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As the study of each new animal begins, the class
will generate a KWL chart of its life cycle. Live animals, videos, web sites
and literarure will be source materials for our
study of various egg-laying animals and their life cycles. Observing,
describing, measuring, graphing, classifying, charting, writing, summarizing,
drawing, expository and narrative reading and discussing are skills practiced
and utilized in this unit of study.
H
Observe, draw, chart, write and read about live specimens in our classroom;
silkworms, tadpoles, ladybugs, caterpillars, and praying mantis in different
stages of their lives.
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BEGIN IN AUGUST:
Beginning the school year with a study of silkworms is well timed in terms of
their life cycle. Usually a source of mulberry leaves remains in August in Kansas and the resulting cocoons can be
put into cold storage over the winter and allowed to hatch in the spring when
a new source of food exists in the outside world.
1. Keeping student logs from the Autumn egg phase to the Spring egg phase is
an excellent way for students to experience and "discover" the
meaning of cycle in the term "Life Cycle". Students chart
centimeter growth in length of a particular worm, illustrate and write about
the observable changes in its body over time.
2. http://www.sericulum.com/index.html is a home page with links handy for
use on a large screen computer monitor for whole class introductory instruction.
The "lifecycle" and "rearing" links provide the viewer
with photos, text and information on the number of days needed for each life
stage or phase of the silk worm's life. The "planner" link gives
the same information in a timeline and "links" could be a source of
countries, to be found and marked on a map, in which silkworms are raised for
profit.
3. I've linked a graphics page "Silkworm Life Cycle Pictures"and
blank table "Silkworm Life Cycle Worksheet" to be used as practice
and/or assessment of recognizing and sequencing silkworm life stages at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm and sited Sericulum as the source. You can use the on-line graphic,
or my word doc. with labels altered to first grade level language.
4. The book Silkworms by Silvia A. Johnson, photos by Isao Kishida can be purchased at this site and appears to be
an excellent resource at $5.95.
I've not found abundant first grade reading level books about silkworms, so
the children and I write our own text for class books. Please share titles if
you know of any via the feedback portion of this unit. Thanks!
I have in past years read a story to the class about the Emperor of China's
total control over the production of silk until some worms were smuggled out
of the palace. At this time the book is lost and it's title forgotten. If you
know the book, please share its title via the feedback portion of this unit,
or email, mrice@cheney268.com
5. Lessons in linear centimeter measurement, charting and graphing changes,
observation, geometric shapes needed to make a
drawing of a silkworm, and letters and sounds needed to generate interactive
writing lessons about class observations, and descriptive words are all
appropriate to the early weeks of first grade. So many of the worksheets and
recording charts we use are copywrited by FOSS,_________ and _______ that I can share them only by
reference. Original worksheets and lessons are more easily shared in the
following frogs and insects sections.
TRANSITION TO JANUARY:
As the months progress (Oct. - Dec.) we focus on classifying objects
according to liquids, solids, gases and particle size and other observable
properties. We've used many T charts and Venn Diagrams to organize our
observations. When January rolls around, we are eager to revisit life cycles
with frogs and toads.
1. We've discussed the difference between living and non-living things at
least monthly when asking questions to learn the attributes or properties of
the object in the "Mystery Box". Students pose "Yes or
no" questions about any of the following properties: living or
non-living, shape, size, weight, use, ability to move, what substance it
might be made of, color, state of matter, flexible or rigid and so on. After
10 questions have been asked, answered and recorded on chart paper, students
are allowed to lift the mystery box for a sense of the object's weight. After
20 questions they are allowed to reach into the box and feel the object (as
long as it can't be harmed by this). Students must ask a minimum of 10
questions before anyone is able to ask if the object is a specific thing. If
no child correctly guesses the object, after feeling inside the box, the
object is removed and shown to the class. If the object is guessed correctly,
a discussion follows concerning which questions gave us the information most
helpful in drawing that conclusion -What were the best clues?
2. JANUARY'S MYSTERY BOX: Explain that this month it contains a model rather
than the real thing. Using a beanie baby type frog and toad allows the
teacher to share the idea that we will be learning differences between frogs
and toads using books and Internet sites.
GUIDED READING GROUPS:
Descriptive and Blank Guided Reading Lesson Templates can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
3. In January, we began using guided reading group time to read expository
text about frog life cycles and various species of frogs. We also found text
to read and interact with on the Internet. The guided reading groups often
began with a picture walk of each book to preset vocabulary and context, and
establish or build background knowledge before the 1st reading. Having
completed the guided reading, kids identified the title of the book or
internet article and it's topic. Students shared
aloud the facts they found interesting. If you wish to use it, a worksheet
for recording title, topic and facts called: "Expository Text Topic and
Facts" can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
4. We rephrased facts from general to specific and from pronouns that may
have been used in the text to specific nouns to be used in their writing.
Some groups needed to have me write this on a white board for later reference
and copying. Other groups were more skilled at changing pronouns to
meaningful nouns. Students then individually selected facts to write and
illustrate in their personal frog fact books. I monitored and coached the
accuracy of their written word choice in representing what was told in the original
text. "Rubric for Frog Fact Books" can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
5. EXPOSITORY FROG PRINT RESOURCES:
Face to Face Frogs by Scholastic ISBN # 0-439-31709-6 Picture walk to preset
vocabulary and context, begin 1st reading. Kids identify title,
the topic and facts of interest to them. Discuss, model and practice how
to rephrase facts if needed before writing them. Students wrote the
title and topic on the worksheet called "Expository Text Topic and
Facts"
found at http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
then selected and wrote their own facts to later copy and illustrate in their
personal Frog Fact Books.
"Where Do Frogs Come From?" by Alex Vern and a poem,
"Polliwogs" by Kristine O'Connell George, are found in Join In, a
1.2 Harcourt Brace, Collections series, first grade reader. See lesson
routine above.
From Tadpole to Frog by Jan Kottke/ Scholastic #
0-516-23810-8 list words that rhyme with vocabulary: egg, hatched, grow,
tadpole or polliwog, and pond. The group writes a poem and kids copy it into
their personal frog fact books. Later, kids identify frog facts, select the
ones they want to copy into their personal books and illustrate.
6. Narrative literature about frogs and toads:
A literature selection entitled "The Absent Minded Toad" (from,
Join In 1.4 book in the Harcourt Collections reading series) allowed us to
revisit the differences between frogs and toads in April, when students were
ready to read the more challenging text.
We also read "Frog and Toad All Year" by Arnold Lobel
(from, Set Sail 1.5 book in the Harcourt Collections reading series)
7. Below are two links which take you to scripted reading lessons with hotlists ready to use for Internet reading and study:
"Guided Reading Frog Life Cycle Sites"
"Guided Reading Compare Frog and Toad Sites"
you'll find them at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
8. "Frog Toad T Chart" and "Venn Diagram Frog Toad" also
at above site.
also see activity # 16 below.
9. Hyper-linked worksheet called "Frog Questions",asks students questions which, when clicked on,
take them to the page needed on the internet to answer the question. A copy
of the worksheet with answers, called "Frog Q and A" is also
available at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
10. FROG LIFE CYCLE INTERNET SITES: Several uses for guided reading groups
with a printable book and vocabulary cards, plus a link to "Five Little
Speckled Frog" illustrated poem text with related interactive noun and
verb sorting pages and more! Many possibilities for independant
practice.
Absolutely the best, most highly developed, interactive lessons and practice
source, features frogs in many curricular areas. I just found it this 2002 summer
and haven't used it with students yet.
http://www.manatee.l12.fl.us/sites/elementary/palmasola/pskinfrogunit.html
Lesson ideas and text for "Five Little Speckled Frogs" can be found
on the above site or at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/Fivespeckledfrogs.shtml
11. Rhyming Chunk Literacy Center Possibilities: Use with
"Five Little Speckled Frogs" Once rhyming words in the text has
been identified and listed on the board or in student journals, students can
use the first word family site below as a Literary Center, to locate and copy more rhyming
words for the chunks identified in the text. This could be the first step in
having kids create their own two-line rhymes, using the chunks of their
choice from the text.
"Word Families in Nursery Rhymes:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rhymes/wordfamilies/
Little Explorers Picture Dictionary:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html
ADDITIONAL INTERNET FROG SITES:
12. PHOTO VAULT:
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Animals/Amphibians/ToadsFrogs/AATVolume01.html
13. ILLUSTRATED LIFE CYCLE
http://www.ipcc.ie/lifecycle.html
14. FROG LIFE CYCLE PRINTABLE:
http://can-do.com/uci/ssi2001/frogdiag2.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/amphibians/Frogprintout.shtml
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/pub/surveyreports/mar-apr95/natappre.html
PRINTABLE LEAPFROG SURVIVAL GAMEBOARD
http://www.ipcc.ie/leapfroggame.html
15. FROG FACTS
http://www.ipcc.ie/frogfacts.html
16. http://allaboutfrogs.org/froglnd.shtml
contains a link to "Frog of the Month": a collection of text &
photo
entries of a variety of species of pet toads and frogs. A monthly winner
is posted. Pet owners write descriptions of their pets. As a place to find
text to teach the difference between toads and frogs, as well as FACT and OPINION,
this site is great.
Our students enjoyed this site the most and collected many facts and images
of frogs, which they hand copied and illustrated in their personal Frog Fact
Books. We learned the difference between toads and frogs here, reinforced by
excellent photographs.
17. Later, we generated a class "Frog and Toad T Chart" that had to
be tranfered to a "Frog and Toad Venn
Diagram" at the students' suggestion as they noticed more commonalities
than differences. I believe there is value in letting kids discover the
functional difference between these two graphic organizers. I would, however,
point out the need to change if none of the students suggested it, because
it's a very natural lesson in the functional difference between the two kinds
of graphic organizers.
18. http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/ - This site seemed to have some
interesting information, but the coolest feature was the frog tracker. Shine
your "flashlight" on a frog and hear its voice, very cool. The
disappearing act was interesting and demonstrates camouflage interactively.
The frog links from that page seemed to have some good stuff too.
http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/madisonjason10/frogs.html - another resource
19. Math: Frog-Toad patterns can be a cut and paste activity, using graphics
which the teacher has collected and photocopied from printable sites most
easily and from photos at some of the sites used by all students, so as to be
recognized. By cutting and pasting frog and toad images, students can
practice or demonstrate their understanding of patterns as simple as ABABAB
or complex as AABBBAABBBAABBB.
20. Students can gain practice in measuring either in centimeters or inches,
using frog and toad footprints, which can appear mysteriously on the
classroom floor from time to time or as a center activity.
21. Given the distance jumped by several different frogs or toads, students
can construct a bar graph with title and labels.
OR
22. The All About Frogs site with the Frog of the Month, frequently states
the length of various pets. Data about body length or weight could be
gathered there used to generate a graph.
23. Timing will depend on where you live. Collect tadpoles to live in the
classroom and be observed, measured, illustrated and labeled by students. They
can be released at any point in the process.
February is a short month filled with Presidents and letter writing for the
school wide Valentine postal service. We tend to leave Life Cycles alone that
month.
TRANSITION TO MARCH-APRIL-MAY:
Insect Print Resources:
SHARED READING ACTIVITIES USING BIG BOOKS:
24. The Great Big Bug Book by Roszanne Williams
*Creative Teaching Press
This big book is "coloring book style" with accompanying black line
masters of student sized copies and lesson plans.
The following worksheets and lesson plans are designed for this book and can
be modified for use with any big book about insects.
25. Comprehension Questions Lesson for Big Bug Book, Big Bug Book Questions
and Answers,
26. Descriptive Language Lesson, Descriptive Language Answers,
27. Text Skill Lessons, and
28. Rhyming Chunk centers. All above mentioned lesson plans and
worksheets can be viewed at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
29. A Munch, Munch, Munch reading skills lesson list for the following Big
Book is also linked there.
Munch, Munch, Munch! by Norma L. Gentner *The Song
Box - The Wright Group
depicts the butterfly life cycle, and
How Ants Live by John Sheridan * Sunshine Science _ The Wright Group
are additional Big Books for which the worksheets and lessons can be adapted.
OTHER SHARED READING TEXTS:
Ants Never Nap at Picnics (a Poem)
from Harcourt*s Big Book of Rhymes, Grade 1, Collections Series
30. Ant Poem Text Noun Verb Search worksheet, as well as a sample answer
sheet, and
31. Short and Long Vowel Sorting worksheet are located at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
32. Shared reading of Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar can be
followed up with skills practice based on 25. - 28. culminating
with the writing of a class book called The Very Hungry First Grader. For a
printable template for the entire story, go to Writing After Eric Carle's
Very Hungry Caterpillar at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
GUIDED READING GROUPS
The list of titles below supplied our students with the expository and
narrative text, which they read, analyzed and from which they collected facts
for their own books.
33. If you wish to use them, worksheets for recording title, topic and facts
called: "Expository Text Topic and Facts" and "Narrative Five
Part Summary" and Descriptive and Blank Guided Reading Lesson Templates
can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
-Guided reading books; from easiest to more difficult in reading levels:
The Mouth by Alan Whitaker *The Wright Group
ISBN: 0-7802-2033-1
Fuzz, Feathers, Fur by Sally Kneidel *The Wright
Group (TWIG)
ISBN 0-322-00151-X
Look Closer by Brian and Rebecca Wildsmith
*Harcourt Brace
ISBN 0-15-314505-6
Bug Party by Joe Ramsey *Wright Group (TWIG)
ISBN 0-322-00156-0
Hiding in plain Sight by Paul Fehlner *Harcourt
Brace
ISBN 0-15-307892-8
Butterflies by Karen Shapiro *Scholastic
ISBN 0-439-20636-7
From Caterpillar to Moth by Jan Kottke *Scholastic
ISBN 0-516-23858-2
Insects FOSS Science Stories published & distributed by Delta Education
ISBN 1-58356-487-X
Read aloud titles used as narrative resources to generate student response
writing:
34. Where does the butterfly go when it rains by May Garelick
*Scholastic 6th printing in 1975
Wonderful book generates discussion about where other animals seek protection
from storms and leaves students with the question to ponder. Students write
pages telling where they think a butterfly might go to get out of the rain.
Water color backgrounds of cool, wet green, blues and purples are good
beginning points for collage illustrations of their writing.
Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise *Simon and
Schuster
ISBN 0-671-69358-1
Teaches partial life cycle as well as how to distinguish "fair weather
friends" from real friends.
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert *Harcourt
ISBN 0-15-202608-8
Lois Ehlert's eye popping collages of butterfly
life cycle is complete to the laying of the next generation of eggs. Most
books stop at the emergence of the butterfly, this
book completes the cycle and helps kids understand "cycle".
The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco *Scholastic
ISBN 0-439-28713-8
A very painfully true, powerful story about the French underground resistance
to Nazi occupation, in which the butterfly is a strong symbol for freedom,
was a point of connection for my students between our social studies UbD unit
teaching reasons why groups of people move or flee, and this UbD study of
butterflies.
Read aloud titles used as expository resources:
Nature's Children-Monarch Butterfly by Bill Ivy *Grolier Education Corp. ISBN
0-7172-1923-2.
Butterfly and Caterpillar by Barrie Watts *Silver Burdett Co.
ISBN 0-382-09291-0.
Discover Butterflies Contributing writer Gary Dunn *HTS BOOKS
ISBN 1-878363-67-0.
Mantises by Sylvia A. Johnson *A Lerner Natural Science Book
ISBN 0-8225-1458-3
Chickens Aren't The Only Ones by Ruth Heller *Gorosset
& Dunlap
ISBN 0-448-01872-1
Life of the Ladybug by Heiderose and Andreas Fischer-Nagel
*A Carolrhoda Nature Watch Book ISBN 0-87614-240-4
what Is An Insect? by Robert Snedden
*A Sierra Club Book
ISBN 0-87156-540-4
INTERNET SITES:
http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/lpbuilder/LPTools/lpshared/lpdisplay.asp?Session_Stamp=590:80938&LPID=3308
Watch How They Grow! From Georgia Learning Connections
*This research lesson continues the Butterfly Project. Students visit Web
sites exploring the life cycle of the butterfly. They take notes in their
journal and complete a *Butterfly Needs a Home chart.Kathleen
Quinn
METAMORPHOSIS CARTOON
http://www.bijlmakers.com/entomology/metamorphosis.htm
Butterfly site
http://butterflywebsite.com/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ID=65
HAVE MONEY TO SPEND ON RESOURCES?
Keeping Silkworms, a book, comes in 4 pack and single copy
http://www.era-publications.com.au/asp/bookdetails.asp?bookid=21311
Insect Lore on line ordering
http://www.insectlore.com/silkworms.html
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This unit spans an entire school year, therefore, review of vocabulary and
concepts is an ongoing process. Prior to the cut and paste assessment, using
life cycle graphics and table, students have constructed a "Life Cycle
Book". They will have spent a week of guided reading time reading and
rereading sections of the book to review the stages in each animal's life
cycle. Peer review of each other's cut and paste assessment is a small group
task. If the teacher needs to "take a grade" on this assessment
that can be done prior to the peer review, without marking on the students'
work. Students can rate each assessment using the first two categories on the
rubric: Sequence accuracy and Stages labeled.
The same rubric sections can be used again for peer review of the final
project, prior to it's being scanned and/or linked
into the virtual museum.
E
Students assume the role of museum display builder and must create a life
cycle display for at least one of the animals studied. They must use pictures
and words to explain the life cycle of an animal or insects that hatches from
an egg. They must create a table, chart or diagram, which shows a particular
life cycle and write sentences or labels to explain the stages. Venn diagrams
with small illustrations or T charts containing phrases that compare the life
cycles of two animals are possibilities. These may be computer generated or
hand illustrated, painted or collaged.
Key Criteria:
Correct life cycle stages will be illustrated, sequenced and labeled in a
table, chart or venn diagram:
-Some insects go through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and the adult which
lays eggs and dies.
-Some have 3 stage: egg, nymph and adult.
The rubric rates three items: Sequence accuracy, Labeling of life cycle
stages and Use of time on task in completing the project.
Other Evidence:
Student Life Cycle Journals will be the collection place, throughout the
school year, for student created illustrations, original writing, live animal
observations, growth charts, T charts and Venn diagrams about the live
animals we observe in our classroom and elsewhere. We will store
materials in folders until sub-units are completed. We will create a table
of contents, sequence and bind the sub-units into individual books for
each child to keep. We begin with silkworms in August, read about frogs
in January and raise live specimens in the spring, add painted lady
butterflies, ladybugs, and praying mantis in the warmer spring months,
ending in May.
A Rubric for Frog Fact Books can be used at year's end for this book
as well, and is found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
-Frog Fact Books will be student written and illustrated collections of the
facts and images they wish to collect from a series of expository books and
Internet sites read and studied in Guided Reading groups.
A Rubric for Frog Fact Books can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
-Title-topic-and fact recording sheets will be completed by students as
they read expository books and Internet articles about insects and their
life cycles. An Expository Text Fact and Topic worksheet can be found at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
-Narrative story summary pages will be completed by students as they
read narrative stories in whole class settings and in guided reading groups.
These and the above Title/Topic/Fact pages will be added to the student's
Life Cycle Journal and can be found as Narrative Five Part Summary at
http://www.cheney268.com/1st/Rice/LifeCycles/LifeCycle.htm
-Animal Life Cycle Table, a cut and paste test will require students to
sequence life stages of four different animals. You will find and may use
The Life Cycle Assessment Pictures, Life Cycle Assessment and
Life Cycle Rubric by clicking on the same web page as listed above.
The pictures were collected from websites studied and sited as such.
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