| Description | In this second grade class, we are doing a unit on insects. Students have a journal to fill out with various activities. They will be given charts which show the body parts of insects, and then will be asked to fill out a sheet about a particular insect that they find outside. This unit has a variety of hands-on activities, that require students to work together or ask questions about the environment around them. We will also be studying how insects protect themselves with camouflauge and other resources by having students first try and find pasta and colored toothpicks in various settings outside. Our classroom will also grow butterflies and students will be asked to observe the various stages of the butterfly's life and record what they see in their journals. I believe that the Bugscope will provide added interest in the topic of insects. From the brief viewing of the pictures from the website, many students became excited over the topic. One student even brought in ants that she collected. I think Bugscope would provide our class with the opportunity to discuss the various parts of the insects that the students bring in, as well as how senses play a role. Our classroom is made up of about sixty percent African American students and the rest are either white or Asian. It is split rather evenly in terms of gender. I am unsure of the specifics of our particular classroom, but our school has about 70% of our students who live in low income homes. I hope to bring technology into the classroom to expose students to what technology can do and to also show them how technology such as the Bugscope can truly enhance their learning experiences. I don't believe that the students within our class have the opportunity to work a lot with technologies, but I believe that technology is a valuable resource that should be used. My co-operating teacher plans on sharing what Bugscope can do with the other teachers at her school; she was rather surprised with the reactions to a single picture from your website. As a student in the Education program at the University of Illinois, I plan on sharing this experience with other pre-teachers, as well as taking it with me to wherever I end up teaching. Thank you! |
