Student Writing – Revising and Editing

During our Minibeast Unit of Inquiry students started learning about research using various sources. Students used their own Minibeast Observation Journals to collect and report basic Minibeast data. Students also made use of books from the library and Internet resources to find additional information to use in their Minibeast reports.

Students worked with teachers to organize their Minibeast information. As students worked through the writing process they started learning how to Revise and Edit their work. After completing a first draft or “sloppy copy” students had peers do an initial edit of their work. Students then met one-on-one with a teacher to edit their work reinforcing the use of editing marks so that students could continue to revise their work recognizing their mistakes and knowing what needed to be fixed for their final draft.

This is the poster students have been using in class. It is a useful tool for students to use both at school and at home when working to edit their writing. This poster is available for a free download from www.reallygoodstuff.com.

Minibeast Reports – Doing a bit more…

My name is Malise and I am in Grade 2 at IST. This is my Power Point about Silk Worms. I made this at home on my computer. I made this Power Point because we were doing a unit on minibeasts at school. Each student got to do research about a minibeast. I choose the silk worm. We each wrote a report about our minibeast. I wrote my report and then I decided to create this Power Point from information I found while doing research on the Internet at home.

Way to Go Grade 2!

September 28, 2009

Dear Grade 2 Kung Fu Praying Mantis and Buzzing Bees,

We enjoyed your minibeast performance enormously! It was an amazing assembly. Your colorful costumes were very exciting. We especially liked the ladybug! We all had fun singing “Ladybug In My Soda” with you.

It is obvious that you practiced a lot. Everyone knew their lines so well! You told the whole school a lot of interesting facts about minibeasts. The Kung Fu Praying Mantids and the Buzzing Bees had great teamwork to put on a fabulous show!

Way to go!!!

The Lively Lady Bugs
IST Grade 2 Ms. Lane’s class

Minibeast in the News

WOW! Today IST Elementary Campus had a fantastic assembly. Grade 2 students did an outstanding job presenting The Grade 2 News; a special report following the Minibeast Safari at IST. Be sure to check back later for pictures and more details.

Minibeast Homework

This week, Mr. McKillip gave his students an assignment to make a Minibeast Observation at home. Following is the sheet that was sent home with students. This assignment is due Thursday, 17 Sept.

Compound Eyes

Many different kinds of minibeasts have strange looking eyes. The praying mantis has eyes that are called compound eyes. “If I had compound eyes I would see many small images of the same thing. I use these glasses to see what it is like to see like an insect with compound eyes.”

Aidan brought these glasses from home to share with his class. While looking through these glasses, we can see what an insect, like the praying mantis, might see when looking at the world.

Below is a quick video we made showing what it might look like if we had compound eyes like the praying mantis, bees, butterflies and many other insects.

Insects and Humans

Sir David Attenborough shows us a unique group of creatures – insects and their allies. Although they are all around us, these animals’ lives often go virtually unnoticed. In Life In The Undergrowth, David lifts the lid on a miniature universe living right beneath our feet.

Using the latest cameras, we see into their world to discover the amazing stories of the most successful creatures on Earth: the invertebrates.

The invertebrate world is one of magnificent spectacles. David says: “The tiny creatures of the undergrowth were the first creatures of any kind to colonise the land. They established the foundations of the land’s ecosystems and were able to transcend the limitations of their small size by banding together in huge communities of millions.”

For every human, there are 1.6 billion invertebrates. “If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the land’s ecosystems would collapse.”

from the BBC press

About The Praying Mantis

Did you know? Praying mantids’ excellent eyesight allows some to see movement up to 60 feet (18 meters) away. Learn more about this interesting minibeast at National Geographic.

Praying Mantis In The Garden – Are Praying Mantis good or bad for your garden? Do they eat plants or insects? If they eat insects, do they eat helpful or harmful insects? Read this article to find out for yourself.

Did you know that Praying Mantis lay hundreds of eggs in a small case? Read more about the Praying Mantis at Switcheroo Zoo.

Click HERE to watch an Animal Planet video about Praying Mantis on YouTube.

Minibeasts are Everywhere!

Grade 2 students have started to explore the world of Minibeasts. Students began our current Unit of Inquiry by asking questions and posting them on our “Wondering Wall” in each of our grade 2 classrooms. Students are actively thinking about our unit’s Central Idea “Minibeasts and people live together and each play a role in sharing the Earth.” Our investigations will help to guide us to a clear understanding of our Central Idea and answer our Key Concept Guiding Questions: What is a minibeast? How do we classify them? What is our responsibility towards minibeasts? AND How are people connected to minibeasts?

Students have been actively seeking minibeasts on campus this week. Students have discovered that we share our school grounds with many different types of minibeasts. Be sure to ask your son or daughter how many minibeast he/she was able to find on our recent Minibeast Safari.