In2edu I.C.T. Resources Enhancing Education & Learning

Small Unit Integrated Rich Topic
Learning Outcomes

This unit is a smorgasbord of ideas to use. Pick those ideas relevant to your level/class. Integrate them with the relevant curriculum area and learning outcomes you desire.

The Skills Checklist Levels 1-4 relates to the skills/activities mentioned

Comparisons between different ways of finding information

Using ICT skills as selected from below

Comparing adaptive features

Asking questions and finding information and presenting conclusions

Specific Information Skills:

Investigation Questions

Try to get pupils to brainstorm these and others themselves as part of the information process. Here are some to get you started.

What adaptive features help insects to survive?

What are the common adaptive features that insects have?

How many insects are there in the world?

How do insects affect humans (positive and negative)?

What books have been written about insects? (Insect myths, fiction etc)

Make up amazing insect questions like... What is the smallest? What insect can carry the most? What insect is the fastest (land/air)? The most mean? Most dangerous? Lives the longest/shortest? How do some insects walk on water? (can lead to science experiments),

Wordprocessor

Example skills: getting to know keyboard, put picture on, make bold, use styles/fonts, saving, using spellchecker

Write bug riddles

e.g. On netted wings, long and sleek,
I daintily FLY beside the creek.
I'm a DAMSEL long and thin
Compared to my dragon kin.
For me, slow and low flight satisfies,
While high and fast the DRAGON FLIES.

You may call me BEETLE, bug or bird,
Which may seem to be absurd.
But give me "LADY" as title of address,
Then that will help clear up the mess.
Write a bug poem focusing on adaptive features. Underline the features
llustrate work (i.e. draw adaptive features), edit what you have written and improve 5 words/sentences- go back to computer and change
Write an insect definition: illustrate, make font changes etc. Highlight important parts in bold. "An animal with 3 body parts, 3 pairs of legs and generally, 2 pairs of wings"
5 Great facts about some insects on a page. Use borders, pictures to present. Could also use bullets.
Art & Design

Example Skills: Using paint progs, combining clipart, talk about use of white space, flow of the eye etc.

Use KidPix/Painting program to create your own bugs/insects (use symmetry in it, shapes and patterns)

Design a bugs calendar

Logo Design a logo to represent your pest control business

Bug poster. Single words, rotate them use different fonts. What makes a good poster?

Create bug outlines of your own mythical bug.

Animate a bug… use KidPix or movie software to make a talking bug story… write script etc. and storyboard before starting. Limit it to only a few scenes

Look for Insect/bugs in the stamps in KidPix or Clipart. Combine these to make a new picture. What habitat could they be put in? Choose a suitable background.

Animate using animation (moopies/movies in KidPix, Imagination Express Series) or other software

Spreadsheets

Example Skills: Entering Data, graphing, answering questions/theories using data collected

Example questions: What type of bugs will we find mostly around the school/home? Where are they more likely to be found? Are bugs more likely to bite boys or girls? What insects are the most abundant?

Graph number found within a certain area

Graph adaptive features

Graph number of times boys/girls bitten by a bug or type verses number of times bitten

Databases

Example skills: Entering info in database, graphing, sorting data into sets

Example questions:

Fields such as: Name, classification, size, leg number, adaptive features (winged?, sting? Proboscis? hard shell? etc), habitat

Internet (see Other IT below)

Search on keywords on the WWW for information, to find answers to questions, to look at other classes’ sites on insects, to view insect art. Try these questions: "What insects are found in other countries but not here?" "Are there any insects that are common all around the world?"

Presentation Software (Edmark, PowerPoint, Claris)

Skills Examples: Recording voice, editing recorded sounds, putting sounds into a ‘talking book’

Record statements about bugs: the way they live, creative statements, bug dialogue

Record poetry

Using Other CD's

Look up CD’s for information (NZ Encyclo, Encarta, Kingfisher Micropaedia (has two reading levels) etc)

Other Forms of IT

Listening/watching post

Listen to bugs or insects stories on tape/video. You may even decide to tape parts of journals/stories or your own ideas/poems or record bugs music (based on environmental sounds i.e. comb)

Watch ‘Bugs’ the movie. Look at how camera angles are done. Examine animation

Digital Camera

Take photos of insects found. Create captions for them.
Take close-ups... create an "Identify the Bug Board"
CT Technology (Communications Technology)

Skills comparing different types of CT. Compare the ways of finding information to discuss the strengths/weaknesses of each. Continue over the year to send E-mails, faxes, have conference calls with a pen-pal class. Either as individuals/groups/ whole class.

Fax to bug/insect expert ~ drawn or written or both

end a fax with questions

Conference Phone: Carry out a similar process to above.

E-Mail: one of the schools who already have researched bugs with questions. (See links below)

Away from the Computer

Paper mache bugs

Origami bugs

Colour outlines of bugs designed on computer

Animation cartoon flick books. small pages stapled together with a simple figure that changes slightly on each page. Flick through them and the figure moves

Game: Give children a couple of staws or pipe cleaners. Blindfold. Get them using their "anttenae" to try and work out through touch a series of common objects

Make origami insects http://www.paperfolding.com/

Create an insect from maths shapes http://www.educast.com/arc/lp/sci/9804067s.pdf

Resources

Keywords for this unit

Entomology, Entomological, insect/s, bug/s, beetle/s, specific insect names, pest, arachnid/s, biology, pet/s, pest control

Places to find info or organisations

Internet, museum, conservation dept, yellow pages, firms that manufacture insect repellant, pest contol, zoos
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