Grow Up Great
Note: Divide the class into small groups for this activity. Prior to the lesson, place 1 or 2 crickets in jars for the children to observe.
Crickets are insects that are found on the soil, hiding under dead plants, or on live plants. Like all insects, crickets have a three-part body, two antennae, and three pairs of jointed legs. Crickets also have wings. Like all insects, crickets need food, air, water, and shelter to live. Preferring hiding places out of the light, crickets are often found under leaves or logs and around damp places in gardens. Because they like the dark, most crickets are nocturnal. Crickets find their way using their antennae and move by crawling or hopping.
Like many different animals, crickets use sound to communicate with each other. Not all crickets chirp; the male crickets do most of the chirping. Crickets do not use their legs to chirp. Their chirping sound is made by rubbing their wings together. Each wing has a ridged file on the bottom and a sharp-edged part at the top of the wing. Crickets produce sound when the top of one wing is moved over the ridged file on the bottom of the other wing. Crickets can chirp at different rates, and sometimes the rate of chirping depends on the temperature.
Crickets are insects that are found on the soil, hiding under dead plants, or on live plants. Like all insects, crickets have a three-part body, two antennae, and three pairs of jointed legs. Crickets also have wings. Like all insects, crickets need food, air, water, and shelter to live. Preferring hiding places out of the light, crickets are often found under leaves or logs and around damp places in gardens. Because they like the dark, most crickets are nocturnal. Crickets find their way using their antennae and move by crawling or hopping.
Crickets are fast movers and difficult to catch. Take extra caution when adding material to the jars so the crickets do not escape.
These lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards ("CCSS"). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of the concepts and skills children are expected to learn and guide teachers to provide their students with opportunities to gain these important skills and foundational knowledge.[2]
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There are currently no Common Core Standards for pre-k, but these lessons are aligned as closely as possible to capture the requirements and meet the goals of Common Core Standards. However, these lessons were neither reviewed or approved by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices or the Council of Chief State School Officers, which together are the owners and developers of the Common Core State Standards.
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