Insects

I have been wanting to write about this for awhile, but I've gotten so excited about all the linky parties - aren't they so much fun?

Let me give you a little background. Our district follows a reading series - Houghton Mifflin Journeys. In the past, we've gotten done with that a week or two before the end of the year, so I needed something to do during that time, and we would study one of the marvelous units I had purchased through TpT. But this year, the way the schedule went, our series took us right through the last full week of school. However! I had some time in the afternoon, so I took it and we did some studying of insects. 

 

I started with Deanna Jump's Insect Unit:

 

Deanna has some great pictures and introductory information about insects. I would project her unit on my Smartboard, so the kids could see all the pictures. She also has a fun rhyme {that I think she wrote herself!}. She also has crafts that the kids can make. 

I also used some of Monica Schroeder's unit:

Monica has some great experiments to try with your class.

I also was quite happy to find this new thing from Scholastic Book Clubs:

I was able to purchase these 8 bug books with points - so it felt like a freebie to me! Scholastic calls these Knowledge Quest books. They have them on other subjects, also. 

Of course, of course, we did not get to everything I wanted to do. We read Honey in a Hive and watched the Reading Rainbow video about bees - too cool. I had to ask one of my lower readers to please quit asking questions during the video - he was SO interested in what was going on. {Made me want to watch just him and me, so I could answer his questions as we were going.}

We also read the Insect Detective which explained what characteristics an insect has. And we read Are you a Dragonfly? which had lots of new information for me {I know!} about dragonflies.

Oh, Oh, almost forgot - what did I have my kiddos do with all this information we were gathering? Well, I gave them a piece of construction paper. I had them label it as their insect folder. They folded it in half {like a folder} and decorated it. Then we made a little graphic organizer about what makes an insect an insect. And we made a graphic organizer about dragonflies and bees. And maybe something else, I can't remember for sure. Ah, I wish I had pictures I could show you - but they are at school, and I'm at home, and the two aren't meeting for awhile! 

I really enjoyed this unit, and I think the kids did, too. I didn't get to the experiments that I wanted to do. But now I'm thinking that I might start this school year with insects. I was reading in First 6 Weeks of School to start the year off with something that is accessible and can provide an easy home-school connection. Living in southwest Kansas, I think insects are pretty accessible!

OK, totally off the subject - but is anyone having this problem? I keep waking up about 10 minutes earlier than the day before. I don't think my body understands that we should be sleeping longer than the day before! Anyway, I'm very tired. Which may lead to my next problem - Is anybody else having trouble getting out of their jammies in the morning {or afternoon!} I mean, I get up and do things - this morning, I worked in the yard, did the dishes, etc. etc. but I just want to stay in my jammies.

Alright - summer is in full swing here - we're having a 4 day stretch of 100 degree days and at 9:30 this morning, it certainly feels hot! Have a good day, whether you stay in your jammies or not!