INQUIRY LE ARN ING PL ANN ER

UNIT TITLE:

Whats a Bugs Life?

LEVEL
F-2

TEAM
Heidi Gabrys
Shannen May
Carlie Frisina

UNDERSTANDINGS:

TERM
4

DURATION
9 weeks

FOCUS QUESTIONS:

Foundation
Insects and bugs have basic needs such
as to eat, drink, rest and camouflage.

What do bugs do when we are not looking/ what

do bugs do?

Bugs have observable characteristics,

which define what type of bug it is.

What can we notice about different bugs? Are

they big or small? What colour are they? How do
they get around?

How the environment can affect how a

bug lives, whether it can live in cold or
wet or sun.

Where do bugs live and why would they live

there?

Year 1
Where bugs may live and how they may
live.
Identifying body parts of bugs to
determine the type of bug.
Understanding different stages of a bugs
life cycle.

What different environments do bugs live in?

Can we identify the body parts of different bugs?
What are names of body the parts?
How can we tell the difference between an adult
bug and a baby bug?

Year 2
The places bugs live in and belong to,
their different features and why they are
important to ecosystems.

How are bugs connected to their environment

and the ecosystem?
How can we tell if a bug is an insect or not?

Bugs are categorized into species;

different species have variations that are
specific to their environment.
The transformations that bugs go
through in their life cycles.

Why are bugs different colors, shapes and sizes

and how do these differences relate to their
survival?

KEY CONCEPTS:
Location, Environment, change,
communication, cooperation, conservation,
cycles, interdependence, personal safety, life
and living, rules, similarities and differences,
Physical world.

Thinking Skills

Communication Skills

Respond to and pose

questions, and make
predictions about types
of bugs and their
locations in the
environment.

Represent and
communicate
observations and ideas
in a variety of ways
such as oral and
written language,
drawing and role play

Personal Learning

Interpersonal
Development

Through discussion,
compare observations
with predictions and
other students.
Participate in different
types of guided
investigations to
explore and answer
questions, such as
manipulating materials,
testing ideas, and
accessing information
sources.

RESOURCES
Books:
Bugs Galore by Peter Stein 2012
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1969
Dirty Rotten Bugs by Gilles Bonotaux 2007
Websites:
Sir David Attenborough Amazing miniature world https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=kIO4W8el7Fk&list=PL8E3057E846C18041
Pumba and Timone Bug dinner clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqREvb2VTjw
Mini Beasts incursion info:
http://www.wildaction.com.au/educational-incursions/insect-a-mania-mini-beasts
Mini Beast hunt clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXY4ONrWgk0

TUNING IN
Lesson 1: Introducing topic
(Introduce our bug enclosures, ant farm in the prep room, meal worms in the grade one room and
caterpillars in the grade two room)
Introduce the students to the topic Whats a bug life? and play the short film clip of Timone and
Pumba from the Lion King talking about bugs as an introduction. Offer the question: what do you
know about bugs? Make sure every student has the chance to say something they know about
bugs even if it is the same as we have heard before. Make sure that these ideas about bugs are
written down on butchers paper or within an interactive whiteboard text to be saved and reflected
upon later in the term.
Once the students have put forward their own ideas, produce three different made up
environments. This can be on a felt board for small group work or on the interactive white board for
whole class participation. One should be the inside of a house, one the backyard and the third a
significant environment for your class such as the beach or the desert, one that interests them
uniquely. Ask students to match the bugs to the places they would be found in the diagrams, such
as a bee may be in a bee hive, or on a flower, or in the sky.
To consolidate the ideas with the students create three groups of students in circles on the floor,
one for the sky, one for the plants and one for the ground. Together they must discuss whether the
bugs we placed earlier belong to their group. Each of the groups will create a small A3 display of
each of the areas to be mounted for future reference during the topic using words, pictures or both.
Reflection
Bring the class together to discuss what we learned today. Ask students to go around the circle and
state one thing from these activities that was interesting to them. Try to take note of the students
responses to direct the topic, if the students are capable get them to write it down for you and then
share it with the class.
Lesson 2: Promoting interest and discussion
Have the class seated on the floor facing the interactive whiteboard. Start the lesson by reading a
big book: The hungry caterpillar. The book is to be read through slowly, making sure that the
students have ample time to look and discuss what is happening on each page of the book. This

would be a good time to start encouraging the use of key vocabulary for the topic.
A bug will be chosen for the class to brainstorm ideas of what the particular bug may do in its day.
Each child will have the opportunity to contribute to the brainstorm with any idea they have. From
the ideas that the students come up with, a narrative will be made; 'a day in the life of a... Using
the interactive white board to write up the story, the teacher is to guide the story writing process.
Making sure to demonstrate a beginning, the middle and the end; making sure the story flows and
addresses the heading correctly.
Children will then get into groups of two to three, it will be their turn to create a piece of work on a
day in the life of.. The children will have to opportunity to do this in a variety of ways to encourage
the independent learning environment and help cater for diversity in learning styles in the
classroom. For this task, the students will be free to choose from writing a narrative, organizing a
mini performance or even drawing a story board.
Reflection
At the end of the lesson each group will be asked to present their piece of work to the class. Once
each group has presented, create a mind map on the board with bugs in the middle, from there
ask the students what they wish to know about bugs/insects; what interests them? Create a map
the board from the classes contributions. This will help give perspective on what the children have
prior knowledge of and what need to be covered in more detail; also it will help identify the areas of
the topic that the children are highly interested in.
Lesson 3: Safety with Bugs
Talk to the students about having the bug specialist visiting us next week. They will be bringing
lots of bugs for us to look at and touch. We will also be going on a bug hunt at the park in the
coming weeks. Show the David Attenborough clip.
Ask the students to discuss with the person next to them, what bugs they think they will see or find.
Pairs of students then need to form a group, so that there are two foundation, two Grade 1 and two
Grade 2 students in each group. The students then need to share and compare their ideas with
one another in the group. Then with the whole class each group of students will name some
different bugs and a list will be formed on the board.
In their groups students will write down which bugs listed on the board they think are safe to touch
and how we should handle them and which bugs they think are unsafe to touch, what makes them
unsafe, and how we might handle them. Each group then shares their ideas with the rest of the
class; create a vocabulary list including bug names, things that make bugs unsafe and words to
describe how we can touch bugs.
Assign each group either safe to touch or unsafe to touch. These groups must then design a
poster that shows either, which bugs are safe and how we should handle them or which bugs are
unsafe, why they are unsafe and how we may be able handle them. The posters must include
illustrations and written descriptions/ warnings using words from the vocabulary list or new words.
These posters will then be posted on the display board and the around the classroom.
(ACSIS014), (ACSIS233), (ACSIS012), (ACSIS029), (ACSIS042)

Reflection
Bring the whole group of students back together. Each group will then present their posters they
have created to the rest of the class; they will describe what they have put on their poster.
Discuss with students what the important learning points are. Together come up with a general set
of rules that everyone must follow when handling bugs, so that we are safe and bugs are not
harmed. (Teacher will then compile and put on display)
Students then individually write down anything they may not have understood or want to know
more about, this is collected by classroom teacher and can be used to guide a follow up session, to
ensure students are properly prepared for the incursion and bug hunt activities.

FINDING OUT

SORTING OUT

How can we: Take students beyond what they already know?
Challenge their ideas, beliefs and attitudes? Enable them to
use skills and knowledge to collect new information? Provide
a range of experiences to develop our understandings?

How will students sort out, organise, represent and present what
they have found out? Ho can they communicate and express
what they know? How will they use preferred ways to
demonstrate their knowledge, skills and values?

Lesson 4: Why is a bug a bug?

Lesson 6: Classifying and housing bugs.

Activity 1: Bugs storybook

Activity 1: Classifying bugs

Discuss with students what makes a bug a

bug. I.e., how many legs it has, wings, flies,
walk, etc.? Why is a bug not an animal? Is it
where they live? Is it what they eat? That
makes them a bug.

Begin the lesson by getting all of the children onto

the floor for a story. This story will be about a bug
of your choice to induce interest in the activity.
Choose a bug with easily definable characteristics
that you can talk about such as his six big, pointy
legs or his beady eight eyes. Once the story is
told ask the students to identify the bug that was
in your story. Ask them questions as to why that
was the bug and encourage informed answers.

Using Bugs Galore, looking at the front cover,

discuss what sort of bugs that they might see
in the book and where they might be found.
As the book is read, ask students what they
notice about the bugs. What do they look like?
What colors do they come in? Can you find
more than one bug in the same place? What
do they eat?
After completing Bugs Galore, ask students to
make predictions about the type of locations
we could find bugs when at the park. Create a
mind map showing locations in the park where
bug could be found (under rocks, logs, in the
grass, etc.) and what sort of bugs might be
found in those locations.
Activity 2: Map making
Using a map of the park, students will need to
label locations with the types of bugs they will
find; they can color in the map and either write

Next obtain an image of another bug using the

interactive whiteboard or otherwise, ask the
students to find the important features of that bug.
If they dont know what something is, or what it is
called, encourage the students to find it by asking
other students.
Use this method either in groups, pairs or single
to draw one bug that fits a description and label
all the parts of another bug.
To go further with this activity, students could
group bugs into insects and non-insects based on
features as well as flying insects and non-flying
insects. This can be done in groups or altogether
on the floor.
Activity 2: Houses of bug

or draw the different bugs.

Reflection
Bring all classes together and share the
predictions made by the students. The
students then talk to the person next to them
about what sort of bug they are hoping to find
on the bug hunt in the park and what locations
they are going to search. Have some pairs of
students share their ideas with the rest of the
group.

Students now know what the physical features of

a bug are, now we can move onto their homes
and environment. Begin the activity by playing a
game of matching cards, where on one set of
cards there is a bug and on the other there is their
home. Students will have to be given a card each
and try to match up the cards with the bugs and
their home.
The students can then discuss with their new
partner why the bug might live there and then
relay their ideas to the whole class. The teacher
should ask thought provoking questions and
encourage other students to ask questions about
each bug.
Get the students into groups which are based
around one popular bug for example one group
might be the butterflies. The groups then have to
create a picture of the bugs home on poster
paper and place the bug in its home. For example
the butterfly group may draw a field of flowers.
Ask the students to present their bug
environments to the class. Use these posters as
displays around the room.
Activity 3: Observing bugs
Get the students to gather around their classroom
bugs. Question the students as to what might be
different about our bugs today from last week.
Many of the bugs will have transformed or
created something, for example the ants will have
created tunnels that the students can view. As a
class we will create a bug chart of the
development of our bugs. Include photos taken,
student observations and all sorts of things.
Display the chart on the classroom wall.
For furthering the students, get them to develop
as a class the life cycle of the bug that we have in
our classroom. To do this we can revisit the
hungry caterpillar to develop their understanding
of life cycles. Make sure that the whole class has
input into the bugs transformation.
Reflection:
Ask students to do rocket writing and answer two
questions, 1. What did you find interesting today?

2. What do you still want to know? These

questions should help to develop individual
thinking in the going further section.
Lesson 5: Preparing and going on the Bug
hunt

Lesson 7: Bug Incursion

Activity 1: Mini Beast Expert

Activity 1: Bug collectors

Students will construct bug collectors or bug
pooter using recycled materials (plastic drink
bottles, pantie hose, etc.).
Talk through the instructions with students and
construct one of each item with the students
and have instructions readily available for them
to follow. (Set up stations for each bug
collecting device).
Activity 2: Bug hunt
Before leaving to go to the park refresh the
rules for handling bugs and pair off students to
work together.
Each pair of students needs to have a
recording sheet, clip board, pen and their
constructed bug collecting devices.
Allow the students time to explore the park in
the hunt for bugs; teachers and helpers should
assist students lifting heavy logs and rocks to
look for bugs. Take photos of students during
the bug hunt, as these will be part of the
parents evening display.
Students need to record the bugs they have
found onto their recording sheet and where
they found it. Each student may collect one
bug each to bring back to the classroom for
further observations and investigation. (Bugs
will need to be returned to where they found
them at the conclusion of the lesson).
Activity 3: Reflecting on what we found
Back in the classroom; discuss what bugs
were found and where they were found. A
photo of each bug should be taken as a
record. Ask the students why they think the
bug was found where it was and what they

Introduce the students to the exciting fact that

they are going to have real life bugs come into the
school for an incursion which they might even be
able to touch!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXY4ONrWgk0
Show the students the mini beast hunt video to
get them excited about the upcoming incursion.
After viewing the video ask the students to think
of three questions they might want to ask the mini
beasts experts who come for the incursion.
Record or get the students to record these
questions.
Review the safety posters drawn up in lesson
three. Do a mini quiz where the students work
together as a class to make sure they will be safe
around the bugs.
Activity 2: Questioning
Mini-Beast Incursion.
Encourage lots of talk and questioning among the
students during the incursion.
At the end of the incursion gather the cohort
together to reflect on what they saw and observed
and their experiences. Get students to possibly
mix in groups of different ages to chat about their
experiences.
Activity 3: What have we learnt?
To consolidate the learning that was done in the
incursion, ask students to complete an activity
which includes finding their favourite bug, drawing
it, labelling it and writing one sentence they
learned about it from the incursion. Display the
work around the room.
(ACSSU002), (ACSS003), (ACSS211)

think the bug might be doing while it is there

(hiding, eating, sleeping, etc.).
Compare the maps of the park and the mind
map with the data collected on the bug hunt.
Discuss whether their initial predictions made
about the types of bugs and the locations
where correct or different. Discuss why they
think this was so.
Students should draw an illustration of their
bug to record what it looks like and write a
short paragraph describing its features and
where it was found in the park.
Reflection:
Discuss with students what they learnt from
the bug hunt. Question them about if they
found anything interesting, if their predictions
were correct or if they discovered a bug that
wasnt listed in the prediction. Ask them to
think about how we could find out more
information about the bugs we found. What
would they like to know about the bugs?
The illustrations and photos should be added
to the inquiry display area.

GOING FURTHER
How can we extend and broaden the unit? What other perspectives or dimensions can we explore? What are the ways which
students can negotiate their own personal inquiries?

Lesson 8: Personal Inquiry of mini beasts

Activity 1: Bug decisions
Students will now be given the opportunity to research a bug of their choice and display the
information as they choose; this could be a poster, a model, a costume, a drawing etc.
Before students start their personal inquiry, as a class a discussion will be held about researching
and presenting their information. The students will be asked where they may find information on the
bug they wish to research. Make sure to have computer/tablets technology available for use as well
as a range of books on bugs that are available for use. It needs to also be discussed what types of
materials there are in the classroom that is able to be used in this work.
One last key point of topic while the kids are all in a group; the ideas and information that could be
displayed in their piece of work. This will vary depending on what the child or group of children
choose to do. Example key information would be: where the bug lives, what food it eats, what
parts make up the bug, does it fly, etc.

Activity 2: Investigating
Students are given the opportunity to work either individually or in groups as this is personal
inquiry. Before students are to start their inquiry they have to decide on how they will present the
information, this has to either be written or drawn on a piece of paper and approved by the teacher.
Once the students have the approval they may start researching and developing their piece of
work. This will be conducted over two sessions so the children have time to both research a small
amount of general information and also be able to create their piece of work.
Activity 3: Presentation
Each individual or group will present their piece of work to the whole class. In this presentation they
are to identify what bug they choose, why they choose that particular bug, what information they
found about that bug, and where they found the information. Every child will have the opportunity to
share information and also ask questions to the other students if desired.
Reflection:
Once all the presentations are completed get the students to create a circle; going around the
circle ask the students to share one thing that they learnt today from someone elses presentation.
(ACSSU002), (ACSS003),
Lesson 9: A bugs life/ parents bug walk
Activity 1: A day in the life of a bug
As a form of assessment the students will once again create a piece of work on 'a day in the life of
a bug'. They have the opportunity to do either the same bug, or choose a new bug to talk about.
This will be done so that a comparison can be made from their knowledge of bugs from the
beginning of the unit compared to the end of the unit.
Again students will have the choice to present this work as either a written piece, a drawn piece or
a mini performance
Activity 2: Comparison and Reflection
As the students have completed two sets of 'a day in the life of a bug', the students will be asked to
compare their two pieces of work and reflect how much they have learnt over the weeks about
bugs.
In groups of 3-4, each child will be asked to share what they have learnt through this unit, What
their favourite bug is now, and what else they want to know. The students will need to listen and
engage in discussion with the other students in the group.
Activity 3: Parents night bug walk
Explain to the students that they are going to create a bug walk for their parents in the hallway.

Have a class discussion as to what they would like to place in the hallway; reflecting on their own
bug walk and what they experienced throughout the unit.
Also explain that the students will have to opportunity to share all the work they have completed
through this unit after the parents have walked through the hallway.
Students will create drawings and models to represent small habitats and bugs for on the walk; this
will be done using crafts from the classroom and art room. Once all the students have completed
their work they will placed in the hallway ready for the parents night.
Reflection:
Parents will be invited to come on a bug walk with their children; students will be given the
opportunity to present all the work they have completed over the unit to their parents.
(ACSHE021), (ACSIS213)

ASSESSMENT SUMMARY (ONGOING: FOR, AS and OF learning)

What are the cumulative and summative opportunities for assessment? How can teachers and students monitor progress? What
strategies can we use to cater for variance in learning styles and progress? How can we allow for expected and unexpected
outcomes? How can we provide opportunities for self, peer, teacher, parent assessment?

INQUIRY STAGE
Lesson 1

Lesson 2
Lesson 3

Lesson 4

DESCRIPTION

PURPOSE

Conducted during the reflection

time, teacher will begin a
running record, of student
responses and interest to the
topic. Questions: What was
interesting? What did you
learn? Did anything surprise
you?

To gauge and guide student

interest in the topic and to
determine student prior
knowledge of the topic.

Creating a narrative in writing,

performing or drawing of a day
in a bug life.
Students create posters for
safety around bugs. Answers
questions such as: Which bugs
are safe? Which bugs are
unsafe? What makes this bug
unsafe? What is a safe way of
handling this bug? What is a
good way of holding a bug?
Reflection about what they
have learnt and what they have
struggled with.
Students will be using a map of
the park to make predictions of
where they might find bugs

To find out what students know

about bugs and determine level
of vocabulary knowledge.
To illustrate that students are
prepared and guide follow up
sessions for being ready for
upcoming activities that involve
touching or finding live bugs.
Students must know how to
handle bugs safely or what to
do.

To measure the students skills

in prediction.

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Adding to the running record,

record student responses to
comparing their initial
predictions with the data
collected after the bug hunt.
Questions: Was your prediction
about where you found the
bugs correct? Did you find any
new bugs? Why would they be
where they were found? What
could the bugs be doing there?
Collecting students diagrams,
which include drawing a bug
and labelling its features as
well as poster of a bugs
habitat.
Students complete a selfassessment of their
understandings and areas they
wish to know more.
Students create a document
describing their knowledge
gained from the incursion.
Students present their
investigation to their peers.
Questions: Why did you
choose that bug? What
information did you find?
Where did you find the
information? Why did you
choose to present it this way?
What was the most interesting
fact you found out about your
bug?
Students create a more
comprehensive narrative
including more factual
information in the day in the life
of a bug. Then compare this
version with the one created in
the beginning and reflect upon
their own learning. Questions:
What they learned? What more
they would like to know?
Displaying and presenting the
entire unit of work to parents.

INQUIRY EVALUATION

To monitor student ability to

compare predictions with the
outcome of the investigation.

Measuring how well student

apply their understanding of
bug features to the diagrams.
To see development of
communication skills and
thinking skills including
questioning.

To show that students can

communicate their ideas and
information. Building
Investigation skills and present
information in a systematic
fashion.

The teacher to be able to

assess the progress made by
student throughout the unit of
work and to show students
ability to self-reflect and assess
their own learning.
Parent evening is a celebration
to conclude the inquiry unit.

This inquiry unit proved to be a great success, as it catered for diversity of students
preferred learning styles and abilities. Students easily engaged because there were
plenty of hands on and group orientated tasks. Narrative literacy skills were built up
through the various writing tasks and reflective tasks. The activities encouraged
students to build relationships and communicate with others they may not usually
associate with and provided scaffolding for the different ability groups within the
cohort. Overall students showed high interest in the topic both during and after the
unit. The parents night provided the students with a good opportunity to show their
parents what they could do and boosted confidence and excitement levels.

Cohort Description
The foundation, grade one and two cohort this year is a very talkative and excitable group. They
very much enjoy sharing time where they get the opportunity to tell everyone else their ideas.
The students also enjoy working in groups and working collaboratively. They are very good at cooperating with each other.
The students get very distracted easily as a whole therefore stimulating and engaging projects
need to be undertaken. The students respond best to visual stimuli and movies and images usually
grab their attention the best.
The students are very confident little ones and like to get in front of others and perform or present.
They work very well in hands on activity where they get to use their senses and build up there
motor skills.
There is a group of students who struggle with literacy, specifically writing sentences and
narratives.
Breakdown of workload
Heidi:
My responsibility in the group was to create the concept map of ideas. I created the Level 2
understandings and questions. I designed the 3 rd Tuning in Lesson and the Finding out Lessons
(Lessons 4 and 5). I compiled the inquiry document into the one document from three different
ones.
Carlie:
I was responsible for creating the student cohort description. I outlined the questions and
understandings for the Foundation group and created the first "tuning in" lesson and the sorting out
lessons for the cohort which were lesson six and seven.
Shannen:
I had the responsibility to be the secretary in the group, and I booked the study rooms that we
worked in.
I was the grade one teacher, so I wrote the understandings and focus questions for year 1. I
completed the second tuning in lesson and was responsible for the going further section of the unit
Group:

As a group we brainstormed ideas, lesson ideas and activities, we created the assessments and
evaluations. We researched and agreed upon the key concepts and the AusVELS skills
descriptors. Attended all meetings on a regular basis.
EDFD GROUP MEETINGS RECORD
Wednesday 28th August: Heidi, Carlie, Shannen- 15 mins
- talking about generally what our topic might be.
Wednesday 18th September: Heidi, Shannen & Carlie - 15 mins
- ideas of what the topic will be: Mini beasts
Monday 23rd of September: Heidi, Carlie, Shannen- 1hr and half
- Concept map
- Working out tunning in activities
- Looking at understandings
Wednesday 9th October: Heidi, Carlie, Shannen - 1hr and half
- Consolidating Understandings
- Lesson ideas
- Curriculum links
- Key concepts
- Resources
Wednesday 16th October: Heidi, Carlie, Shannen - 2hrs
- Fix concept map
- Assessment
- Personal sentences
- Touch up individual lessons
Monday 21st October: Heidi, Carlie, Shannen 1 hr
- Finishing touches
- printing
- signing off

Heidi Gabrys

Signature:_______________________

Shannen May

Signature:_______________________

Carlie Frisina

Signature________________________