Invent a Garden Insect: The Good, the Bad and the Creative
In this 4-week class, students will learn about friend and foe garden insects and then invent, diagram and build an insect for their garden.
Lisa Ely
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(212)
What's included
4 live meetings
2 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 5
There are thousands of species of insects in our world, and each are adapted to survive in their habitat, including flower and edible gardens. In this class, learners explore what an insect is and what some of their adaptations are. In the first class, learners will recognize what makes an insect an insect by identifying the common structures and characteristics of insects. In the next class, students will be introduced to the garden's insect friends and foes, including learning tricks to invite the good insects to the garden. During the last 2 classes, learners will invent and diagram a beneficial insect for the garden. During the class time they will also craft and construct a model of the insect and wrap up the class with a demonstration for classmates introducing them to the new insect. They will be encouraged to put their insect knowledge into play by showing how their insect is adaptive and can survive in the garden, while helping gardeners. Learners will be introduced to NGSS scientific terms related to earth and animal science as they learn about insect identification, anatomy and adaptation. Throughout the class, students will have a virtual up-close experience with insects through pictures and videos shared during the class period. I do not have live insects in the class but the videos help bring students close to the insects.
Learning Goals
Next Generation Science Standards
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS1.A: Structure and Function: Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.
LS4.C: Adaptation: For any particular environment, some kinds of organisms survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans: There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water.
Crosscutting Concepts
Structure and Function: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function(s).
Cause and Effect: Cause and effect relationships are regularly used to explain change.
Related Performance Expectations
K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Other Details
Supply List
Students will be making an insect model but will be encouraged to do that with anything they find around the home, such as clay, mud, cardboard, building blocks, cake, or paper and crayons. Students will need paper and pencil or crayons during class time.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from Pepperdine University
Bachelor's Degree from University of Southern California (USC)
Enthusiastic mom of 2 kids, Lisa Ely first learned to garden from her dad in their backyard when she was 6. Ever since there has not been a pile of dirt that she didn’t want to get her hands in.
Lisa is creator of Learn, Giggle & Grow Garden Curriculum and the co-author of three books under the Kinder Gardens umbrella. She is currently working on her next book series and a multi-media, adventure gardening experience for families to learn more and be inspired every day.
Prior to launching her children’s and family gardening enterprise, Lisa traveled the world over and over as an award-winning non-fiction TV producer and director. Some of her credits, like CBSs The Amazing Race, Discovery’s Garden Police and a number of shows on HGTV (including the Rose Parade) have helped her learn more about her garden passion.
Lisa’s always been described as a big kid and it wasn’t until she had kids that people stopped looking at her a bit funny when she would start a mud ball fight or run through the sprinklers. She admits that she’s good at playing because she’s had years of practice! She lives by her new family motto of “We’re washable!”
Lisa loves being in front of group sharing her love of everything fun in the garden. Some of her favorite classes are focused on worm science, eating the rainbow, tomato talk, soil on the move and root, stems, oh my!
When she’s not gardening she’s often with her husband watching their kids play baseball, paddling a dragon boat or playing her own version of “Chopped” to get a nightly dinner on the table!
Reviews
Live Group Class
$70
for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
35 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-11
6-9 learners per class
