Imagine this scenario: A second grader named Kiyana has seen ladybugs in her yard and
is excited to write a report about them. Since she doesn’t know much about
these little insects, she begins her research process by reading Zoom
in on Ladybugs by Melissa Stewart. This traditional nonfiction (all-about)
book features information about where ladybugs live, what they eat, important
body features, and the ladybug lifecycle.
As
Kiyana reads, she notices that all the photos in the book were taken in the
summer. She wonders what ladybugs are doing during her birthday month—December.
To find out, she needs a book with more focused information.
With the help of the school librarian, Kiyana finds the expository literature title Wait,
Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum Atkins.
The book explains that each fall, ladybugs, “fatten up, pile up, stiffen up.”
During the winter they rest in a huddle and share body warmth. Then in spring,
the ladybugs “wiggle awake, feast, flit away.”
Kiyana
is so inspired by the book’s rich language that she decides to write about this
period of the ladybug’s life. But she remembers her teacher saying how
important it is for writers to “use their own words” rather than copy from a
book.
As
Kiyana tries to think of another word for “flit,” she returns to Zoom in
on Ladybugs and finds an amazing photo of a ladybug in flight. But it
doesn’t help her understand how the ladybug moves through the air.
When
Kiyana goes home, she decides to get creative with her research. She catches a
ladybug in a glass vial and examines it closely. She
sees all the body features she read about in school. When Kiyana releases the
ladybug, she tries to observe how it flies, but it moves too fast.
As
Kiyana wishes there was a way to watch a ladybug in slow motion, she remembers
a time-lapsed video her class saw of a plant growing. After dinner, she asks
her dad to help her find a YouTube video of a ladybug flying in slow motion,
and they find three!
Kiyana
is able to see exactly how a ladybug unfolds its delicate inner wings as it
takes off and then flaps them at top speed as it whizzes through the air. The
next day, she uses her observations to add vibrant descriptive language to her
report.
When students take this approach to informational writing, they’ll craft rich, engaging
text that reflects their passion for their topic. Let’s give our young writers
a chance to shine!
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2 Responses
This is exactly how learning happens – by reading, asking questions, observing, asking more questions. And that writing – or drawing, if that's how a kid best communicates what they have learned – is an essential part of STEAM. I think back to how my pre-K "engineers" drew designs for towers, cars, catapults… and later, how they used those drawing skills to "take notes" on their field research (literally – research done in our old hayfield). The topic: ladybugs!
I love this so much. Thank you so much for sharing this step by step process of this young learner. I learned a great deal from Kiyana myself. Again, Thank you so much for this.