
Topic: Exploring habitats in the local environment
Learning Outcomes
- The children will be enabled to look for, catch, identify and draw different insects, found in various areas of the school grounds.
- Children will identify the various areas around the school discussing where insects could be found.
- The children will be introduced to a variety of different insects in the classroom, noting the amount of legs, or identifying features, i.e wings etc.,
- Then go on an outdoor hunt using the pooters, draw their bug, then release the bug, return to their class and try to identify them using images on the whiteboard.
- Identify their bugs according to information sheets see link below.
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Introduction
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- KWL : ask what insects/bugs the children can identify. How do they know it’s a spider not a fly etc.
- Discuss the identifying features as seen on information cards available at https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t2-s-1169-insect-information-cards
- Brainstorm where around the school we would most likely find bugs/creatures .
- Introduce pooters, explain how to use them (which straw to suck on, not to share them etc)
- Remind children to work with partner.
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Development
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- Children work in pairs to explore their chosen area on school grounds, e.g grass, puddles, under stones, in grass, (around bug hotels, or in raised beds if applicable. )
- Children look for bugs, drawing ones that still enough to draw, eg snails, worms, ladybirds butterflies etc.
- Use pooters to examine smaller bugs like louse or small spiders, draw what they see under the magnified lens.
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Plenary
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- Children collect all items, ensure all bugs have been released.
- Return to the class room, using their own sketches, refer to the bug information cards again to identify the species.
- Using the link to Irish wildlife. ie children can identify a particular type of species e.g butterflies.
- Children discuss their findings in the class, and walk around looking at each pairs drawn images to see if they can idetnify more.
- Complete KWL and discuss findings.
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Other Resources for teaching this topic
https://www.twinkl.ie/resource/t2-s-1169-insect-information-cards
http://www.irishwildlife.ie/insects.html
lesson suggests pooters, they are not vital, the lesson can be done easily with free insects.