Video Text: Ms. Tara Teaches Ladybugs, Dragonflies, Bees and Butterflies
Materials:
Projected on screen or shown on iPad with each student having a copy (ipad or hardcopy) or hard copies
Paper (2 sheets per student) and crayons and/or whiteboards
Supplement: related worksheets identifying insects, drawing or coloring them, etc.Goal: Today we are going to learn about insects in the garden. We will identify how they help us by learning new words
Standards: Reading Standards for Informational Text
Grade 2 CCSS.RI. 4
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to Grade topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.2.A (Reading Foundations. Kindergarten. Standard 2.A) is “Recognize and produce rhyming words.”
This can be re-worded as a student learning objective for a lesson as: “Students will be able to recognize and produce two rhyming words.”
Behavioral goal: In this lesson I will read first, then you. When t is my turn to read I will put my hand on my chest, like this. (show ASL for “me”) When it is your turn to read I will lift up my outstretched hand to you, like this (lift up outstretched hand). We will discuss and talk after we read the story. So your first job is to look and listen then read with us as a group. After that you can raise your hand to speak and we will have a discussion and you can share your experiences when I call on you.
Model how this works briefly and make sure they’ve got it by reading the first page aloud and then they read it, echoing me. Follow this procedure for each line of the text (bolded here). Then ask the questions to get them thinking.
Ladybugs, you are much too small for my hugs
Have you ever seen a ladybug?
How big was it?
What would happen if you tried to hug a ladybug?
When we have one we say ladybug, two or more are ladybugs.
Which words in this sentence sound alike?
Do they look alike? 
Write the words Ladybugs and hugs.
Ladybugs thank you for helping to pollinate the flowers.
Pollen is the yellow and sticky and inside flowers. It must be carried by wind and insects to other flowers so they will blossom and grow. Without these insects the flowers do not get the food they need to blossom and grow.
I adore your super powers
“Adore” means to love or like very much. (Discuss this word. Allow the children to write it down). The ladybug has the power to help the flowers grow by crawling into the flower and carrying the pollen on her legs and wings to each new flower she visits.
Lets look at the words flower and power. (Write them on the whiteboard)
Which letters are the same?
Please write the words flower and power on your sheet/board
Dragonflies. Please write the word Dragonfly. Like this (write it and show them). Now, take off the “y” and add “ies”. That makes Dragonflies or more than one dragonfly. Write dragonflies.
Dragonflies you have wonderful lives.
Do any words in this sentence sound the same?
Do they look the same? (No)
“live” is something they have, it is a wonderful life, or they have wonderful lives.
You live at the pond in my garden
“live” looks the same but it is describing what they do. It is a short /i/ sound.
Dragonflies live near water and eat bugs like mosquitoes and butterflies.
I say, “Pardon me, dragonflies, but please don’t eat the butterflies.”
Dragon fly, dragonfly. Fly, flies
Why do they call them dragonflies?
Could it be because they look like a dragon that flies?
More than one we take off the “y” and add “ies” fly, flies, dragonfly, dragonflies. (Write down these words)
Write these words on your sheet/whiteboard.
Dragonflies eat other insects
“But,” I say, “the biting mosquitoes, you can eat them instead.”
Mosquito is an insect, too that likes water. They bite people, not very nice.
Mosquito is one, Mosquitoes are many. (write it down). Please write it down.
Dragonflies eat mosquitoes.
Bees, Bees, Bees, you made my breakfast
One Bee, just add “s” and you have many!
I wonder how the Bees can help make breakfast, do you?
Bees pollinated my peaches and oranges so they can grow!
The bees carry pollen on their legs and backs to flowers, and flowers need pollen to grow and make fruit. Yes, thats how it is! Without bees there would be no flowers, no fruit, no oranges, peaches, lemons or pears, no fruit for us to enjoy.
Thank you for carrying pollen and for your honey. But if you bite me it won’t be funny.
What do you know about bees? (Discuss by answering raising of hands or by pairing into partners to discuss.)
Yes, they live in hives and they make honey. We enjoy eating some honey from the bees which is very delicious
They also transfer the pollen to the flowers.
Oh, Butterfly flutters by me. Oh, Butterflies are so beautiful.
What do butter and butterflies have in common?
Yes, butter is yellow and so are many butterflies!
What is “flutter” It means to go like this (show with hands).
Flutter and butter, do they sound the same?
(write them down). Please write down these words.
Why do you think someone would call this beautiful insect a butterfly?
Butterfly, butterflies, when we have two or more we take off the y and add “ies”
You have symmetry, exactly the same on both sides.
Thats what symmetry means, the same on both sides. (discuss examples of symmetry like ears on the head or hands)
So matching my garden, you can hide.
Do they match? Lets make sure we know what “match ” means. (Discuss)
Do you think butterflies are pretty like flowers?
Could their beauty help them to hide from dragonflies who try to catch and eat them? What do you think?
You have symmetry, exactly the same on both sides.
So matching my garden, you can hide.
Do you hear two words that sound the same?
What are they?
Lets look at how they are spelled.
Which sounds are the same?
You too help pollinate the flowers.
Pollen is used to pollinate flowers.
How does it work, please raise your hand if you remember how pollen helps the flowers. (Review)
You too help pollinate the flowers.
I love your colors I could watch you for hours.
Do you hear any words that sound alike?
Good, lets see how they are spelled.
(Write the words “flowers” and “hours”)
Write the words, like me.
Have we learned another word today that sounds like or rhymes with flowers?
If you remember, write it down.
Now have the students compose a written or drawn piece of work that answers one or more of these questions:
Create a picture and sentences to show me what you have learned today. You may answer these questions or create your own questions and answers. Show the questions on the board so the children can refer to them or provide on a worksheet.
How do bees help people?
Where do butterflies live?
What does pollen do?
How do insects carry pollen flowers need to grow?