Bug Discovery

Materials

1. Digital camera or 35-mm camera
2. Clipboards and paper (optional)
3. Outside area with bugs
4. Cardstock paper
5. Scissors
6. Glue

Instructions

1. Lead the children in a bug hunt! Tell them they are not going to collect the bugs; instead they will photograph the bugs in their natural environment.
2. If desired, provide the children with clipboards and pencils so they can draw pictures of the bug in its natural environment. Include these drawings when you put the book together.
3. When they find a bug, assign a child to take its photo. Make sure to instruct the children on how to properly aim the camera or there will be many missed shots. With a digital camera, this is not much of a problem, but with a 35-mm camera, missed shots can be quite expensive.
4. As the child photographs the bug, talk about it. Ask what environment it is in. (Water? Sand? Dirt? Grass?) "What type of bug is it?" "What does the bug appear to be doing?" Give the children time to have a good conversation about each bug.
5. Try to find and photograph several different types of bugs.
6. If you used a digital camera, download and print the pictures on the classroom computer. Involve the children as much as possible in this step. If you used a 35-mm camera, let the children help you prepare them to be sent to the developer.
7. When you print out or get back the pictures, have the children glue each photo to a piece of cardstock paper.
8. Under each photo, write a brief description about the bug in the photo. Include the information that the children discussed when photographing the bug. Also mention which child took the photograph. For example, you might write, "This is the spider that Tommy photographed. It was spinning a web on the fence. You can tell it's a spider because it has eight legs." If desired, help the children use the computer or insect books to look up fun facts about each bug they found.
9. Repeat for each photo.
10. Create a front and back cover using more cardstock.
11. Bind the pages together in any manner you prefer. Put the book in your science area for all to enjoy.