share with the class.  The students are usually surprised at the transformation ladybugs go through during their life cycle. 

Student Sample

Our next activity involves Eric Carle's book The Grouchy Ladybug.  I like to pull out the Judy Clock so we can review telling time as I read the story.  Since the text is repetitive, I allow the students to help me "read" the book (you have to have active involvement and keep them engaged).  After reading the book and reviewing telling time on the hour, I send the students back to their seats so we can make ladybug clocks.  I have all the pieces ready for the students and we complete the project step by step together.  First, the students cut out a black head (I have already drawn all the circles; they just have to cut neatly on the lines) and place it on the construction paper.  We don't glue anything until all the pieces are laid out.  Next, we cut out the red body, the clock face, and the clock hands and then lay them on the construction paper in the correct spot.  Then, we color spots on our last red circle and cut down the center line.  Next, we need 6 legs and 2 antennae.  After all the pieces are in place, I allow the students to glue the pieces down except for the clock hands and the wings.  I laminate the clock hands and wings separately from the rest.  I (or a wonderful parent volunteer) attach the hands and wings with brass brad fasteners so these pieces can be movable.  Finally, the students glue wiggly eyes onto the ladybugs.  This one can be a little time consuming so it may take us two days or we skip rest time and complete the project in one day. 

The next day I add a new activity to our center rotation.  I found these at Toys R Us, but my container includes pieces for ladybugs, ants, and butterflies.  The students put the manipulatives in the correct order and then draw each stage of the life cycle.  I created a page for the students to draw each stage of the life cycle- Ladybug Life Cycle .  I also created one for ants and butterflies and use those later in our unit.

Introducing Insects!

My insect unit is probably one of my most favorite!  I usually spend a few weeks on insects (including butterflies).  We kick our unit off with a KWL chart to see what my students already know about insects and what they would like to learn. 

I have a ton of insect books that I read to the students over the course of the few weeks.  The students also have access to these books.  I usually start with bees.  I read some informational picture books and our class dicusses what makes an insect an insect and the function of the different body parts of insects. 

Next, I read The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle.


Finally, my students color and label the parts of a bee.  We add the book cover forThe  Honeybee and the Robber.  These pages are laminated and added to the Carle/Gibbons books.

The Tiny Seed

School is out and my beach trip is over so that means I have lots of time to catch up on my blog.  Let me pick up where I left off...plants.  During plant week, I read The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.  Our class discusses the different parts of the plant and what a plant needs to live.  I created an anchor chart to show plant parts as well as sun, water, and soil.  Finally, the students (with step by step directions from me) color, cut, and glue plant parts onto construction paper.  I laminate this page and add it to our ongoing Carle/Gibbons book. 

Eric Carle/Gail Gibbons Unit

I absolutely love when Spring comes along because that's when we begin our Living Things units.  I use Eric Carle and Gail Gibbons books to teach the students about living things.  For each topic (bees, butterflies, plants, ocean life, etc.), the students create a page to add to their own books.  I laminate all the pages and bind them together at the end of the year.  It's a great way to showcase the students' writing and artistic abilities.  We usually begin working on the books in March and keep adding to them until the end of the school year.

The first step is to make our book cover.  I show the students a video of Eric Carle explaining how he creates his illustrations.  The video can be found on Scholastic's website or YouTube.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/eric-carle-author-study

Next the students use small pieces of tissue paper to cover a piece of construction paper.  Then, the students glue on the title of our book and a picture of Eric Carle and Gail Gibbons.  (The first time I made these books, I only used Eric Carle.  I've since added Gail Gibbons.)  Finally, the students glue a Created by/Dedicated to sheet for the inside of the cover.

My example that I made a few years ago. 

A student example