One of the major themes for our fall term is insects. We begin the units by asking the students to share information they already know about insects and to formulate questions they would like to find answers to throughout our study. Our science teacher, formally launches our study in his class, where a hands-on discovery and activities propel the students to a fuller first hand knowledge of insects. Students build their own insects, identify insects by pictures, learn the characteristics that make an animal an insect, listen to their sounds, and participate in a variety of activities at stations in the room. Students pretend to be a particular insect while they make a "web of life" with yarn, learning dramatically about the interdependence of all living organisms. They learn that "everything is connnected to everything else." The students literally immerse themselves into their study by wading through the Wissahickon Creek (on our campus) to find a variety of animals (including insects) that live in the water. A lesson in camouflage is learned by looking for colored toothpicks on an autumn lawn. First they predict which colors will be easy to spot and which colors will be camouflaged. They find that yellow and red are hardest to spot, while blue and green seem to stand out. Our student entomologists use play dough to design unusual insects, which they describe in their journals. These stories and others are called crazy insect stories. No science unit is ever complete without a few songs. Students raise their voices in a rousing rendition of "Iiiiiiiiiiin...sects!".

Students are asked to pick one insect that they would like to know particularly well. This becomes their insect-of-choice. They read from a variety of resource books to find facts about their insect. Computer CD Rom programs provided information and live action shots, as well. These facts, along with a picture of their insect, become their special insect report. When possible, many students brought in live specimens of local insects for us to observe.

With the help of reading teacher, each class chooses an insect and designs a composite class book of pictures and rhymes that feature that insect. Each student learns about word processing as he or she types their sentence on a classroom computers, using Claris Works.

Occasionally guest entomologists visit our classes to do lessons. We were fortunate this year to take a trip to the Insectarium in Northeast Philadelphia. There the students pet hissing cockroaches, a friendly tarantula, and a nonstinging scorpion. (We know that tarantulas and scorpions are not insects, but they live at the Insectarium anyway). The students also observed termites and bees at work. They also saw a thriving community of cockroaches in the cockroach kitchen and bathroom display. Many local and "exotic" live insects were seen, as well. Students weighed themselves to see how many of a particular insect it would take to match their weight, played matching games, and climbed through a human spider web. Some students were even adventurous enough to sample a tasty Nacho-cheese-flavored larva! YUM! One parent invited her daughter's class to visit the insectiary at Rohm and Haas

This exciting, interdisciplinary unit, which lasted between four and six weeks, proved to be a wonderful way to start the school year.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please direct any correspondence to Barbara Cipolloni, Nancy Jones or Paul Savering Germantown Academy's second grade teachers.

Technical assistance and site design furnished by Carol Siwinski, Curricular Technology Specialist for Germantown Academy

 December, 1998