Insect Unit

Name Andrea Chavez

Grade: Kindergarten
Content area: Literacy - Reading and Writing
Developmental Domains Addressed: Cognitive: Students will utilize listening comprehension as they listen and interact with a
nonfiction text. Students will practice writing skills as they demonstrate their knowledge of a
topic.

Physical: Students will utilize their fine motor skills when writing, drawing, and coloring.

Language: Students will discuss, pose and answer questions, make connections, and share their
ideas about a nonfiction topic. Students will develop and use content vocabulary. English
Language Learners will be supported when being introduced to and using vocabulary, such as
translations and visual aides.

Social/Emotional: Students are motivated and eager to learn more about insects they see and
observe around them. Throughout this unit, students will learn how to care for insects, why they
are a valuable part of our ecosystem, how humans depend on insects, and develop respect for all
living things. Additionally, students will work with others throughout various activities during this
unit. They will be active listeners, observers, problem solvers, and ask questions as they work with
their partners and/or groups.
Brief Description and Rationale Kindergarten students are interested in finding insects during our outdoor play times and field trips
Lesson: to local parks. Many students have been curious about where insects live, why some can be found
inside apartments and our school, and what they eat.

In this literacy lesson, students will brainstorm prior knowledge of insects with a K.W.L. chart,
participate in an interactive read-aloud of a nonfiction book about insects, and document their
comprehension.

This lesson is:
Timeframe:
Objectives of the Activity:
Connections to Standards:
Language Objectives
Insect Unit
Non-fiction Read Aloud
30-35 minutes
● 3-5 minutes for Anticipatory Set & Introduction
● 15 minutes for Mini Lesson
● 10-12 minutes for Independent Practice
● 3-5 minutes for Closure
Students will be able to apply prior knowledge of insects and identify questions for further
research.
Students will be able to gather content specific knowledge as they actively listen, ask questions,
and make connections during an interactive read aloud of a nonfiction text about insects.
Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of insects through writing and/or drawing.
K.EL.AL.18. [KW.6] Develops questions and participates in shared research and exploration to
answer questions and to build and share knowledge.
K.EL/AL.4. [KRF.4] Engages with emergent level texts and read-alouds to demonstrate
comprehension.
K. EL. AL.15. [KW.2] Uses a combination of drawing, dictating, oral expression, and/or emergent
writing to name a familiar topic and supply information.
Students will learn and use content vocabulary (insect, mouthparts, eggs, legs/feet, wings, antenna
(feelers).
Students will demonstrate comprehension of an informational text through class discussions, read
aloud, and responses during independent practice.
Students will hear fluent reading modeled during interactive read-aloud.
 Insect Unit

Resources/Materials Needed: Nonfiction Book: Insects by Robin Bernard

Large anchor chart paper & markers for pre-made K.W.L. chart
Large Post-It Notes and/or Index Cards
Clipboards
Pencils and crayons
Pictures of insects (labeled)
SmartBoard
Document Camera
Large rug/gathering area
Accessible book/area for non-fiction books about insects
Student iPads for ELLs
Technology: Students will use the SmartBoard to observe pictures of insects they are familiar with and/or have
seen in the classroom, during recess, or in their community. Insect pictures will be used to activate
students’ prior knowledge during K.W.L activity.

Document Camera will be used for modeling before independent practice.

Student iPads are accessible for English Language Learners for translation and/or audio recording.
Procedures: Objectives:
Students will be able to apply prior knowledge of insects and identify questions and wonderings.

Students will be able to gather content specific knowledge as they actively listen, ask questions,
and make connections during an interactive read aloud of a nonfiction text about insects.

Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of insects through writing and/or drawing.
 Insect Unit

I. Anticipatory Set (Connection/Motivation):

● Tell students that we’ve been seeing so many insects outside as the weather gets warmer.
During the winter, we saw so many insects inside our room!
○ Tell students, “I remember the time we saw a cockroach outside during recess and
we watched it for a long time. Some friends tried to make a home for it so it can
stay safe, and other friends were really scared of it.”
● Ask students, “What insects (or bugs) do you remember seeing? How did it make you feel
to see them? What did you think about them?”
○ “Have you seen any other insects (bugs) while walking around outside?”
○ If time permits, make a list of students’ observations.
● Tell students, “Going back to our experience with the cockroach, I know some of us were
afraid of it, which is totally okay! Some insects can be scary or even look/seem gross when
we don’t know a lot about them. Insects are all around us, there are many different types,
and can be found almost everywhere in the world. Insects are alive and grow and change.
Insects are also an important part of our world and help many other animals, plants, and
even us! Today we’re going to begin learning more about insects.”

II. Instruction/Mini Lesson:

● Tell students that today we’re going to complete a K.W.L chart about insects, which we’ve
done before (point to completed charts for pumpkins, plants, and bridges).
○ “We’re going to start by thinking about what we already know about insects.”
● Think, pair, and share - “Tell your partner what you know about insects. We are sharing
facts, or information, we know about insects, not our feelings.”
○ Model if needed - “When we learned about pumpkins, I turned to my partner and
said, ‘pumpkins are orange.’ That is a fact and an observation (something I
noticed). If I said, ‘I don't like pumpkins,’ that is totally okay, but it is my personal
belief, my feelings about pumpkins.”
○ Remind students of the think, pair, share procedure - Think of your response, turn
to your partner, take turns speaking, be an active listener, and make a partner
pyramid when you’re both done sharing.
 Insect Unit

● Provide students with time to talk to their partners, ask questions and make connections.
The teacher will walk around the rug/gathering area and listen to students’ discussions and
join in if needed.
● Collect students’ responses and add them to the pre-made K.W.L. chart, which is hung up
for all students to clearly see.
● Tell students we are also going to look at some (labeled) pictures of insects, some of them
we’ve even seen before! While looking at the pictures, I want you to tell me what you
notice about the insects, and we’ll add it to the chart. The pictures may help you remember
something you already know about insects (point to the Know category of the chart), or the
pictures might make you think of a question you have, something you wonder about (point
to the Wonder category).
○ Go through labeled pictures of insects (cockroach, ladybug, darkling beetle, ants,
bees, grasshopper, fireflies, and butterflies).
○ Collect students observations and add to the chart where appropriate.
○ Prompt students to notice differences and similarities between insects, such as:
some insects fly and others do not, insects live in different places, and insects look
different from each other.
● Ask students if they have any other questions before we read our nonfiction book, and
collect students' questions.

● Introduction: “Today we’re going to read Insects by Robin Bernard, a nonfiction book
about insects.”
○ Ask students what they remember about nonfiction books? (They give us
information, tell us real facts about something).
○ “What are we going to learn more about from this book?”
● Picture/book walk: “A lot of nonfiction books have real life pictures, text (words) in
different boxes (diagrams), and other features that make them different from stories, or
fictional books, we’ve read. Let’s take a look and see what we notice.”
○ Go through a quick book walk and take note of students’ observations, point out
different spaces of text, such as headings, diagrams, and labeled pictures.
 Insect Unit

● Interactive Read Aloud: Read book aloud to the students and stop for questions, comments,
noticings, and connections during read aloud.
○ Recommended: Change ‘A fly soaks up yucky garbage’ to ‘Flies eat a lot of things
with their sponge-like mouth. Sometimes they eat things that are decomposing (or
rotting)’ - refer to previous compositing lessons
○ Recommended: Change ‘feelers’ to ‘antennae’

● Tell students, “There was so much information in that book! I learned that a horsefly can
taste with its front feet, an insect can feel, hear, and taste with their antennae. Also, I
learned that a leaf insect looks like a leaf to protect itself.”
○ Before beginning independent practice, ask students if they have any other
questions about insects (to add to the Wonder category) before we begin.
○ “Now we’re going to add what we learned to our chart (point to Learned category).
When I call you and your partner, you are going to find a space in the room to sit
together and each write or draw (or both) one thing you learned about insects.”

● I Do - Using the Document Camera so all students can see the large post-it note, tell
students, “First, I am going to think about a fact that is really interesting to me, or maybe it
was something I was surprised by. It could be a fact about all insects, or a fact about a
specific insect. It might be hard to choose! Earlier I shared three facts I learned from
reading, but I’m going to try to pick just one: A leaf insect looks like a leaf to protect
itself.
○ When I’m ready, I will get my pencil and post-it and write it down (model letter
formation, sounding out words, using the word wall for sight words, adding finger
spaces, and using drawings to add to my writing).
○ “When I’m done, I am going to show my fact and read it to my partner, and add
color to my drawing (pick up crayons and begin coloring a picture of a leaf insect,
and utilize going back in the text if needed).
○ Now I’m ready to add it to our chart. Once you’ve added our facts to the chart, you
can sit on the rug and pick out an insect book and read quietly until we’re all done.”
 Insect Unit

● We Do - “Before we go to our spots and get started, let’s think of another fact as a class
and add it to the chart. Help me as I go through the book to look for a fact, which you can
do too if you need help remembering.”
○ Stop at the page with the frog, “Oh this reminds me that frogs eat insects.”
○ “Now I am going to get my post-it and I’m ready to start. Can a friend help me
write or draw this fact?” Talk through the student's process of writing as they use
their environment, the text, and phonics skills.
○ “Can two friends come up and show the class how we share our facts with each
other once we’re done.” Talk through students’ behaviors and actions.
○ “I can also add color to my picture - What colors should I use? What colors make
sense for this picture?”
○ “And now that I’m finished, can a friend come up and show us where the post-it
note goes and what I can do once I’m finished.” Talk through students’ behaviors
and actions.

III. Independent Practice (You Do):

● Dismiss partners to a specific spot in the classroom to begin working.
● Provide students with a post-it note, a clipboard if needed, pencils, and crayons.
● During independent practice, the teacher will monitor discussions and participation,
check-in with students, and provide support, differentiation, and enrichment when needed.
○ For students who need enrichment, they will be encouraged to write in complete
sentences, add details, and add multiple facts to the post-it, and/or include multiple
facts about one insect.
○ Differentiation: Students have the option to make a list, label a picture, draw, or use
a combination of drawing/writing, and/or dictating their fact to a teacher.
○ Writing tools: Tooboloos, Space Sticks, and Alphabet Charts from the writing
center can be used at any time, and students are allowed to look back through the
text and go to the word wall to get a needed word.
● The teacher will ask questions and make suggestions as students work in pairs.
 Insect Unit

IV. Closure:
● After regrouping on the carpet, the teacher will read aloud some facts and ask students to
share more about their facts/add to it if they’re comfortable.
● Tell students, “We learned a lot about insects today. As the week goes on, we’ll continue
reading books about insects, watching videos, and noticing insects as we play outside. We
can add to our chart, or even make a new one, as we keep learning about insects.”

Method of Assessing Children’s Pre-Assessment: Assessment of Student Assessment of Children’s

Understanding of
Lesson/Activity/Objectives:
Assess students’ understanding of the
lesson, activities, and objectives
through:
- Informal observations of students'
engagement, questions, and
discussions during whole-group
activity, interactive reading aloud, and
independent practice
- Students’ demonstration of
comprehension of nonfiction text
through independent practice response
- Observations of students’ use of
writing strategies during independent
practice: utilizing known phonics
skills, sight words, environmental
print, and writing tools.
Students’ prior knowledge of
insects will be assessed through:
- A class discussion of previous
experiences with insects
- Sharing and documenting what
they already know about insects
on the K.W.L chart
- Sharing noticings as we look at
pictures of familiar insects
Learning:
Students learning will be
assessed through their
responses during independent
practice. The teacher will
utilize these responses to
assess their comprehension of
the nonfiction text.
The teacher will also use
students’ responses to
questions, their participation
during the lesson, and any
questions, comments, and/or
connections to assess student
learning.
Language Learning:
Students’ use of content
vocabulary and
comprehension of
information text will be
assessed through:
- Informal observations
during think, pair, share,
activity
- Students’ engagement and
interaction during read aloud
- Written responses during
independent practice

Plans for differentiated
instruction/instructional
modifications:
Instruction will be differentiated
through:
- Modeling activity and thinking aloud - Preferential seating
through each step of the process
- Monitoring students during
independent practice and providing
support and scaffolding for
students/partners when needed
- Offer writing tools: Tooboloos,
Space sticks, and alphabet charts,
Word Wall, and revisiting
informational text
- Multiple means of expression:
drawing, writing, a combination of
both; dicacting, and/or recording
audio
- Partners will be picked strategically
so students have peer support while
working together
Insect Unit
Supporting children with
identified delays or disabilities
(i.e., IEPs and 504 plans)
Accommodations for students
will be made through:
- Flexible groupings during
independent practice depending
on students’ needs (partners,
working alone, and/or with a
teacher)
- Limit classroom distractions
and noise level while students
work
- Provide multiples means of
expression during independent
practice (as described)
- Ask specific questions that can
be answered with a yes or no
response
- Provide students with picture
clues for identifying insect facts
Supporting English Language Learners, a culturally
responsive pedagogy, and anti-bias/anti-racist curriculum:
Supporting English Language Learners and teaching through a
responsive, anti-biased lens:
- All insect pictures will be labeled in English and students’
home language(s)
- Students will be paired with a partner that can support their
engagement in the activity
- Multiple means of expression: English Language Learners
can use a combination of writing and/or drawing, dictate their
response to a teacher, and/or record their thinking (in home
language and/or English) on an iPad
- Utilize a translation app on student iPad
- Sustain a classroom community that is respectful of all
students’ experiences and allows space to hear all students’
voices
 Insect Unit

For students who need

enrichment/have demonstrated
mastery:

- They will be encouraged to revisit

their writing to add details, and/or add
multiple facts to the post-it

- Read another non-fiction insect

books independently and, if time
permits, record a fact on a separate
post-it

- Record additional questions about

insects they’re interested in learning
about

Follow-Up/Extension Activities
Family Engagement Activities
Insect Unit
As the week progresses, carve out time to engage students in additional opportunities to learn
more about insects:
● Read non-fiction books:
○ Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects by Matthew Clark
Smith,
○ Bugs Are Insects by Anne Rockwell
○ Heads and Tails: Insects by John Canty (Recommended: Change ‘cocoon’ to
‘chrysalis’ on butterfly page)
● Read fictional books:
○ Hey, Little Ant by Hannah Hoose and Phillip Hoose
○ Insect Soup: Bug Poems by Barry Louis Polisar
○ Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin
○ Insectlopedia: Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
● Nature walk with science notebooks: Draw insects you see while on a nature walk
● Videos on insects: Inspect an Insect, BrainPOP Jr. - Insects, & Meet 3 Giant Insects!
● Gather as a class and share what information was added to the chart(s)
● Share pictures/experiences of seeing insects while outside in their communities
In the weekly newsletter, share with families that our classroom is beginning a unit on insects!
Share students’ enthusiasm for learning more about insects, and what we’ve learned and explored
so far. Ask families to send pictures of any insects their child sees when outside in their
neighborhood, such as at a park or walking down a busy street. Families can also send a quick
e-mail or note about the experience!