1. Istituto Comprensivo “Margaritone”
“Small creatures in the school garden”

2. Small creatures in the school garden
Didactic Unit for the Fourth Class Primary School

3. Small creatures in the school garden
PREREQUISITES:
Verb to be
Verb to be able to / can (affermative and negative form)
There is / there are
There isn't / There aren't
Parts of the body
Adjectives

4. Small creatures in the school garden
AIM:
To recognize bugs, flying insects, worms and insects camouflage
To understand the habitat of small creatures and the stages of the life cycle of butterflies
LANGUAGE:
There is..., there are.... It looks like. It can …. It can't …. It's …. It's got ….. It hasn't got …..
Vocabulary: insects, butterflies, mosquitoes, wasps, bees, beetles grasshoppers caterpillars, earthworms, ants, leaves, trees, sticks, plants
FACT BOX:
Insects lay eggs, eat leaves. Many insects hibernate in winter. Butterflies and bees feed on nectar from flowers. Earthworms change organic matter into rich humus. Some insects use camouflage.

5. Small creatures in the school garden
WARM UP (in the class):
Write the list words on the board.
Ask the pupils to repeat the words using the flashcards.
Introduce the new words and adjectives with photocopies, medias, photos and songs.
Describe insects and worms orally.
Sing: let's look for insects. What can you see? Ants, beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers and bees. They are on the: leaf, stick, stone, grass, flower.

6. Small creatures in the school garden
PRACTICE
Procedure: (outside in the school garden)
Put the pupils in small groups.
Give out: papers, pens, lens and cameras.
Allow 30 minutes for the pupils to: look for small animals (insects and worms), take photos and draw pictures.
FOLLOW UP
Procedure: (inside the class)
In the same groups build up a poster with photos, drawings and short sentences in which explain the little insects they have seen.
Show to the other groups their work.

7. Small creatures in the school garden
WORKSHOP:
Build up a lombricaio using a glass theca for earthworms to watch their reproductive system.
Build up a glass theca for caterpillars with lettuce and cabbage leaves to watch how caterpillars become butterflies.
ASSESSMENT:
Match Italian and English words.
Choose the right answers.
Match the pictures with the prepositions.
Describe the favourite animal with drawing and description.
Colour, cut out and match the pictures and sentences, then put them in order.

8. Small creatures in the school garden
CROSS CURRICULAR LINKS
Literacy: rewrite “The very hungry caterpillar”, by Eric Carle.
Maths: study symmetry.
Art: look at insects and metamorphosis pictures by artist. Study camouflaged butterfly wings.

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20. The earthworm is a worm/ an insect. It has / hasn't got a skeleton.
Earthworm is a long reddish wet worm. It's a terrestrial anellid worm too. It hasn't got an internal skeleton with bones.
It's made of ring segments and they are covered with “setae” that the worm use to move.
It lives in soil and leaves litter; it travels underground where it makes tunnels.
It eats soil extracting nutrients from decomposing organic matter likes leaves and roots.
Earthworm is important becouse changes organic matter into rich humus, improving soil fertility.
It hasn't got eyes but sensitive cells to move underground.
It likes mud or wet soil, it can't live in a dry or sunny one! When it's rainy the earthworm goes out and you can see it.
It's hermaphrodit: it has got male and female sex organus.
The riproductive system is in the “ clitellum” where the eggcapsules are.
Becouse earthworms improve soil fertility, they are used in vermiculture and they are sold all over the world!
Circle the right word
The earthworm is a worm/ an insect.
It has / hasn't got a skeleton.
It lives on a stick/ under the soil.
The earthworm is made of rings segments that are
covered with setae/ wings.
The earthworm uses the setae to dance/ move.
It makes tunnels/ castles underground.
It likes leaves and roots/ ham and peppers.
It goes out when it's rainy/ sunny.
The riproductive system is in the clitellum/ belly.
Join
mouth intestino
setae cervello
pharynx cuori
hearts bocca
brain faringe
intestine setole