This lesson plan focuses on bugs and creepy crawlers for kindergarten students. Over the course of a week, students will read storybooks about bugs, learn about their characteristics like number of legs and shapes of their bodies, create their own bug artwork, make patterns using shapes, play matching games to identify bugs, and act out how different bugs move. The lessons incorporate math, science, language arts, and physical activity to engage students on the theme.

1. Cassaundra Hisch<br />EDUC 356.001<br />D. Sandrick<br />February 10, 2010<br />Weeklong Lesson Plan<br />Level: Kindergarten<br />Theme: Bugs and Creepy Crawlers<br />Monday:<br />Objective: After instruction, the students will be able to raise questions about the natural world (Sci K.1.1) and identify and use the terms inside, outside, between, above, and below (Math K.4.3)<br />Activity: Ask students if they have ever played peek-a-boo. Ask students if they have ever tried to find bugs and other animals in the backyard. Read the storybook The Peek-A-Boo Ladybug and ask children if they have any questions about ladybugs or any of the other animals in the story. After reading it, go back through the book page by page and ask students to describe the picture using terms inside, outside, between, above, and below (verbal-linguistic; communication). Ask the students if they really think bugs play peek-a-boo. What kinds of things do bugs do? Have the students write (or dictate) a short story about bugs doing something they don’t normally do. Students should use some of the following words in the story: inside, outside, between, above, and below. (Language Arts; application). (Assessment 1: Did they use the words correctly in their story?)<br />Tuesday:<br />Objective: After instruction, the students will be able to use whole numbers, up to 10, in counting, identifying, sorting and describing objects and experiences (Sci K.2.1) and identify, sort, and classify objects by size, number, and other attributes (Math K.3.1)<br />Activity: Have you ever counted the number of legs that bugs have? Discuss that different animals and bugs have differing numbers of legs. Read the story The Peek-A-Boo Caterpillar. Take a look at the different kinds of bugs and animals in the book. Discuss the number of legs each one has (observe, knowledge). After they seem to have an understanding, give pairs of students pictures of bugs, spiders, snails, etc., Students should measure the number of legs each one has then have them classify them by number of legs. (visual; application; analysis, interpersonal, naturalistic). Have the students share their findings with the class. If time allows, see if they can find any other way to classify the pictures (color, size, texture).<br />Wednesday:<br />Objective: After instruction, the students will be able to identify and describe common geometric objects: circle, triangle, square, rectangle, and cube (Math K.4.1) and use shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles, to describe different objects (Sci K.5.1).<br />Activity: Read the story The Peek-A-Boo Spider. After reading, ask students if they can retell the story in their own words using the pictures in the story (comprehension). Go back and look at each picture in the book and ask students to pick out shapes that were used to make the characters. Which shape is used the most? (Circle.) Tell the students that they will now be able to create their very own bug. They will be using pre-cut shapes and crayons. They will glue down the shapes and add details with the crayons to create their own bug. Music may be played during the creation time. After making their bugs, they will share them with the class and explain their bugs. Other students should say what they like about each other’s creations and share why. (Intrapersonal, spatial, evaluation, art). Students will then fill out a quick worksheet with each shape on it and they must name each one correctly. (Assessment 2)<br />Thursday:<br />Objective: After instruction, the students will be able to identify, copy, and make simple patterns with shapes (Math K.3.2) and use shapes, such as circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles, to describe different objects (Sci K.4.2).<br />Activity: Before reading the story The Peek-A-Book Snail, ask students to infer what will happen in the story (they have been read three other similar books). Ask them what they think the snail is going to say. See if the students can predict what other critters the snail will find in this book. Record the predictions and see if they turn out to be true. Read the story and check the predictions (synthesis). After the story, discuss that the books we read all followed the same pattern, meaning they repeated each other. Tell the students that patterns can be made using shapes too. Using precut shapes, create a pattern. Ask the students to create a matching one. Having the students work in pairs, have one person make a pattern and describe to the other person how to replicate the same pattern using descriptive words (red triangle, blue square, etc.). Students should compare patterns at the end of each one to see if they are the same. The next student should repeat this process until they have each created several patterns and have described them (visual, logical). <br />Friday:<br />Objective: After instruction, the students will be able to match sets of objects (Math K.1.1).<br />Activity: Students will be read the story Who Lives in the Backyard? We will then discuss what kinds of bugs they have seen in their own yards. Ask students if they have ever seen bugs that only live in particular areas? (like when on vacation) (Social studies-geography). Our next activity will be using an interactive whiteboard (if available, if not computers will work). By logging on to Promethean Planet, we can find an interactive slide show that asks students to say which pairs of ladybugs are the same or which are different. They will have to match the pairs. There are other similar slideshows to use if we have extra time (like “Which are spiders?”). As our closing activity for the unit, we will explore the way bugs and other critters move. Music will be played and the students will have to act out different motions (move like a snail, fly like a fly, flutter like a butterfly, creep like a spider, buzz like a bee, wiggle like a caterpillar, etc) (Bodily-kinesthetic). Students can offer their own suggestions for movements. Lesson will conclude with having students ask any remaining questions they have.<br />