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Lesson Plan: Insects (Writing - Grade 1)

Subject:  Writing

Grade: 1

Lesson Objective: To write a story about being a helpful insect

Common Core Standard:  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3- Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

Materials:

Starter:

Say:

  • Can you think of an insect that is helpful to people?  (Allow the students to answer.)

Main:

Say:

  • Bees, butterflies, praying mantis, ladybugs and dragonflies are all insects that are helpful to people.
  • Bees and butterflies are helpful because they pollinate flowers, which means that they help food to grow.  As they fly from one flower to the next drinking its nectar, the bees pick up pollen from one flower and drop it on the next.  This helps the flowers to grow.  If the flowers are on fruit or vegetable plants, the flowers will turn in to fruits or vegetables.
  • Honeybees are helpful because they make honey that people can eat.
  • Praying mantis, ladybugs and dragonflies are all helpful because they eat other insects. 
  • Ladybugs eat aphids, which are tiny insects that eat plants.  When a ladybug eats aphids off of fruit or vegetable plants, the plants are able to grow without being hurt.
  • Praying mantis and dragonflies eat many different types insects and help to keep them out of people’s gardens and yards. 
  • Today, you are going to imagine that you are one of the helpful insects that we just talked about and write a story about how you help people. 
  • You will start by writing an opening or beginning to your story.  Then, you need to add some details to make your story exciting.  The last thing you do is write an ending.
  • For example, “I am a helpful insect.  I help people because I eat other insects.  Eating insects makes me happy and full!  I love to eat insects and help people while I am doing it.”  (Write this on the board for the students to see)
  • I wrote an opening (underline or point to it).  I then added details before I wrote a closing.
  • When you are writing your story, remember to use as many details as you can.  You can include how you would feel, what you would see and what you would do. 
  • Does anyone have any questions?

Feedback:

Say:

  • Who would like to share what you wrote?  (Allow the students to share.)

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Emergency Sub Plan: Insects - Science (GR 1)

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Check out our complete Emergency Sub Plans Library!

Written by Kimberly Greacen, Education World® Contributing Writer

Kimberly is an educator with extensive experience in curriculum writing and developing instructional materials to align with Common Core State Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy.

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