Is It an Insect, Yes or No? Jonathan Brinkerhoff

There are lots of creatures in the world There are lots of creatures in the world. Telling which ones are insects and which are not can be tricky. By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to tell if a creature is an insect or not and give reasons for your choice. Good graphic design makes for more effective materials. Take off the bullets: we’re using complete sentences so this is like a book, not a bulleted list. Separate the lines to make them easier to read. Remove the hanging indent. Avoid centering the text to support beginning readers. When there are multiple sentence like this, centering them makes them harder to read. This slide lets students know what’s expected of them in kid-friendly language – it reflects the instructional objectives. The teacher version using the ABCD criteria would look like this: Given an image of a creature, students will determine whether it’s an insect or not with 100% accuracy and give reasons for their choice. DO NOT read the slides in the PPT aloud to students! They can read, so doing it for them will bore them and place them in a passive learning mode. You want active learners, so let kids know you expect them to read the slides to themselves.

What do you think is special about insects that makes them different from all other creatures? No distracting images to draw kids’ attention away from answering the question. The question is well written in kid-friendly language and solicits only relevant suggestions rather than everything kids know about insects. For example, if you worded the question, “What do you know about insects?” you’d prompt kids to say all sorts of irrelevant things (My sister got stung by a bee and her eye swelled shut!). Phrasing the question to solicit only relevant information keeps the lesson on task. Stop sign to remind you to write their initial definition on the board. This represents the first step in the constructivist learning cycle used when students have prior knowledge – determining that prior knowledge. In this type of constructivist instruction, your intent is to guide students to recognize any errors in their prior knowledge, then have them take responsibility for identifying and correcting those errors based on the correct information you provide in the lesson. Determining prior knowledge is the first step. As you need students to refer back to their prior knowledge later, you write it on the board.

Do you think a spider is an insect? Image clearly shows the 8 legs and two body parts. Uses kid friendly language – do you think – which asks only for an opinion rather than implying kids should know and give a correct answer as implied by the wording, “Is a spider an insect?” When teachers ask questions, kids assume they’re supposed to know the answers – if they don’t know the answer or get it wrong, they can feel they’re dumb or poor students. This can contribute to a negative learning environment. But asking for kids’ opinions is a bit different. We’re all entitled to our opinions - there’s no “right” opinion - so asking for opinions and discovering you were incorrect is less harsh. That’s why the questions throughout the PowerPoint are phrased as, “Do you think…” Note that the wording isn’t “Is this an insect?” You are trying to break misconceptions so you want kids to be making correct associations about the spiders. This slide specifically asks about spiders rather than using the non-specific pronoun this. The next slide will tell them, No, a spider is not an insect.” That supports a much clearer association than saying, “Is this an insect?” and then “No, this is not an insect.” On this slide, you are asking students to answer based on their prior knowledge. You’re counting on most, if not all, kids thinking a spider is an insect as this sets them up to experience disequilibrium (See Piaget), the next step in the constructivist learning process. If you started with an image of an insect, kids would likely say it’s an insect and the only way to respond would be to say, yes, it is. That wouldn’t cause any disequilibrium which would reduce the instructional effectiveness of the slide. So, starting with an example kids are likely to get wrong works better here as your intent is to cause disequilibrium on the next slide when you tell them a spider isn’t an insect.

No, a spider is not an insect. Spiders have 8 legs. All insects have 6 legs. Uses correct grammar with a comma to set of the interjection no. Includes the same image so kids aren’t expected to remember what the spider looked like from the last slide. Additionally, it uses the same image because a new image would distract kids from the text. Uses short, direct statements – clear and concise – which supports comprehension, particularly by weak readers. Sentences are separated to make them easier to read and aligned with the center of the image: CARP principles of effective graphic design. Says ALL insects rather than just insects – leaves no room for a student to think there may be exceptions. When kid’s realize they were wrong, something unexpected, they experience disequilibrium which generates motivation and a desire to understand what’s going on. The stop sign reminds you to take action: Ask students, “How can we use this information to improve our definition?” Note the use of we and our? This supports the feeling that you aren’t the teacher lording over your students. It suggests you’re sharing the learning experience with them. This helps develop a sense of camaraderie – of working together – rather than setting yourself apart. Also note the use of the word improve rather than something like fix or correct– the word improve doesn’t suggest students were wrong. It avoids any hint of a value judgment. It’s good to keep in mind that students may forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you make them feel! The stop sign also reminds you to revise the definition written on the board based on what students tell you to reflect their improved understanding. These are the final steps of the constructivist learning process. You’ve created disequilibrium, which has intrigued and motivated students, then provided correct information. By asking students how to improve their original definition, you are guiding kids to actively look at their prior understanding, compare it to the correct information, identify the differences, and then verbalize what needs to be done to make their understanding consistent with the correct information. This is an active process with students building understanding based on your guidance. That’s constructivist teaching rather than simply telling students information while they sit passively.

Spiders are not insects for another reason. Spiders have 2 body parts All insects have 3 body parts. As spiders are a good example of both insect characteristics, it’s fine to use it for both the number of legs and the number of body parts. Sticks with the same image – no distracting new image so kids will focus on the text. Sticks with the use of ALL insects – no room for misconceptions. Good graphic design makes materials more effective. As one sentence went to two lines, the hanging indent was removed. The sentences were realigned with the image as the text took more space. The stop sign reminds you to take action: Again ask students, “How can we use this information to improve our definition?” Revise the definition written on the board to reflect students’ improved understanding.

The three body parts are called: This doesn’t reflect extraneous information, as it relates to the 2 critical attributes of insects, 6 legs and 3 body parts. It merely extends the learning by including the names of the body parts so there is no lack of alignment between your instructional objective and the lesson instruction. The stop sign reminds you to take action: Again ask students, “How can we use this information to improve our definition?” Revise the definition written on the board to reflect this improved understanding.

Are these insects? What do you notice? Teaching about wings is optional, but kids are likely to bring it up. It’s not a defining criteria of insects, but it could confuse kids in their identification if they had a misconception that all insects have wings or don’t have wings. Note the use of questions – Are these insects? What do you notice? This represents guiding the students to the desired awareness rather than telling. You want to guide kids to realize that each of the pictured creatures has 6 legs and 3 body parts, so the images all show insects regardless of the number of wings. The stop sign reminds you to take action: Again ask students, “How can we use this information to improve our definition?” Revise the definition written on the board to reflect their improved understanding. ant fly dragonfly

So, what have we learned that’s special about insects that makes them different from all other creatures? This is an optional slide. If you want kids to learn and be able to describe insects’ special characteristics, having students repeat them again is a good strategy. The question is worded the same as on the Find Out Prior Knowledge slide, reducing the thinking required to process it. This supports ESL students or poor readers. Kid friendly language uses contractions – it sounds less like stuffy teacher talk.

Do you think this long-horned beetle is an insect? Use the first type of guided practice - teacher modeling. Modeling is an incredibly powerful instructional strategy – so much so that it's a requirement for each of the lesson plans you create during this course! It supports student success by going through three steps: I do, we do, you do. This slide represents the “I do” stage where the teacher models their thinking out loud so students can see exactly what thinking they should engage in to answer this question. Think out load as you model how you would decide if this is an insect or not by saying something like: If I were trying to figure out if this beetle was an insect, I’d count it’s body parts – 1, 2, 3. Yes, it has three body parts. Then, I’d count its legs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. But what about those things on its head? Are those legs? I don’t think so, I think they’re antennae. So, the beetle has 6 legs and 3 body parts, so yes, I say it’s an insect.

Do you think a crab is an insect? Use the second type of guided practice - kids describe their thinking in the same way you modeled your thinking on the prior slide. This is the "we do" step in the modeling process. Kids describe their thinking while the teacher facilitates to ensure they do so correctly. By modeling yourself, then having kids think aloud in the same way, you build success into your lesson. You want kids to be successful learners – modeling supports this. As I decided not to include correct answer slides in the guided practice section of the lesson, I have to provide verbal confirmation of the correctness of student answers. Give feedback effectively – DO NOT say “Good,” or “Boy, you’re smart,” which fosters extrinsic motivation – getting praise from the teacher. Foster intrinsic motivation – learning for its own reward - by stating what the kid did right: “You correctly figured out the crab is not an insect,” or, “Yes, a crab is not an insect.” NOTE: even saying, “Good thinking , you correctly determined the crab is not an insect,” represents a value judgment that promotes extrinsic motivation. Try not to, but we all do it! Here you have a choice. You can include one or two more slides using the second type of guided practice with students describing their thinking. If you feel kids have mastered the concepts and are getting bored hearing people think aloud, you can include the slides but just ask kids to tell you yes or no.

Thumbs up if you think it’s an insect. This is an optional slide. You could also simply give oral directions. The advantage of using the slide is that you don’t need to say anything – the kids just read the slide. Less teacher talk and more kid reading is good. Give students a moment to read the slide to themselves, then say something like, “Ready to go?”   Thumbs down if you think it’s not.

Do you think a bumble bee is an insect? Use the third type of guided practice where all kids are actively engaged through use of thumbs up / down, the Promethean student response clickers, slates, or whatever. This represents the "you do"step of the modeling process. At this point, students likely won't need any additional support and are left to provide answers on their own without describing their thinking concerning how they got their answer. If you constantly ask students describe your thinking, it's floats down the lesson and rapidly becomes repetitive and boring. So, once students can successfully answer on their own, let them! As there are no answer slides, give feedback on the correctness of responses. But do it without embarrassing kids who get it wrong. If you see Fred held his thumb down, don’t call on him and ask him why. When he recognizes he’s wrong, he’ll feel bad and resent you for putting him on the spot. Instead, call on a student who correctly held their thumb up and ask them to describe how they decided the bumble bee was an insect. When that child states the correct thinking, Fred will hear it and correct his own misunderstanding.

Do you think a centipede is an insect? Be sure you don’t alternate one insect, one non-insect, one insect, etc. as kids will pick up on the pattern and answer based on the pattern rather than analyzing the creatures in the pictures.

Do you think a vinegaroon is an insect?

Do you think a butterfly is an insect?

Do you think a pill bug is an insect?

Do you think a wasp is an insect?

Do you think a beetle is an insect?

Do you think a scorpion is an insect?

Do you think a shrimp is an insect?

Do you think a walking stick is an insect? In evolving to look like sticks, walking sticks have lost clear delineations between the three body parts, but this is an insect.

Do you think a whistling spider is an insect? Some species of spiders have very large pedipalps – mouthparts used to move food to the mouth - which might confuse kids as it looks like the spider has 10 legs. Take the opportunity to refine their thinking.

Do you think a tick is an insect? Although ticks are commonly thought of as insects, they are actually arachnids like scorpions, spiders and mites. Note there were sufficient slides to really ensure students were able to accurately categorize creatures. It won’t bore kids as the images are intrinsically motivating and each one only takes 10 seconds or so.

So, what have we learned that’s special about insects that makes them different from all other creatures? Ending the guided practice by having students describe their learning a final time represents good instructional design. Did you notice all the slides used different images? If you repeat images, students don’t have to analyze it the second time, they just remember from the last time. Using different images throughout forces students to analyze each one. Note the slide doesn’t provide the information that insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts. Kids should know that by now so you should have them tell you – active engagement - rather than you telling them – boring kids by telling them what they already know.

For more amazing photomicrographs of insects and other creatures, check out http://www.morfa.se/flogr/index.php?type=recent I threw this in just for fun – the images are amazing and will captivate kids. But obviously, this could be left out.

Images Spider: http://designyoutrust.com/2010/10/27/macro-photos-of-insects-by-john-hallmen/john-hallmen-5/ Scorpion: http://asitoughttobe.com/page/10/?pages-list Centipede: http://sifter.org/~simon/journal/20050530.html Millipede: http://sifter.org/~simon/journal/20050530.html Shrimp: http://www.bridgat.com/aquatic_products-b793_1.html Ant: http://www.firstchoicepestcontrol.com/Page.aspx/8/TerminteInspection.html Fly: http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture-society/%E2%80%9Cfly%E2%80%9D-ing-to-safety-4154/ Dragonfly: http://www.grahamowengallery.com/fishing/more-fly-tying.html Beetle: http://www.pestproducts.com/crop-beetles.htm Rollie Polly: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill_brown/2045280338/ Crab: http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2006/05/30/ghost-crabs/ Bee showing parts: http://computerkiddoswiki.pbworks.com/w/page/16304745/Insects Long-horn beetle: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/08/insect-vehicles-part-2.html Tick: http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/Wood_Tick_040307.htm Wasp: http://nicksagan.blogs.com/nick_sagan_online/2007/04/wasps.html Walking stick: http://www.richard-seaman.com/USA/States/California/CoachellaValleyPreserve/index.html Bumble bee: http://www.captainhops.com/2009/03/bumble-bee/ Butterfly: http://butterfly-photo.blogspot.com/2008/07/transparent-butterfly-seeing-is.html Vinegaroon: http://www.eyefetch.com/image.aspx?ID=510360 Whistling spider: http://webecoist.com/2008/12/02/strange-and-bizarre-endangered-animal-species/ Note the name of the insect found at the URLs is included.