What makes second grade extra exciting at the beginning of a new school year? For Benton Community students it’s the thrill of going buggy for insects! Second graders love bugs! Who knew? Each year we poll our students and have discovered that the overwhelming majority of students think insects are cool, not creepy! Each section of second grade students takes part in an in-depth study of insects. They learn about insect characteristics, habitat, diet, life cycle, and fun facts about each insect. As a culminating activity students design a diorama of an insect habitat and write a report to share with their classmates.
This interdisciplinary unit of study gives students the opportunity to collaborate with teachers and students, research and design an original insect habitat, and use speaking and listening skills to present reports and become active listeners. A bar graph is created and data is interpreted by students as they discover how many students think insects are “cool”, and how many think they are “creepy”, thus, bringing math into this unit. Students are encouraged to ask and answer questions of each other at the conclusion of their presentations. Technology is an integral part of this project as students may use i-pads or laptops to research, print pictures, and record their projects for parents to view on SeeSaw.
Insect habitat diorama