Since the start of the school year, students in Colleen McCracken’s second grade class at Easterly Parkway Elementary School have devoted their studies to the species known for its three pairs of legs and segmented body.
From spiders to butterflies and everything in between, each of McCracken’s 22 students picked an insect to study, and worked to create an exhibit dedicated to their findings.
“A lot of the class got their first choice,” she says.
The students’ exhibits were showcased Oct. 4 at the elementary school during an “insect museum,” which was open to family and other teachers and students.
McCracken says this is her first year trying out the insect museum. She got the idea when her Penn State graduate class put together a bird museum this past summer.
“It was one of the best experiences I had teaching,” she says.
The exhibits, set up at each of the students’ desks, were made using cardboard tri-folds glued with colorful tissue paper for decoration. Inside the tri-folds were the students’ insects, made out of clay, as well as a description of the insect.
“They had to come up with the writing,” says McCracken.
Choosing their own insect to study helped motivate the students, McCracken says, as well as provided them with independence. “The kids seem very excited about it.”
In addition to creating the display and description of the insects, McCracken’s students also made a comic, diary and poems about their insect. The class even created a song about insects, which was played on video during the showcase.
“They did a lot of work to get to this stage,” she says.
McCracken says her class had a lot of help and support throughout the process, including from the reading teacher, music teacher and principal at Easterly Parkway.
“This has honestly been a whole school project,” she says. “A lot of people have been really helpful … and really supportive.”
