DRAW AND WRITE:

. Draw a picture of Miss Spider and some of her friends. Write about the party they had together.

. Draw a picture of yourself as your favorite bug. Write about what you would do for a day.

. Draw a picture of the Very Quiet Cricket. Write about how he felt when he could finally make a chirping sound.

. Draw a picture of a spider on a web. Write about some of the insects that might get caught in the web.

. Draw pictures showing the life cycle of a butterfly. Write about the changes that take place.

. Draw a picture of a bug from The Icky Bug Counting Book. Write a fact you learned about that bug.

WRITE A SONG

BUGGY MINI BOOK - The mini-book allows each child to personalize a short poem. Encourage your children to draw bugs they see on a walk. Assemble the book by cutting the pages apart and stacking them in order. Make a construction-paper cover and back page cover. Staple the book together along the left side to form the mini-book's spine.


CREATE A BOOK - Your children will enjoy creating their own bug books. Duplicate a supply of bug patterns. Allow each child to choose two or three patterns to cut out and color. Each child then glues the bug pictures in a construction-paper booklet. (To make a booklet, stack, one on top of the other, a desired number of construction paper "pages" and staple the pages together along the left-side edge.) The child then dictates or writes a story or sentence to accompany each illustration.

RIDDLE WRITING - This activity can be done as an individual or large-group activity. If done individually, have each child think of a bug and draw it on a sheet of paper. Then have the child think of two clues about the bug. (Example: It's green and it hops.) As classmates hear the created clues, have them guess what the name of that child's bug is. The child then shows his or her picture to reveal the identity of the bug.

VERB WEB - Enhance children's vocabulary by having them contribute to an insect verb web. The web is begun by writing the word "bugs" in a circle in the center of a sheet of chart paper. Then add extending lines from the center circle. Ask children to name words that tell about the actions of bugs, such as fly, eat, jump, wiggle, and sting as you write the generated words on the web.

ICKY BUG ACCORDION BIG BOOK - Big books are a wonderful language arts experience that combines reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It also encourages artistic creativity.

Steps

1.Before making the big book, gather all of the children into one group and review some of the types of bugs and bug facts featured in The Icky Bug Counting Book.

2.Provide each cooperative group (group size should not exceed three children) with a sheet of sturdy poster board.

3.Ask each group to choose one of the bugs from the book (each group should have a different bug). Have the children dictate or write the information they remember about that bug on the lower half of the poster board.

4.On the upper half of the poster board, have each group draw a picture of their bug. (As an alternative to having the children draw free-hand bug drawings, reproduce the clip art and have them color, cut out, and paste the bugs onto the poster board.)

5. When all groups' pages are finished, lay each page facedown on the floor with the poster boards' side edges touching. Connect the pages by using a strip of masking or packaging tape where the side edges meet. Tape an additional sheet of poster board to the far-left end of the accordion book. Write the book's title on this sheet. Stand the book up accordion-style.

Read the book as a class and invite groups of children to read their pages to their classmates. Display the book standing up on the floor or on a tabletop.

CLASS CHART - Make a class KWL chart showing what the children already know about spiders. List questions that the children have about spiders.

READ BOOKS - Read simple books about spiders.

KWL CHART ABOUT SPIDERS - As you begin the spider portion of your bugs unit, create another KWL chart to use with your children. Draw three columns on chart paper and label them Know, Want to Know, and Learned. Have the children dictate their thoughts about spiders as you record their responses on the chart. (Note: At this time your children might share incorrect information such as "A spider is an insect. " Accept all responses and place them in the Know column. As your unit progresses and the children realize or discover that a spider is an arachnid, the inaccurate fact can be crossed out on the KWL chart and correct information placed in the Learned column.) The final column should be completed throughout the unit as the children learn new information about spiders.

CLASS GRAPH TO SHOW THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT SPIDERS - Ask your children to tell you how they feel about spiders. Do they like them? Do they think they're creepy? Are they unsure? Create a class graph to show their feelings. Create a graph (as shown) on chart paper or on the chalkboard. Have each child draw a self-portrait on an index card and attach it in the row that represents how he or she feels about spiders. Discuss the results as a group.

VOCABULARY WORDS - There are many vocabulary words associated with spiders. Introduce these words before reading the story and discuss their meanings.

BULLETIN BOARD - Set up the We Love Bugs! As children continue to learn new facts about bugs, write them on bug patterns and display them on the board.

READ THE BOOK "THE VERY BUSY SPIDER" -

Day 1: Read The Very Busy Spider.

The spider and the web are raised on the book pages. Make sure the children get to feel them. Help children recall the story events by asking questions such as: Why was the spider very busy? Can you name an animal who talked to the spider? What did the ask the spider? Maybe make the spider headbands.

Day 2: Read The Very Busy Spider.

The children might like to wear their spider headbands while listening. Talk about how the spider makes the web. Recall the animals that come to speak to the spider. Put them in the correct order.

Draw a simple spider to review the basic body parts. Guide the class by doing a step-by-step drawing either on the chalkboard or the overhead projector. Review the body parts as you draw.

1. A spider has 2 body parts.

- Draw a large circle.

- Draw a smaller circle on top of the larger one.

- Who remembers what these 2 parts are called?

2. How many legs does a spider have?

. I will draw 4 legs on each side of the head and thorax.

. Let's count the legs together.

3. Spiders have 8 small eyes.

. Where shall we draw the eyes?

. Count the eyes with me.

Day 3: Read The Very Busy Spider.

Talk about the illustrations. What is the spider doing? What other things are shown? What colors are used? Let children draw or paint scenes from the book on large pieces of paper (at least 12" x 18" [30.5 x 46 cm]). If crayons are used, encourage children to color dark. This is easier if they place several layers of newspaper under the drawing. Cut out the illustrations and mount them on black construction paper. Create a class big book or display on a bulletin board.

READ THE BOOK "MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY" Day 1: Ask the children to retell the story. Have each child draw a picture of his or her favorite part of the story. Have the children took at the first illustration in the book Miss Spider's Tea Party. Ask them to identify as many bugs as they can. List the number of bugs found. Are they different than the ones appearing in the remainder of the book? Check by looking at the remaining illustrations.

Day 2: Reread the story to your children. Ask them to tell you how they might feel if they were one of the bugs in the story. Would they want to be friends with Miss Spider? Why or why not? How Would You Feel? Miss Spider was having a difficult time making friends. Ask your children how they think she felt. Then have them write or tell about how they would feel if they were in the same situation. What would they do to solve this friendship problem? Record their thoughts on chart paper.Insect Ideas compiled from many sources by: Sheila Smith

Consonant Blend - Ask children to name words that begin with the same consonant blend as the word snail.

Snake spill slink stop
snow spell slap stand

snout spoil sled stink

RHYMING - Make up rhymes and record them on a chart:

There once was a snail

Who learned how to ___________. (sail)

Have you ever seen a snail

With a 3-foot-long _____________. (tail)

All day long the lonely snail

Waited for the postman

To bring it some ______________. (mail)

MAKING "THE FLY" BOOK - Introduce the story "The Fly" to the class as a shared reading experience. Write the rhyming story on large chart paper (with illustrations if you wish) or on sentence strips for your pocket chart. Reproduce "The Fly" book pages for each student. Have the children color the cover of their own book and illustrate the pages.

Fact Book Facts
A ladybug is a beetle.
Ladybugs are insects.
Ladybugs are both male and female.
The real name for a ladybug is a ladybird beetle.
Ladybugs have three main body parts: abdomen, thorax (shield), and head.
Ladybugs have six legs.
At the end of each ladybug leg is a claw and a sticky pad.
Ladybugs use their legs for walking, climbing, and cleaning themselves.
Ladybugs have two sets of wings. Only the inner wings move during flight.
Ladybugs are not good fliers. They like walking best.
Ladybugs eat harmful pests in gardens and orchards and on farms.
Ladybugs come in many colors, especially red, orange, yellow, and black.
There are more than 4,000 kinds of ladybugs. About 350 kinds live in North America.
Predators do not like to eat ladybugs because they taste bad and have a hard shell. Some people believe that their bright colors also frighten predators.
Ladybugs have strong jaws.

Ladybugs eat their prey by grabbing it in their jaws, filling it with a juice that turns the inside of the prey's body into liquid, and then sucking the liquid from its body.

A ladybug's favorite food is an aphid.

Ladybugs can eat up to 100 aphids in one day.

Just one dozen ladybugs can save a fruit tree from ruin by insect pests.

Ladybugs lay 10 to 100 eggs at one time.

Ladybugs lay their eggs on leaves, especially the leaves with plenty of aphids for their grubs (babies) to eat.

Ladybug eggs are sticky and yellow.

Ladybug eggs turn white in five days.

Ladybugs go through a metamorphosis as they grow from egg to larva to pupa and then adult.

A ladybug larva is about the size of a pinhead.

A ladybug larva molts its skin three times while it grows.

After a ladybug larva has grown for 3 to 4 weeks, it attaches itself upside down under a leaf, sheds its skin, and becomes a pupa. The new skin forms a hard, protective case around the pupa.

New ladybugs have no spots.

Some ladybugs never have spots.

When a new ladybug emerges, it is wet. As soon as it has dried, its spots appear, and it can fly. Ladybugs hibernate in groups during the winter. Their hibernation is also called diapause.

Ladybugs mate in the spring. Mating can last for up to 2 hours.

Ladybugs are named for Mary, the mother of Jesus, who some people call Our Lady.

Many people think that ladybugs are good luck. In the past, many people believed that they had magical powers.

BIG BOOKS FACT BOOK - Let children work in pairs or small groups to construct a page for a class big book. Each page should contain an important ladybug fact with corresponding illustration(s). Make a cover and title page for the book, allowing each child to sign his or her name.

ON THE DOT FACT BOOK - Cut a large ladybug body from red (or yellow, orange, etc.) construction paper. Cut a head and stripe from black construction paper and glue them to the body. (The stripe will make the wings.) Write ladybug facts on small circles of paper and glue these circles in a symmetrical pattern on the ladybug's wings. Cover each fact with a circular flap of black construction paper, glued at the top so they can be lifted to read the facts below.

FACTS IN FLIGHT FACT BOOK - Cut a large ladybug body from white paper and two red (or yellow, orange, etc.) wings. Glue a head made from black paper to the top of the body. Affix the wings to the body with brass fasteners at the top (so that the wings will open). On the body, write a list of ladybug facts. On the wings, color black dots and add a book title.

TAKE TO WING FACT BOOK - Duplicate the body pattern once on black paper, the wing pattern twice on red, yellow, or orange paper, and the wing pattern on white paper as many times as necessary. Take half of the white wings and place them with their flat sides to the right. Take the other half and place the flat sides to the left, making an equal number of wings facing each direction. Write a ladybug fact on each white wing. Cover each stack of wings with a colored wing. Punch a hole through each stack. Attach the wing stacks to the body, using brass fasteners through the holes. Decorate the colored wings with black dots and a book title.

INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT LADYBUGS - After reading The Ladybug and Other Insects, have the children complete the following comprehension activity. Materials: ladybug patterns, scissors, I I" x 17", pencils or pens construction paper, craft, fabric, or tacky glue, red, black, white, yellow, and orange felt, crayons or markers, lined writing paper. Directions: Independently, or as a class, brainstorm for interesting facts about ladybugs. These should be taken from the book, but children can also add other facts they know about ladybugs. Each child should neatly write a list of these interesting facts on a sheet of lined paper. Glue each sheet of lined paper to the bottom half of a sheet of green construction paper, leaving the top half empty. Provide each child with a set of ladybug patterns. Allow each child to choose ladybug colors from the available felt. The chosen colors should reflect actual ladybug color combinations. Have the children trace their Patterns onto the felt and then cut out the pieces. (They can cut tiny strips of black felt to make the antennae.) Each child should glue his or her ladybug Pattern pieces to the top half of the green Paper, constructing a fabric ladybug. The children can add scenery details (such as leaves, twigs, and aphids) around the ladybug, using crayons or markers.

ENJOYING THE BOOK - Read The Ladybug and Other Insects aloud. If desired, encourage the children to predict what might happen as you read aloud; however, it may prove more desirable to read the book through without interruption, allowing the children to experience the story as a whole and to engage their own thoughts about what they hear. After the reading, discuss the book with the children. Ask if they have ever observed a ladybug up close. Allow them to relate their stories and to compare what they observed with the information and pictures in the book.

CLASS CHART - You can make a class chart. Write "What We Know About Ladybugs" at the top of a sheet of butcher paper. Underneath, write everything the children say they know about ladybugs. Attach child-made drawings of ladybugs (cut out) all around the margins and laminate your chart for display. Another way to demonstrate comprehension is to make fact books. The pages include a list of ladybug facts, several of which are not included in The Ladybug and Other Insects.

FAVORITE PART OF BOOK - Have each child pick his or her favorite part of the book and illustrate it. Afterwards, have the children share their pictures and tell about their favorite parts. They can also make a graph, showing their favorites.

BUGS OR INSECTS - Materials: 8-12 plastic bugs, index cards, black marker, glue or two-sided tape, Lab Worksheet 1 or 2. Directions: Collect the plastic bugs wherever available. Some places to look include novelty shops, nature stores, and the little trinket machines near the entrance to many grocery stores. Some children may own the toy that makes "bugs" by cooking liquid plastic. If so, they may be willing to make some bugs for the class.

Affix each bug to an index card, using glue or two-sided tape. Write a letter of the alphabet on the card, using a different letter for each bug. Discuss or review with the children the characteristics of insects: six legs, exoskeleton, and three body segments. Also discuss the characteristics of other closely related animals such as spiders, ticks, and centipedes. Talk about the differences between what we commonly refer to as bugs (any wingless or four-winged insect; mouthparts used for piercing and sucking) and insects (usually small invertebrates with an exoskeleton; adults have six legs, three body segments, and two pairs of wings).

Talk about how to classify animals. Ask children what types of characteristics they can use to classify animals. Brainstorm a list of characteristics. Discuss how to enter data in a table.

READ "A VERY QUITE CRICKET" - To draw on your children's prior knowledge, invite them to tell about their encounters with crickets. Do they like them? Have they ever seen one up close? Have they ever heard them chirping? Allow your children to view the cover of the book and make predictions of what the story might be about. Ask the following questions: Are crickets quiet? Have you heard them make noise? Why do you think this cricket might be quiet?

ENJOYING THE BOOK - Reproduce, color, cut out, and glue the props on tag board. If desired, laminate them for durability. Staple or glue a craft stick to the bottom of each shape. Use the props to retell the story. A second way to use the props is to first enlarge them onto tag board; then color, laminate, and wear them, tied with a string around the neck, as a costume prop. A third way to use the props is to suspend a clothesline in your classroom and use a clothespin to attach each prop to the clothesline. The children then move the props as needed to retell the story.

WANTING TO BE OLDER - The cricket was sad because he was not able to make a sound. That's because he had not yet become an adult. Only adult male crickets can chirp. Ask your children if there are things that they are too young to do. What things would they like to be able to do? Will they be able to do them when they are older? Encourage the children to share their feelings. Explain to your children that many insects, like crickets, use sound to communicate. Crickets and grasshoppers chirp or "sing" to each other. Earwigs use a foul-smelling liquid to tell other creatures to stay away. Fireflies use flashing light signals to talk to other fireflies.

THE VERY LONELY FIREFLY - Before sharing The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle (The Putnam Publishing Group), make this story time prop to invite your youngsters to listen to this delightful story. To make a firefly, hot-glue a white or yellow bulb from a string of outdoor Christmas lights to one end of a wide craft stick. Hot-glue three same-colored pom-poms to [he center of the craft stick (to make the firefly's body); then add one different-col-ored pom-porn at the end (to make the firefly's head). Glue on two wiggle eyes, a pair of pipe-cleaner antennae, and six short pipe-cleaner legs. Cut two ovals from cello-phane; then glue them to the back of the craft stick to make the firefly's wings.

At story time, introduce youngsters to your firefly. Have the firefly invite the children to listen to a story about a time when he was very lonely. Afterward, place the firefly in your art center. Invite students to use the craft materials of their choice to create their own fireflies. Display their creations with the title "Not-So -Lonely Fireflies." Bonnie Elizabeth Vontz Ansonia, CT