Going Buggy in Room 9:
Marie Moravia’s 1st - 2nd Grade Class Expedition

Writing and Expeditionary learning?  Marie is all over it.  The topic is bugs.  The children gravitate naturally to bugs, and dive into a myriad of writing opportunities based on their “buggy” explorations.

In writing of bugs, the class is discovering fiction and non-fiction writing.  The elements of fiction writing that are emphasized include character, setting, plot (problem and solution) and story structure (beginning-middle-end).  Groups of five are working together to produce a story about a personified ladybug, bee, butterfly, dragonfly, or ant.  Juniper will turn these stories into plays that the kids will act out for the class.  At a later point, they will write their own individual insect stories.

Further fiction writing assignments are inspired by three puppets:  Bobby McFly, Mo Cockroach, and Susie Ladybug.

The children take turns bringing a puppet home, writing about its adventures, and then reading to the class what they have written. Letter writing gets its turn when the children respond to messages from a confused Captain Snaggletooth who cannot discern between animals and insects.

In addition to creative writing, scientific exploration and nonfiction writing are driving this expedition.  There are several opportunities for learning and writing about insects.  First, each student has researched an insect and written a report.  The research project included a description of the insect, its habitat, food, predators, defense mechanisms and other facts.

Pop into the classroom to read the children’s insect riddles and see the gigantic stuffed insects.  Can you guess which insect it is?

A Butterfly for Taylor

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