INVENT

AN
INSECT
A Standards-based PBL
Assessment Activity
 First Grade Standards-based Outcomes:
Life Science Students know and understand the
characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of
life, and how living things interact with each other and their
environment.
Directions: Students are given the task of inventing an insect that includes all of its
defining features & attributes. (Ex. A dollar insect that lives in a wallet and eats coins.)
Have fun with it!
Related ELA Speaking & Listening Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and
feelings clearly.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.5
Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas,
thoughts, and feelings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.6
Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 1 Language
standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)
I Cans:

 I can describe the characteristics of insects, their life cycle, and how they interact
with and are effected by their environment.

 I can explain what insects and plants need to survive and where they live (interaction
with their environment).
 I can describe insects and plants by their characteristics (i.e. identify the body parts/
what makes it an insect, what they look like).
 I can describe the life cycle of an insect
 I can compare/contrast insects/their life cycle
Essential (Driving) Question:
(This question builds off of prior learned information regarding insects based off of
their observations with live insects.)
Can you create an insect with unique characteristics,
habitat and life cycle that works together to allow it to
successfully survive in its environment?
Critical Thinking & Research: Suggested videos
“Bugs and Insects for Kindergarten, Preschool, and Junior Kids”- https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=nqxkUVfRxQY
“Inspect an Insect”- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3166nK3Gym8
“Insect Life Cycles: Metamorphosis” (DiscoveryEducation.com )
“Butterflies” (Brainpop Jr.),
 MY
INVENT
AN
INSECT
BOOK

By:
 Name:

My insect’s name:

What my insect looks like:

Draw and Label Body Parts

antennae head thorax legs

abdomen wings compound eyes

 Name:

My insect needs:
 ______

 ______

 ______

 ______

What my insect eats:

My insect eats ______.

My insect’s habitat:

My insect lives
__________.
 Name:

My insect’s life cycle:

adult egg larva pupa

Stage:

Stage: Stage:

Stage:
 Name:

Why will your insect be able

to thrive in this environment?
 My Project Rubric:

Excellent Good Fair Developing Self-

Teacher
Score Assessment
4 3 2 1 Score
Score

Created a Created an Created an Drew an insect

Name highly original original insect insect with with little (4 or
insect with with most (5-6) body less) to no
& appropriate body appropriate parts labeled labeled body
parts (7) labeled body parts parts
Appearance
labeled (7)

Included ALL Included ALL Included most Missing all /

Needs necessary necessary (2-3) necessary some (1)
insect needs insect needs insect needs necessary
(Habitat AND original/ AND AND insect needs
appropriate food appropriate appropriate AND food
& source & habitat food source & source OR source OR
Food that builds off habitat habitat habitat
of invented
Source)
insect

Life cycle is Life cycle is Life cycle is Life cycle is

labeled correctly labeled mostly labeled incorrectly
(4) AND each correctly (4) correctly (2-3) labeled AND
stage is AND each AND each stage each stage is
Life Cycle
carefully stage is is drawn but drawn but not
developed and accurately may not be accurate
original drawn accurate

Correctly Correctly Identifies some/ Does not

identifies the identifies many few (1-2) of the identify the
characteristics (2-3) characteristics characteristics
that help an characteristics that help an that help an
Interaction insect survive that help an insect survive insect survive
with with appropriate insect survive with some (60%) and/or
(100-89%) with mostly appropriate inappropriate
Environment conventions (80%) conventions (>80%)
appropriate conventions
conventions

16-13 = Advanced 8-5 = Partially Proficient

12-9 = Proficient 4-0 = Developing/Unsatisfactory Total Points:
 Created By:

Special Thanks to: