Insects and Life Cycles

After teaching about plants, I teach a little about insects.

Ladybugs: Ladybugs are the protectors of leaves, so this is a great insect to start with!
Life Cycle and Count the Spots Worksheets
Buy Ladybugs from Earth's Birthday Project  (ladybug exploration with magnifying glasses)
Also explore with felt ladybugs to figure out what they can already tell from ladybugs
Ladybug cupcakes (Kids get to decorate their own cupcake like a ladybug!)
Ladybug Spots Equation
Ladybug Story "How do ladybugs get their spots?"
Books: Grouchy Ladybug, Ladybugs (Pebble Books), Ladybugs Red, Fiery, and Bright
     Teach:  Fiction vs Non Fiction    
     Venn Diagram Comparison about 2 of those books
     Grouchy Ladybug: Talk about times of the day and each student writes a page about what they do
        at their assigned time of the day to compile into a book.

Caterpillars
1. Read "A Very Hungry Caterpillar"
2. Make an accordion caterpillar book
    I made the book to practice base 20 math, but I'm sure  
    their are PLENTY of other ways to use this book.
3. Word caterpillar (Students add words to their caterpillar to show all the words they know!
(Sight Words, color words, number words)

Caterpillar Patterns: 

Students were given basic caterpillars and were to create a pattern using the dot paints. Some pages had specific patterns on them already (AB or ABC ect) while some were left blank. The day we did blank caterpillars the students were told to do at least 1 AABB and ABC pattern to ensure they had a guide. Something simple and fun.


Butterflies
Buy caterpillars that will metamorphosis right in front of your class in 2-3 weeks! 
Caterpillars turn into butterflies, so I go through their life cycle next.
Butterfly Book + Butterfly Wing Creation
Waterfall butterfly life cycle book.  (I place this book inside their large butterfly book.)

Materials needed:
large construction paper (any color)
copies of a butterfly cut in half
glue, scissors
coloring materials
variety of colored paper (optional)

Fold the construction paper where the 2 sides reach in to touch the middle. Glue each side of the butterfly on each flap. Decorate each butterfly wing with markers, crayons, paint, or tissue paper. Glue the waterfall page into the fold, so when you pull the butterfly wings apart, you find the butterfly life cycle.

Bees:
Watch Reading Rainbow - BEES  (3:45- 4:50)
Watch Magic School Bus - Bees  (I own the DVD)
Bees Knowledge Chart Poster
Bee paragraph (3 sentences: Bees have..., Bees are..., Bees can... 
(DO AS WHOLE GROUP since it is their first time using an organizer.)
Paper craft bee or paint a bee with information on the back.