Submitted by Jaime Miller
Objectives:
Content:
Students will...
- show an understanding of the characteristics that differentiate insects from other organisms.
- identify insects correctly by observing their charateristics.
- demonstrate an understanding of the reasons that make certain organisms "false insects" instead of insects.
Cultural:
Language: Content Obligatory
Students will...
- use nouns that refer to insect body parts to describe the characteristics of a true insect with vocabulary such as tête, thorax, abdomen, ailes, pattes, and antennes.
- use definite articles with correct number and gender agreement to name insects, false insects and insect body parts with phrases such as la tête, le thorax, l'abdomen, les ailes, le papillon.
- use the verb avoir in the singular third person to explain the characteristics of a true insect.
- use prepositional phrases to explain the reason why an organism is not an insect with phrases such as "because it doesn't have any" (parce qu'il n'y a pas de).
- use negation forms to inform which organisms are not insects and which body parts the organisms do not have with phrases such as ...n’en sont pas, ...n’en on pas.
Language: Content Compatible
Students will...
- use the past tense chunk "there was" (il y avait) to inform classmates about what was found under a microscope.
- use the positive and negative forms of the verb être to inform classmates about the status of a creature with sentences such as Le papillon, c'est un insecte or le papillon est un insecte
- use verbs in simple present to express preference for one of the facts about insects to their partner with phrases such as Je préfère ... J'aime...
- use the adverbs ici, là-bas to indicate to their partner the place where the insect body parts go with phrases such as "It goes here..."
- use verbs in present tense to make suggestions to their partner about the correct location for the insect´s body parts with phrases such as Je pense que...
Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will...
- activate their background knowledge about the characteristics of true insects to help them carry out the different tasks.
- take notes about important concepts that describe what constitutes a true insect.
- draw pictures to demonstrate understanding of true insect characteristics.
- cooperate to complete the taks on the webpage.
Time Frame:
All entities of this lesson will be covered in the first week of the unit. Total time estimated at 3 hours (2 45-minute periods (one of which is computer lab time), 2 25-minute periods and 1 35-minute period).
Materials Needed:
- Insect workbook (pages 5-10)
- examples of real and false insects
- 12 microscopes (or half the number of students)
- 24 representations of insects (drawings, photos, plastic toys, etc.), 1 each for the total number of students
Description of Assessment (Performance Project):
Preview:
1. Review of first lesson
Students re-read poem all together aloud.
"Who can tell me what an insect has if it is a real insect?"
Draw these on the board as students say them.
Students, individually, draw a generic insect on a whiteboard (including all aforementioned characteristics).2. Characteristics of Insects
Insect workbook (p. 5): students write down the 5 characteristics of insects (as the teacher tells and explains them) and draw the meaning of each one. Focused Learning:
1. Insects and False Insects under Microscopes
Students, in pairs, will visit each of the 12 microscopes set up around the room. At each microscope, students need to look carefully at what they see and then decide whether it is an insect or a false insect. In the insect workbook (p. 6-7), students can circle their choice. If a false insect is identified, students need to explain why, in writing. At the last station, students will be given extra time so that they can draw the creature they see, paying attention to: body parts, legs, wings and antennae (workbook, p. 7 bottom).
Students (volunteers) tell whether each microscope contained a real or fake insect and why (for fake insects) so students can correct their workbook page.
2. Is it an insect or a false insect?
24 different representations of insects and false insects (drawings, plastic toys, photos) will be distributed to students (1 per student). They will have 1 minute to look at each and decide whether it is an insect or a false insect. In their insect workbooks (p. 8), there is a page on which to mark this. Then the teacher rings a bell, and all students will pass their creatures one person to the right. This continues until all students have seen all creatures. The worksheet will then be corrected orally. Students will keep the last creature they received and following the order of the worksheet, each student will tell orally what the creature he/she has is, if it is an insect or a false insect and why the false insect is not an insect. Ex. "The butterfly, it is an insect.", "The tick, it is not an insect because it has 8 legs instead of 6." These false insect sentences can be written in the workbook (p. 9).
Expansion:
1. Create a new insect
Students will, on their own, draw and color a new insect (keeping in mind the characteristics they now know about what an insect really is/has) and give it a name (workbook, p. 10). Extension Ideas:
1. Students can go outside to the playground and try to find examples of insects.
The students show/tell what they have found/spotted to the teacher and she keeps a running tally. Then a graph of "Insects Found on the Playground" can be made (either one per student or as a whole group).
2. Students visit the insect web site
http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/normandale/curriculum/insectes/insectes.htm
In groups of two, students visit the Les Insectes page of the web site and read aloud the accompanying text together. Then they complete the provided activities.
Assessment:
Students´ progress will be assessed through their work on the workbook pages according to the activity. Their ability to identify real insects after observing them under the microscope and to justify their response, can be revised on workbook pages 6-7. Also workbook pages 8-9 concern the same differentiation.
The checklist attached serves to assess students' global understanding of the characteristics of insects as shown in their picture.
References and Resources:
Attachments:
NOTE: some attachments are in PDF form (get Acrobat Reader)From the website activities page:
Activity Checklist (les insectes.doc)
PowerPoint on Insects (questcequuninsecte.pps)
Saviez-vous worksheet (Saviez-vous que.doc)
Assessment: Create a new insect checklist
Evaluation: créer une nouvelle insecte