Lesson Plan # 2
Name: Margaret Hoffmann
Content Area: Math
Today’s Lesson: Insect by the Inch/Measurement
Date: March 30, 2003
Unit Topic: Insects
Grade Level: 2nd
Duration: 9:30am-10:30am
Lesson Rationale
N.Y.S. Learning Standards for Mathematics:
Standard 3: Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically confident
by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics in
real-world settings, and by solving problems through the integrated study of
number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability, and trigonometry.
Key idea 5: Students use measurement in both metric and English measure to
provide a major link between the abstractions of mathematics and the real world
in order to describe and compare objects and data.
Instructional Objectives
Students will:
1. Demonstrate that insects come in all shapes and sizes.
(Application)
2. Investigate and compare size relationship of insects to everyday
objects. (Analysis)
3. Utilize estimating, comparing and measuring skills. (Application)
Adaptations
Hearing impaired: Student will wear hearing aid. Student will sit near and in complete
view of teacher. Student will be given written directions on steps to make flap book.
Behavior problems: Teacher will provide clear, concise directions. Teacher will circulate
around class to provide support during small group activities.
Materials
One 12 X 18 sheet of construction paper for each student (18)
1 copy for each student (18) of page 12 reproducible Insects by the Inch from
Miller, B. (2000). Insects. Greensboro, NC: The Education Center, Inc.
Glue or glue stick (18)
Ruler (18)
Scissors (18)
Crayons or markers
Life size models plastic or real of a variety of insects
Lesson Opening
We have been studying insects. Who can tell me what characteristics an insect
has? Call on several students with hands raised. Acknowledge all answers. Continue
asking questions until students supply the answers of 6 legs, 3 body parts and 2 antennae.
We know that all insects have 6 legs, 3 body parts and 2 antennae. They are all similar in
this way. But do all insects look alike? Shake head no and say no with student chorus
response. I want to share with you a book titled Big Bugs by Mary Gribbin. In it we will
see some life size illustrations of insects. Who knows what I mean when I say “life
size”? Call on several students with hands raised. Listen and acknowledge answers. Yes
when I say life size it means that the actual living bug is the same size as this illustration
is. Let’s look through this book at several of these pictures of insects and compare them.
Lesson Body
1. Making comparisons.
When we compare these two insects what do you see that is similar? Call on
several students with raised hands. What do you notice that is different? Call on several
students with raised hands. Recap students’ answers. Repeat with several bugs. When we
compare these two insects we noticed that this insect is green and this one is blue with
black stripes. We also noticed that this one has wings and this one does not. Another
thing that is different is their size. (Say student name-ex Samantha) said that this insect is
very small and the other is large.
2. Estimating and measuring.
If we had to estimate how big the small insect is in inches what guess would you
give? Less than an inch, about an inch or more than an inch? Listen to students’ answers.
Well, let’s check our estimate. What objects in our classroom are about the same size?
Listen to student answers. Hold up the objects students suggest next to the insect to
verify. I have a ruler here that measures in inches. Who would like to demonstrate how
to measure the small insect for the class? Call on a student to come up to measure. After
they measured the insect in the book ask them “Please tell us what you did to come up
with your answer”. Great, can someone else please come up and demonstrate how they
would measure the insect. Call on another student; ask again for explanation of how they
did it. Repeat with one more student. That’s great, I’m happy to see all of you
remembered what we learned previously about measuring, making sure the edge of what
you are measuring starts at the 0, holding the numbers directly beneath the object being
measured, drawing a pretend line from the end of the object to the number on the ruler to
get the measurement. Wonderful. Now what about this big bug? What estimate will we
give to him? Less than one inch, about one inch or more than one inch? Repeat steps
above calling on students for estimates, then calling on other students to measure it and
explain how they measured it.
3. Place in order smallest to largest.
I have some life size models of insects here. If I asked you to put them in order
from smallest (put the smallest one on the left) to largest (put the largest on the right)
what would you do? Call on student with raised hand. Acknowledge response. Call on
another student what would you do? Good now who can show me how to do it? Call on
student. When complete ask other students to check work, Are all these insects in the
correct order of size from smallest to largest? “Yes” if the answer is no ask who can help
(student name-Pam) by telling her what needs to be adjusted to put them in the right
order? Call on student. Ok, Pam let’s try (student name-Alec) suggestion and see what
happens. What do you think? Are they in the right order now? Mix up the models of
insects and ask for another volunteer to put them in order smallest to largest. Repeat
several times. Then ask students to put in order largest to smallest.
4. Make Flap books
Distribute Insect by the inch reproducible and construction paper. Instruct
students to take out their craft boxes. Tell students we are going to make flap books. I
will give you the direction and you will follow along. Then I will give you the next
direction.
Step 1- Fold the sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise. Demonstrate for the
children. Wait until all have finished. Circulate around room and assist those students
who need it.
Step 2- Carefully cut out each insect along the bold lines on the paper I gave you.
Demonstrate. Circulate and assist.
Step 3- Glue the insects in order from smallest to largest. Evenly space them.
Demonstrate, then circulate and assist.
Step 4- Carefully cut a slit from the outside edge here (point) to the fold (point) between
each picture. Demonstrate, circulate and assist
Step 5- now, under each flap we are going to draw a picture of an object that is the same
size as the insect. An example is a katydid is 3 inches. What in our classroom is about 3
inches long? Listen to suggestions; measure them until you find one that is accurate.
Yes, this index card is about 3 inches. I want you to draw a picture of an index card
under the flap the katydid is on, and label it. It will look like this (demonstrate). Call on
a student Amanda please tell me what the directions are? Listen to answer, acknowledge
it call on 2-3 more students and ask them for the directions. Allow students to decide if
they want to work alone or in small groups of 2-3 people.
Closure
After all students have completed their flap books ask students which insect was the
smallest? What objects did they find that were about the same size? On chart paper write
object name and draw a picture of it. Add tally marks for other students who used that
same object. Which insect comes next in size? What objects did they find that were that
size? Continue in order from smallest to largest. So class what have we learned? Call
on several students. Recap students’ responses. Yes, we learned that even though insects
all have certain characteristics like number of legs and body parts the same they are all
different shapes and sizes. Some insects are small and others are large. We also learned
how to estimate and measure the insects and compare them to an everyday object of the
same size. Fabulous work today. We all learned a lot.
Lesson Follow up
Independent practice:
Have students count how many different items were found in each measurement
and graph them using a pictograph.
Evaluation:
What did I want the children to learn?
 Insects come in various shapes and sizes.
 Placement from smallest to largest
 Accurate measurements and comparison to everyday objects
How will I know they learned it?
 Quality of verbal responses explaining measuring procedures and
comparisons of insects
 Observational assessment of size order placement
 Complete flap book with insects in correct order and similar in size
everyday object labeled beneath
Lesson Resources
References for student use:
 Individual copies of Miller, B. (2000). Insects, Greensboro, NC: The
Education Center, Inc. 12.
References for teacher use:
 NYS Learning Standards for Mathematics
 Gribbin, M. (1996). Big Bugs. New York, NY: Ladybird Books.