“Bumblebees have five eyes.” “Ladybugs hibernate together in the winter.” “There are 3,000 different types of dragonflies.” “Fireflies taste terrible to their predators.”
Meadow Pond second graders are insect experts! They showcased their knowledge at an Insect Museum; the school gym was filled with handmade models of ants, beetles, butterflies and flies, and students excitedly sharing the fascinating information they learned.
Classroom teachers Melissa DiMarco, Kate Hernandez, Deanna Lyon, Jeanne Paquette and Jill Walsh worked with students to complete research booklets, which led to learning about insects’ habitat, life cycle, food source and interaction with the environment. Note-taking and information compiling skills were folded into the experience.
Technology teaching assistant Sara Driscoll worked with the second graders in recording audio versions of their findings. She also made digital renderings of the students’ models—creating an augmented reality experience which allowed students to see a bumblebee as big as the gym’s basketball hoop, or watch a firefly land on their friend’s fingers.
“My students love the Insect Museum,” said Walsh. “They learn so much. Creating models and using augmented reality makes it really fun and engaging.”