Flowers and Insects (Flowers and Insects) - MP1

Flowers
and Insects
Flowers and Insects
A unit for children
aged 5-7 years
www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com From Fieldwork Education, a division of the World Class Learning Group
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Contents
Introduction 4
Basic Information 6
Learning Targets 7
The Entry Point 11
Knowledge Harvest 12
Explaining the Theme 13
The Big Picture 15
Science Learning Targets 17
Science Tasks 19
Geography Learning Targets 38
Geography Tasks 39
Art Learning Targets 42
Art Tasks 43
Music Learning Targets 46
Music Tasks 47
Society Learning Targets 50
Society Tasks 51
International Learning Targets 53
International Tasks 54
The Exit Point 56
Assessment 57
From Fieldwork Education, a division of the World Class Learning Group. © WCL Group Limited. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without permission. 2
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Resources 58
Draft Letter to Parents 62
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Introduction
This is a unit of the International Primary Curriculum
The IPC has been developed to provide support to teachers so that four main aims can be
achieved. They are:
• To help children learn the subject knowledge, skills and understandings they need to
become aware of the world around them
• To help children develop the personal skills they need to take an active part in the
world throughout their lives
• To help children develop an international mindset alongside their awareness of their
own nationality
• To do each of these in ways which take into account up-to-date research into how
children learn and how they can be encouraged to be life-long learners
The IPC has a simple but comprehensive structure

Everything is based on clearly defined learning goals which lay out the subject, personal
and international knowledge, skills and understandings children need at different stages
of their primary school life:
3 Learning Goal
A specific statement of what children should ‘know’, ‘be able to do’ or develop
an ‘understanding’ of at different mileposts. The IPC contains learning goals for
each subject of the curriculum, for personal development and for ‘international
mindedness’.
See Section 6 of the teaching and implementation file for a full list of all the learning
goals.
3 Learning Target
An IPC learning target is a refined learning goal specifically related, where
appropriate, to the content of each unit of work.
3 A Process of Learning
The units of work provide practical activities which teachers can use in the classroom
plus a wealth of other supportive information. Each unit is structured to make sure
that children’s learning experiences are as stimulating as possible.
All the units follow the same process of learning as described below (see page 1
of ‘Teaching the IPC’ for a full description of IPC units of work, available via the
Members’ Lounge).
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
3 Entry Point
The entry point is an activity for children that begins each unit of work and provides
an exciting introduction to the work that is to follow. Entry points can last from one
hour to a week, depending on the age of the children and the appropriateness of the
activity.
3 Knowledge Harvest
The knowledge harvest takes place in the early stages of each unit and provides an
opportunity for children to reveal what they already know about the themes they
are studying. This bank of knowledge can then be added to, developed and even
challenged by the teacher, throughout the course of the unit.
3 Explain The Theme
This activity involves the teacher helping the children to see the ‘big idea’ of the unit
of work before embarking on the subject learning.
3 Big Picture
The big picture provides teachers with subject-based background information to the
issues contained within the unit.
3 Research Activity
Each IPC unit has a research activity and a recording activity. Research activities
always precede the recording activities. During research activities, children use a
variety of methods and work in different group sizes to find out a range of information.
3 Recording Activity
During the recording activities, children interpret the learning they have researched
and have the opportunity to explain it in ways which feature their multiple
intelligences.
3 Exit Point
The exit point has two main purposes. First, to help children pull together their
learning from the unit and second, to celebrate the learning that has taken place.
Disclaimer
The IPC is not responsible for the content of websites or videos listed in this unit. We cannot guarantee
nor accept any liability for the content or links of any websites or videos featured in this unit. We
strongly recommend that the websites and videos are checked before being used in the classroom.
The websites and videos listed in this unit are not under the control of the IPC. We have no control
over the nature, content and availability of those websites and videos. The inclusion of links to any
websites or videos does not imply a recommendation of, or endorse the views expressed within,
those websites and videos.
The IPC takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, any website or video becoming unavailable.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Basic Information
This section details the time allocation for this unit of work, links to other subjects and
Assessment for Learning opportunities.
Timings
This unit of work is intended to last about 7 weeks.
The following suggested timings are approximate guides and are dependent on each
school’s individual context.
Approx no. of hours Approx no. of weeks
Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme 6 ¾

Science 16 2
Geography 4 ½
Art 10 1¼
Music 4 ½
Society 4 ½
International 6 ¾
Exit Point 6 ¾
Links to other IPC subjects

ICT learning goals are included in the above subject learning.
Language Arts and Mathematics links

Suggestions of how to include links to Language Arts and Mathematics are provided where
appropriate at the end of each learning task.
Assessment for Learning opportunities

Opportunities to assess your children’s skills progress exist throughout the unit. Wherever
you see the symbol, you can use the teachers’ and children’s rubrics in the IPC
Assessment for Learning Programme.
Each task also highlights possible Assessment for Learning opportunities.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Learning Targets
Science Learning Targets
Children will:
1.1 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions and collecting evidence
through observation and measurement
1.2 Be able to pose simple scientific questions
1.3 Be able to identify ways of finding out about scientific issues
1.4 Be able, with help, to conduct simple investigations
• Thinking about what will happen
• Using, with help, simple scientific equipment
• Recognising when a test or comparison with one variable is fair
• Observing what happens
• Comparing what happened with what they thought would happen
• Offering explanations for what happened, and why it happened
• Making simple comparisons, identifying similarities, differences and simple
patterns
• Recording and communicating their observations – orally, in writing and
through ICT
1.5 Be able, with help, to gather information from simple texts
1.6 Know about the basic conditions needed for flowers and insects to survive
1.7 Know about the differences between living things and things that have never been alive
1.8 Know that living things grow and reproduce
1.9 Know that the features of the school environment affect the types of living things
found there
1.10 Be able to sort living things into simple groups
1.11 Be able to recognise living things in the school environment
1.12 Understand that different locations support different living things
1.14 Know the names and characteristics of a range of animals
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
1.20 Know the names of the parts of plants

1.21 Know that seeds grow into plants
1.22 Know that plants need light to grow
1.23 Know that plants need water to grow
Geography Learning Targets

Children will:
1.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in particular localities and how
they affect the environment and the flowers and insects living there
1.5 Know that the world extends beyond their own locality and that the places they
study exist within a broader geographical context
1.12 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain simple geographical information
1.14 Be able to communicate their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
Art Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know about some of the forms used by artists in their work
1.2 Be able to use a variety of materials and processes
1.3 Be able to suggest ways of improving their own work
1.4 Be able to comment on works of art
1.5 Understand that the work of artists can be seen in a wide variety of places and
situations
ICT Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know about some of the applications of ICT in everyday life
1.3 Be able to use ICT to organise and classify information
1.4 Be able to use ICT to present information
1.5 Be able to enter, save, retrieve and revise information
1.6 Be able to work with text, tables, images and sound
1.8 Be able to describe what they have done
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Music Learning Targets

Children will:
1.2 Know a number of pieces of music associated with flowers and insects
1.3 Know how a number of musicians – including some from their home country
and the host country – use musical elements to create different effects and for
different purposes
1.4 Be able to recognise and explore ways in which sounds can be made, changed
and organised
1.6 Be able to play simple rhythms with a steady beat
1.10 Be able to listen carefully to pieces of music and comment on them
1.13 Understand that musical elements can be used to create different effects
Society Learning Targets

Children will:
1.2 Know some of the rules of groups to which they belong
1.6 Understand that they belong to a number of groups (e.g. family, school, nation)
International Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.2 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children
within the class (and/or school)
1.3 Know about some of the similarities and differences of common flowers and
insects in the different home countries and in the host country
1.4 Be able to respect one another’s individuality and independence
1.5 Be able to work with each other where appropriate
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
ICT: Opportunities for ICT Learning Goals

Children will:
1.5 Be able to enter, save, retrieve and revise information
The above ICT Learning Goals can be covered in the following tasks:
Task ICT Learning Goals
Science Task 7 1.5

Geography Task 1 1.5
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
The Entry Point

Ideally, you should start this unit when flowers and insects are in abundance in your locality.
Arrange a visit to a local park, a wildflower area or garden centre to observe flowering
plants. Study their different colours, sizes, shapes and form. Encourage the children to
make a note of the names of some of the flowers they see. They should also look out for
any insects that are attracted to the flowers. Invite the children to record their visit by
making sketches and taking lots of photographs for future reference.
Back in the classroom, watch film clips such as Antz or A Bug’s Life; read the children
some poems or extracts from stories about gardens, insects or flowers.
The following will provide a useful starting point:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt
www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/insect_poetry.htm
Tooter 4 Kids website has insect poems featuring a cricket, a caterpillar, an ant and a
mosquito plus a song and an insect rap.
Invite the children to make an imaginary garden of their own. Each child needs to have
a shoe box, or similar-sized box. They should place it on its side and build a ‘garden’
inside it, using colourful pictures of flowers and insects, cut from old magazines, or their
own drawings or paintings. Encourage the children to be creative, e.g. they might add a
‘pond’ (a small lid containing water). They can include photographs of flowers, Plasticine
models of plants, insects and other small animals found in the garden. You could have a
competition for the most creative garden!
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Knowledge Harvest
Use string and pegs or wooden sticks to mark out one-metre squares in different parts of
the school grounds.
Try to use as many different environments as possible, including:
• Dry
• Wet
• Shaded
• Open
• Sunny
• Windy
• Gravelled
• Walled
Group the children in pairs or small groups – one group per environment. Ask them
to search within their metre square and list everything they find there to complete the
checklist (see below). Encourage them to make sketches and take photographs.
Things that are living now Things that were living Things that have never been
alive
Provide information books, or prepared lists of potential ‘finds’ for your country for
reference in case the children can’t name the things they discover.
Can the children categorise the things accurately? Do they recognise these differences?.
Back in the classroom, display the investigations. Encourage the children to share their
findings, information, drawings and photographs with each other. You will need to refer to
them for Science Task 1.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Explaining The Theme

The big idea
Have you seen any flowers today? Where did you see them? Have you seen any insects?
Where did you see them? Flowers and insects need each other. Without insects there
would be no flowers. And without flowers insects would go hungry.
In Science, we’ll be finding out:

• Where flowers and insects prefer to live and grow
• How and where seeds grow
• How to set up tests to discover how plants use water
• How to grow lots of different things
• How beans grow
• About the life cycles of insects
• About ants and bees
In Geography, we’ll be finding out:

• About honey and silk production
• About the migration of the Monarch butterfly
In Art, we’ll be finding out:

• About paintings of flowers and insects
• How to make paintings and models of flowers and insects
• How to use symmetry to make paintings of insects
• How to create a garden in the classroom
In Music, we’ll be finding out:

• About the music of the famous composer, Rimsky-Korsakov
• How to create our own music
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
In Society, we’ll be finding out:

• About keeping stick insects as pets
• About people who help us
In International, we’ll be finding out:

• About flowers and insects from the host and home countries
• About how climate and weather patterns affect life around the world
• About flowers as emblems for different countries
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
The Big Picture

Insects have been living on Earth since before the age of the dinosaurs – over 300 million
years ago. Entomologists estimate that there are about a million different insects with
many more millions yet to be discovered.
Scientists estimate that the first flowering plants appeared about 130 million years ago –
this was a long time after we had ferns and conifers.
Insect anatomy
Insects have three main body parts – the head, the thorax and the abdomen. The head
of the insect has the antennae, mouth and eyes. The antennae are used for touch and
smell, the mouthparts to suck, chew, bite, or sting and compound eyes (most insects have
compound eyes) to see. They have six segmented legs attached to the thorax. Most have
either one pair or two pairs of wings that are used for flight or appear as hard shells, also
attached to the thorax.
Insects have an exoskeleton. They don’t have bones but a hard exterior coat supporting
their softer muscles inside. Spiders are strictly-speaking not insects but they are close
relatives – both are classed as arthropods.
The following website will provide a useful starting point:
http://kids.yahoo.com/directory/Science-and-Nature/Living-Things/Animals/
Invertebrates/Arthropods/Insects
Kids Yahoo website has information and photographs about bees, wasps, ants,
butterflies and moths.
Metamorphosis
Most insects metamorphose throughout their life cycle – from egg to larva to chrysalis
and to adult. The eggs are laid on places that provide food for the larva. These can include
plants, or even inside other creatures.
Colonies
Bees and ants live in colonies and have specific roles to play within that colony. They pass
messages to others from their colony when they have found a source of food. The ants
leave a trail which other ants can ‘smell’ with their antennae. Bees perform a type of
dance in flight. They have queens who stay inside the colony and lay eggs.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Flowers
Flowers come in many different species. Flowers (and all other plants) make their own
‘food’ using photosynthesis (the chlorophyll in plants absorbs certain wavelengths of light
and uses the light energy to make sugars for the plant to use as food). Plants need four
basic things in order to survive: sun, air, water and soil.
Pollination
Flowers and insects are interdependent – for food for the insects and fertilisation for the
flowers.
Some flowering plants still use wind to transfer their pollen to other plants.
Many flowering plants, however, use insects or birds to distribute their pollen. Insects
can be lured to the flowers by a few drops of sweet nectar. Brightly coloured petals guide
the insects toward the nectar and pollen. Bees can fly for several miles in a day, and, if
all members of a plant species come into bloom at about the same time, the bees spread
their pollen far and wide.
Insects and society

In many parts of the world, insects are eaten as food – witchety grubs (larvae of moths
that feed on the witchety bush) are eaten raw or roasted by indigenous Aborigines. On the
menu in Japan, you’ll find fried grasshoppers, cicada and silk moth pupae.
Insects are found everywhere and some can be harmful. In Africa, plagues of locusts can
destroy food crops and mosquitoes carry malaria and yellow fever. Bee and wasp stings
can be deadly for people who suffer from allergic reaction to their venom.
Some people think insects make good pets – stick insects are one example. Gardeners
complain about caterpillars but they like ladybirds because they eat aphids and
bumblebees because they help with the pollination of plants.
Flower paintings in history

A history of flower painting can be traced back to the 13th century when flower paintings
were suffused with religious symbolism. Gradually, this gave way to the magnificent still-
life floral bouquets painted in oils by the Renaissance painters. In the 16th century, the
discovery of the new world and its new exotic flower species, led botanical artists to paint
flowers with scientific accuracy. In Pre-Raphaelite paintings, flowers became emotional
symbols – the rose as a symbol of love and the lily of purity.
The bold brush strokes of the Impressionist painters led the move away from realism and towards
a series of the most famous flower paintings in the world, Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
www.vangoghgallery.com
Van Gogh Gallery has a biography, information and images of Van Gogh’s famous paintings.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions and collecting evidence
through observation and measurement
• Making simple comparisons, identifying similarities, differences and simple
patterns
• Recording and communicating their observations – orally, in writing and
through ICT
1.6 Know about the basic conditions needed for flowers and insects to survive
1.7 Know about the differences between living things and things that have never been
alive
1.8 Know that living things grow and reproduce
1.9 Know that the features of the school environment affect the types of living things
found there
1.10 Be able to sort living things into simple groups
1.11 Be able to recognise living things in the school environment
1.12 Understand that different locations support different living things
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
1.14 Know the names and characteristics of a range of animals

1.20 Know the names of the parts of plants
1.21 Know that seeds grow into plants
1.22 Know that plants need light to grow
1.23 Know that plants need water to grow
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 1
Learning Target 7
Research activity
Look again at the information, photographs and sketches the children
compiled for the knowledge harvest activity. Discuss any misconceptions
that children might have.
Through your discussion, enable the children to list the characteristics of
things that are living. For example:
• They need food and water
• They reproduce
• They move and grow
• They breathe
Things that were never alive don’t do these things. For example, you could
ask them, do stones grow?
When talking about things that used to be alive, draw the children’s
attention to the fact that sticks were once parts of trees and, as such, were
part of a living thing. Many young children will think a stick was not living.
Recording activity
Play a class game that you are going to call ‘Alive, Dead or Never Alive’.
Think of something that falls into one of these three categories: Alive, Dead
or Never Alive. Don’t tell the children what you are thinking of – it’s their
job to find out. For example, you might think about a fallen leaf from a tree.
Say to them, I’m thinking about something that is dead. You can ask me ten
questions (or any number) to which I can only answer yes or no. Then you
have to guess what it is I am thinking about.
When the children have grasped the rules of the game you can divide them
into small groups or pairs to play the game themselves.
Alternatively, give the children picture cards or word cards of a variety of
living and non-living things and ask the children to sort them into three
different piles: Alive, Dead or Never Alive or place them on the chart from
the knowledge harvest.
[Naturalist, Mathematical-Logical Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 2
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 21, 22
Assessment for Learning Opportunities

(NB: it is recommended that only one skill should be assessed at a time)
• Making simple comparisons, identifying similarities, differences and
simple patterns
• Recording and communicating their observations – orally, in writing
and through ICT
Research activity
Show the children an attractive flowering houseplant growing in a pot. Tell
them you are going to put it a classroom cupboard because you think it will
grow better there! When they look surprised to see you doing this, ask them
why they are surprised. Someone in the class will tell you that plants need
light to grow. Now you can find out if that’s true.
Grow some seeds to show that plants need light to grow.
1. Place cotton wool in the base of a flat tray, dampen it and sprinkle
some seeds over it.
2. Make a cone from dark paper and place it over the seeds in part of the tray.
3. Keep the cotton wool damp, and keep the tray in a warm light space.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Recording activity
The children can record the following information through drawings,
photographs, video recordings or writing:
• What do they think will happen to the seeds under the cone?
• What can they observe happening to the seeds in the light?
Once the seeds in view have grown sufficiently, remove the cone and observe:
• What do they notice?
• Why has this happened?
• What was missing?
• What does this tell them?
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 3

simple patterns
and through ICT
Research activity
Using the same houseplant from the previous activity, ask the children what
they think would happen if you didn’t water it today or tomorrow or ever again.
Test their theories – not with the houseplant but with some seeds.
Grow some seeds to show that plants need water to grow.
1. Place some cotton wool into half an eggshell (children can bring one
from home, thoroughly washed) and dampen it. Repeat with another
half eggshell, but don’t add any water.
2. Sprinkle grass seeds in each (keep the damp one damp) and watch
what happens.
3. The children can then use felt-tip pens to draw a face on each eggshell.
Draw a happy face on the one you will keep damp and a sad face on
the dry one. Keep them upright by standing them in a little piece of
Plasticine or similar modelling medium.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Alternatively, place the tops of raw vegetables in a saucer of water and watch
them sprout new growth, making sure there is always sufficient water. You can
try this with carrots, turnips, swedes, parsnips, etc.
Recording activity
The children can predict, observe and draw a conclusion from the results.
They can show their findings in the form of a chart that shows the plant’s
progress at weekly or daily intervals, using diagrams and text to explain.
Depending on their findings, a daily plan might be more suited to some of
the experiments and a twice-weekly one better-suited to others.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 4
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 20, 23

simple patterns
and through ICT
Research activity
Place a bunch of cut flowers in a vase. Fill the vase with water and measure the
amount of water left in the vase after three or four days.
Ask the children, where has the water gone? From this observation, they will
know that the flowers have ‘drunk’ the water.
Now you should ask the children, how does a flower ‘drink’ water? Divide the
class into small groups and invite them to discuss their ideas. Give them each a
cut flower and invite them to examine it using a magnifying glass.
Tell the children that they are going to test their ideas by carrying out a
scientific investigation.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
You will need:

• Clean jam jar or vase
• Freshly cut flower – a white carnation (or daisy) or stick of celery works best
• Food colouring
• Water
1. Put some food colouring in a jar of water.
2. Place the flower in the water and leave it to stand for a day.
3. Observe the petals change colour as they ‘drink’ up the coloured water.
4. Take the flowers out of the coloured water and dry them carefully. Study
the flowers again using the magnifying glass – what do you notice?
Recording activity
Encourage the children to keep a record of their investigation by drawing
labelled pictures and taking photographs or by making a video.
Ask the children if their original ideas and theories were correct. Through
the experiment, they should observe that the flower ‘drinks’ up the water
through little tubes in the stem. They notice also how far the water travelled
and to which parts of the flower it went.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 5

simple patterns
and through ICT
Research activity
Start by asking the children about living things.
• How do we get new cats? The mother cat has kittens, that are small
but grow into big cats
• How do we get new cows? The mother cow has calves, that are small
but grow into big cows
• How do we get new trees? The mature tree produces seeds that grow
into big trees
• Now repeat this with some non-living objects.
• How do we get new plates? Do your plates have little plates which grow
into big plates? etc.
Draw the children to a conclusion: That living things reproduce like for like.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Read the children the book The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle.
Discuss how the seed became a plant that flowered and produced more
seeds that travelled to new places and grew into yet more plants.
Show the children some seeds that are available in your area, for example:
• Apples and oranges have pips inside them
• Strawberries have seeds around the outside of the soft fruit
• Some flowers have seeds that are carried on the wind with ‘parachutes’
• Some larger flowering plants have seed cases full of seeds. They burst
open and the seed is flung far away
Grow some beans to observe the process of germination.
1. Place a cylinder of absorbent paper into a transparent container (e.g.
a jar – take care if using glass jars). Add sawdust or cotton wool in the
centre, and dampen it.
2. Place the beans between the jar and the paper. Put one of them
upside-down so that the children can see what affect that has on the
process.
Recording activity
The children can keep a diary of the process. For example:
• Day one: planted the beans
• Day five: a root is starting to come through
• Day twelve: the shoot is 4 cm high
The children can make close-up observational drawings on the days when
there is something to record. Use magnifiers and encourage the children
to notice all that has happened. Draw their attention to small changes and
details.
They can then draw a diagram of a flowering plant and label the individual
parts. For each part, the children should write a sentence or two describing
its function. The children may need to draw the flower at different stages to
show the open flower and the seed.
This could be done on the computer using drawing software.
[Naturalist, Visual-Spatial Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 6

Research activity
All living things reproduce and grow – including us! Think about how you
have grown since you were a baby. Take a little time to talk to the class
about the human life cycle.
Now read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle.
You could also watch the following video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2cE86AA1q0
YouTube has this video of the entire life cycle of the Pipevine Swallowtail
Butterfly.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Safety
mode: Off’, then select the ‘On’ option)
With the children, construct a life-cycle to show the stages of the life of a
butterfly. Explain to the children that insects pass through different body
forms in their lifetime. Do they think this happens to people, or to snakes,
or to dogs, or to spiders, etc?
Can the children find any more creatures that follow a similar life-cycle to
that of a butterfly?
Observe the process at first hand – look for pupae in leaf litter under trees
and shrubs in the school grounds. Transfer the leaf litter into an aquarium
and keep it at a constant temperature. Observe the pupae over the next few
days/weeks and watch what happens. You might be lucky enough to see the
transformation for yourselves!
The following website might provide a helpful starting point
http://www.butterflyschool.org/teacher/raising.html
Advice on raising butterflies at home or in school
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Note: teach the children to care for and respect all living things they come
into contact with – no matter how small. Always return creatures to their
natural environment.
Recording activity
The children can draw and annotate the life cycles of some different insects
that can be found in or around the school environment. Can they also add
approximate time scales?
Encourage the correct use of scientific terms such as egg, larva (or caterpillar),
pupa (or chrysalis), cocoon, hibernation, incubation, nectar, antennae, and so
on.
Make a picture dictionary that the children can refer to containing these
scientific terms. Or use Wordle (www.wordle.net/create) to make a word cloud
and display this on the classroom wall.
Mathematics link: explore the symmetry of insects using mirrors.
Then show the children how to use graph paper to draw and colour
symmetrical insects. Alternatively, you could use graphics software
such as Dazzle (www.indigolearning.com) or RM Colour Magic (www.
rm.com) that has a ‘Symmetry’ tool. Or, with younger age groups, they
could draw half of an insect in thick paint and then fold over the paper
to print the other half of the insect.
[Naturalist, Verbal-Linguistic Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 7
Learning Targets 2, 3, 5, 8, 10

Research activity
Refer back to the knowledge harvest. Can the children sort their drawings
and photographs of living things into two groups? (Separate the plants from
the animals.)
Focus on the animals next. How can we sort them? Invite suggestions from
the class. They could sort them by counting their legs or their wings. For
example, animals with no legs (worms) or animals with six legs (ants and
other insects) or animals with more than six legs (spiders, centipedes,
millipedes).
Draw a branching diagram on the board from the children’s suggestions.
Draw an ant within this diagram then ask the children, is an ant an insect?
What is an insect?
Challenge the children to find out:
• What body parts an ant has
• What their body parts are for
• Where the legs are attached
• Where its sensory organs are. Are they the same as ours?
• What ants eat and how they find food
• Whether an ant is an insect
• How they are the same or different from humans
Enter ‘Ants’ into the Google Images search box, use CD-ROM
encyclopaedias and information books to find the answers to these
questions.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
The following websites will also provide a useful starting point:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant
Wikipedia website has photographs and detailed information about ants.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/ant/
National Geographic website has photographs and information about ants.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-
pets-kids/wild-detectives-kids/wd-ep4-ants.html
National Geographic has a video about a colony of fire ants.
Recording activity
The children should draw and accurately label an ant, using the correct
scientific names. Recall the previous Science task – what do baby ants look
like? Did anyone find a picture from their research?
Can they conclude whether an ant is an insect?
Ask the children, how is the ant different or the same as us? Talk about
similar and different body parts, sensory organs and skeletons (insects
have exoskeletons on the outside of their bodies). Draw a chart or pictures
to show how we are different and/or the same as ants.
Art link: this activity needs adult support and the children should
contribute to the work, one group at a time.
Make a large model of an ant. This will encourage the children to think
carefully about the body parts and where they are in relation to each
other. Refer to books if unsure at any stage.
What you do:
1. Use chicken wire to mould a frame for the basic shape. Make each
body part separately and then tie them together with lengths of wire or
cord (adults should be present throughout this activity).
2. Cover with papier-mâché, allowing each layer to dry before continuing.
3. Paint it black.
The models should be as realistic as possible.
[Naturalist, Visual-Spatial, Verbal-Linguistic Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 8

Research activity
Tell the children that ants are often compared to us because they live
together in large communities. They care for each other (nurse ants look
after their eggs in nurseries) and help each other search for food.
Invite the children to find out how different groups of ants have their own
special jobs. They should find out about:
• Soldier ants
• Worker ants
• Queen ants
How are their jobs different?
Depending on your locality and time of year, you might be able to find some
ants in the school grounds that you can observe. Leave some bait, e.g. a
small piece of fruit, and watch what happens. Observe how long it takes the
ants to find the food and what they do. How do they communicate to each
other? How do they find their way back to the nest?
The following website provides a useful starting point:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/funscience/ants-
science-experiment/
National Geographic Kids website has a feature explaining how you can
bait ants to observe them.
You could keep an ant farm in class. These can be easily sourced from
online school supply retailers. Remember though, commercially-made ‘gel’
ant farms are not a natural environment for ants.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Recording activity
Role play the social behaviour in an ant colony. Your class is the colony and
the children are the ants! Divide them into groups, as above.
The children should use the findings of their research to help them play in
role.
Language Arts link: make a list of words to describe the different ways in
which ants move. For example:
An ant’s…
• Legs – scuttle, shuffle, creep, crawl
• Jaws – bite, tear, munch, crunch
• Wings – flap, fly, flutter, beat
Read the Aesop’s fable called The Grasshopper and the Ants. Ask the
children to discuss the moral of the story.
[Naturalist, Interpersonal, Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Task 9

Research activity
Like ants and humans, honeybees also work together to provide food for
their community.
On a sunny day, you might spot some bees in the school grounds. Look
among the flowers that are in full bloom. Observe the beesbees’ behaviour
but don’t get too close. Take photographs with a camera set to zoom.
Back in the classroom, the children should find out as much as they can
about bees, using CD-ROMs, the internet and books.
The following videos provide a useful reference point:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-8QuBDkkw
YouTube has this PBS video that takes an inside look at the honeybee hive.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSk_ev1eZec
YouTube has this science video showing the complete metamorphosis
from egg to larva to pupa and then adult bee with in real-life footage.
Start the children off with some questions or suitable headings for the
children to refer to. Encourage the children to add some questions of their
own:
• Are all bees the same?
• What colour are they?
• How many body parts, legs and antennae do they have, etc?
• What do they eat?
• Where do they live?
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
• Which countries are they found in?

• What life cycle do they have?
• What do they do?
• What colour do they ‘see’ best?
• What is the reason for having a queen bee?
Allocate some space on a wall board for the children to write up any facts
they can find. This could be presented as a mind map, with drawings
or photographs from the research. Place a question that has yet to be
answered in each box, marked ‘Q’. The children could write their responses
and stick them at the end of the arrows. Add to it as you go along.
The children should find out the following:
• How do bees help flowers?
• How do flowers help bees?
They may need help to put together these two facts and to understand the
interdependence of flowers and insects.
They can also find out about the following:
• Do other insects help flowers?
• How do other insects need flowers?
Recording activity
Make a shared picture.
1. Draw around a template of a hexagon to create a honeycomb.
2. Paint large pictures of flowers in colours that bees prefer. Cut them out
and stick them onto the picture.
3. Draw, colour and paint and cut out bees and add to the picture, placing
some on the honeycomb, some collecting nectar, and some spreading
pollen. Think about the different sizes of bees for the different tasks
around the hive.
The children could add poems or short stories they have written containing
facts about the life of the bees in the hive.
Mathematics link: ask the children to discuss the properties of
hexagonal shapes (six sides and six angles) and practise identifying
hexagons from among other shapes.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Science Extension Task

Learning Targets 6, 10, 11, 12
Devise a quiz about insects and other mini-beasts, including the following categories:
Appearance
Each child should make a detailed drawing of one insect or mini-beast (preferably one that
can be found locally). They should number each picture and make a note of the names of
the creatures.
Classifying
With the children, choose the categories you will have and list them.
1. By characteristics
• Does it have wings?
• Does it have a shell?
• How many legs has it got?
• What colour is it?
• How does it move?
2. By habitats
• Under some rocks
• Near the water
• In the wall
• In the soil
For their chosen creature they should complete the information using the chosen form of
classification.
Questions
Each child can now devise three questions about their own creature. Write these up neatly
and place them with their picture.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
The Quiz
The children can now look around the room at the pictures and questions and try to
identify the creature and answer the questions about it.
There could be a small prize for the best entry and the most successful set of responses.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Geography Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know that scientific enquiry involves asking questions, collecting evidence through
observation and measurement
1.4 Know about the weather and climatic conditions in particular localities and how
they affect the environment and the flowers and insects living there
1.5 Know that the world extends beyond their own locality and that the places they
study exist within a broader geographical context
1.12 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain simple geographical information
1.14 Be able to communicate their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Geography Task 1

1.12 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain simple geographical
information
1.14 Be able to communicate their knowledge and understanding in a
variety of ways
Research activity
Do humans need insects?
Give the class time to reflect on what is a huge question.
We couldn’t survive on this planet without the help of insects. For example,
bees are so important for plant pollination (particularly for apples, berries,
nuts and other fruits) that without them we would be eating porridge and
bread every day!
Bees also provide us with honey. Refer back to your research on honeybees
for Science Task 8.
Is honey made in the home or host country? Find out about local suppliers
of honey and try to source a sample for the children to taste. Look for honey
in local shops and supermarkets – where is this honey made? Does it tell
you on the jar? How did this honey get to the shops?
How is honey made? Help the children to trace the production of one jar of
honey from the bee to the jar on the shelf in the shop.
Many countries in the world produce local honey. Study the climate and
other conditions required using information books and the internet.
The following websites will also provide a useful starting point:
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee6.htm
HowStuffWorks website explains how honey is made.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n44o5cs2jac
YouTube has this video of a honey farm on Hawaii. It looks at the
complete production process from the hive to the jar.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/
honey-bee-mystery/
National Geographic Kids website has an article about the honeybee.
www.equalexchange.co.uk/producers/cosatin.asp
EqualExchange website has information about Fairtrade honey
producers.
Recording activity
Ask the children, in small groups, to present a written or oral report
including annotated drawings or cartoons to show a step-by-step
production process, starting with the bee and finishing in our kitchens.
The type of presentation you decide on should be appropriate for the age
and ability of your class.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Geography Extension Task


1.12 Be able to use secondary sources to obtain simple geographical
information
1.14 Be able to communicate their knowledge and understanding in a
variety of ways
Research activity
Let’s go from the journey of a product (honey) to the journey made by a
remarkable insect – the Monarch butterfly.
Find out about the Monarch butterfly and its migration south for the winter.
Invite the children to research in books and on the internet. Why does this
butterfly migrate?
The following website will provide a useful starting point:
www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm
Kidzone has information and photographs of the Monarch butterfly.
Trace the path of its migration in the autumn from North America, flying
thousands of miles south to spend the winter in Mexico and the southern
regions of the United States.
Ask the children to draw lots of Monarch butterflies on paper, cut them out
and stick them on a map of the world to illustrate the path and direction of
their migration.
Find out the average winter temperature for North America and compare
this to the winter temperature for Mexico or the southern states. Add this
information to the display.
Mathematics link: ask the children to find out the average winter
temperature for their host and/or home country and compare this with
the winter temperature for Mexico. Show the children how to display
their results in the form of a bar chart.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Art Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know about some of the forms used by artists in their work
1.5 Understand that the work of artists can be seen in a wide variety of places and
situations
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Art Task 1

Research activity
Show the children examples of work by famous artists and/or sculptors who
have represented flowers or insects in their work.
The following pieces will provide a useful starting point:
Poppies Blooming, 1873; The Artist’s House at Argenteuil, 1873 by
Claude Monet
Sunflowers, 1888; Irises, 1889 by Vincent Van Gogh
Moebius Strip 1963; Butterflies II, 1950 by Maurits Cornelis Escher
Consider the following questions:
• Are the images true to life?
• How has colour been used and what colours have been mixed together
for effects?
• What materials has the artist used – watercolour, oil, paste, ink, clay,
metal?
• Why did they choose this material? For what effect?
• Do you like it? Why? Why not?
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Recording activity
The children can now produce their own piece of art in one of the following
ways.
Either:
Take the same flowers or insects as the artist of your choice and ask
the children to use them in their own designs. They could try any of the
materials available – paint, paint mixed with PVA glue and applied with a
spatula, collage, Plasticine, pastels, pen and ink, etc.
Or:
Use the same materials as the artist of your choice, and use them to
represent different flowers that are available for the children to look at. The
children could use flowers that have been grown and/or studied during the
science activities to make this task more personal to them.
Have the children comment on their own and others’ work, suggesting
different materials that might have worked better, why they felt the
material chosen was best, etc.
[Visual-Spatial Intelligence]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Art Extension Task

Learning Targets 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 13

Create a garden in the classroom.

Look at garden designs – the work of Monet can give the children some ideas, e.g.
incorporating water and a bridge, or Japanese art showing tranquil garden scenes.
Use all of the art work which the children have produced throughout the unit, and add
other features to give the desired effect. A bowl of water will add a moving reflection.
Alternatively, use a mirror or foil to create a similar effect.
ICT link: look at a variety of brochures and pamphlets advertising public parks or
gardens. Make note of the use of:
• Different font styles and sizes
• The placing of pictures
• Any other information
The children could make a brochure advertising the garden display they produced in the
Art Extension Task. They could take photographs of their garden, import them and add text
using a software design package.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Music Learning Targets

Children will:
1.2 Know a number of pieces of music associated with flowers and insects
1.3 Know how a number of musicians – including some from their home country
and the host country – use musical elements to create different effects and for
different purposes
1.4 Be able to recognise and explore ways in which sounds can be made, changed
and organised
1.10 Be able to listen carefully to pieces of music and comment on them
1.13 Understand that musical elements can be used to create different effects
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Music Task 1
Learning Targets 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 13

1.4 Be able to recognise and explore ways in which sounds can be made,
changed and organised
Research activity
Play the Flight of the Bumblebee by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Ask the
children to listen carefully – can they tell you what insect this music
describes? Someone is bound to guess the right answer!
The following website provides a sample of this music and is a useful
starting point:
www.classicsforkids.com/music
Classics for Kids website features music samples, biographies of
composers and information about the orchestra.
Ask the children to try to identify the different instruments or sections of
the orchestra. Which instruments make them think of a bee?
If possible, listen to the Flight of the Bumblebee played on different
instruments, e.g. piano and trumpet. This piece is often played by musicians
as a virtuoso performance because of its fast tempo. How does the tempo
describe the bee? Ask the children to discuss the mood of the music and
how it makes them feel.
Encourage the children to listen with concentration to identify how the
music changes – at the beginning, the middle and the end – in tempo, pitch
and duration.
Recording activity
Listen to the music again and invite the children to clap or sing in time to
the music. Ask the children to choose a simple instrument, e.g. maracas,
tambourine, drum, and encourage them to follow the beat. Or, if space
allows, they could explore their feelings about the music using movement
and dance. Can they imagine they are bees?
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
As appropriate for your class, you could ask the children to draw pictures,
write poems and stories or create costumes that have been inspired by the
music.
Language Arts link: tell the children that the Flight of the Bumblebee
is from a fairytale opera called The Tale of Tsar Saltan – it is played in
the part of the opera where a prince disguises himself as a bee. Read a
children’s version of the story to your class.
The Tale of Tsar Saltan, by Alexander Pushkin, Dial, 1996
[Musical, Bodily-Kinaesthetic, Verbal-Linguistic Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Music Extension Task

Think about how other insects move, e.g. butterflies gracefully fluttering their wings, or
beetles scuttling close to the ground.
Ask each of the children to select an untuned instrument and to play it in a way that
represents the movements of different insects.
Now think about flowers. How do they move? They start as a small closed bud, then open
slowly petal by petal until we see a flower in full bloom. Can the children choose and play
an instrument to represent this process?
[Musical Intelligence]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Society Learning Targets

Children will:
1.2 Know some of the rules of groups to which they belong
1.6 Understand that they belong to a number of groups (e.g. family, school, nation)
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Society Task 1
Learning Targets 2, 6
Research activity
Pose the question – where can we find insects? Lead the children to the
conclusion that insects are found everywhere on Earth even in the coldest
place in Antarctica – and even in our homes.
Now talk about the insects that people keep as pets, e.g. stick insects and
ants (some classrooms have an ant farm). What special conditions do these
insects require? How can they be safely cared for or housed? What would
they eat?
Do the children think stick insects make good pets? Why do some
classrooms have an ant farm?
Recording activity
Ask the children to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of keeping
insects as pets. Encourage them to compare these insects to other pets
such as dogs, cats and goldfish.
As a class, discuss the conclusions the children have reached. Do they think
insects make good pets?
[Verbal-Linguistic, Interactive, Intrapersonal Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Society Extension Task

Learning Targets 2, 6
Divide the children into small groups and ask them to recall how ants and bees live
in large nests or hives containing thousands of other ants and bees. Refer back to the
Science section.
They should discuss the following:
• How they help each other
• How they do different jobs
Encourage the children to compare the ants’ colony or beehive to their town or city. Are
there any similarities?
The ants and bees work to help each other. Invite the children to think about the people
who help them.
Ask the children to draw a picture of themselves on a large sheet of paper. Around them
they should draw all the people who help them, e.g. teacher, doctor, bus driver, fireman,
farmer, shopkeeper, hairdresser, and so on.
[Naturalist, Verbal-Linguistic, Interactive Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
International Learning Targets

Children will:
1.1 Know that children within the class and school have different home countries
1.2 Know the names and approximate locations of the home countries of children
within the class (and/or school)
1.3 Know about some of the similarities and differences of common flowers and
insects in the different home countries and in the host country
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
International Task 1
Learning Targets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Research activity
Following on from the earlier learning in the unit exploring how different
habitats support different flowers and insects (i.e. ant farm, school grounds,
bee hive), explain to the children that this happens on a bigger scale across
the world.
Do we find the same flowers and insects in every country?
Discuss how different countries are able to support different flowers and
insects.
Make a list of some of the common flowers and insects of the host country.
Are these found in the children’s home country? Children may need to ask
at home, or use books to find out the answers.
If not, why not? Talk about climate and weather patterns.
Recording activity
Draw a garden to represent your home country. Label the flowers and the
insects that you could expect to find there.
Make a wall display with the names and pictures of some flowers and
insects down the left-hand side. Next to each one list the countries where
you will find it, based on the home and host countries of your class.
Draw conclusions: xxx is only found in hot, dry countries... xxx likes to live
where it is cold for part of the year... you can find xxx all over the world.
Language Arts link: help the children to make an A to Z of flowers and
insects. For example: A for Ant, B for Bluebell, C for Caterpillar, D for
Dahlia, and so on. Invite the children to add drawings and pictures to
illustrate each entry.
[Naturalist, Visual-Spatial, Verbal-Linguistic Intelligences]
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
International Extension Task

Research activity
Tell the class that some trees or flowers can have special significance
as emblems for different countries. For example, in Western European
countries mistletoe, holly, ivy and fir trees are symbols of Christmas; and in
Japan, every month has its special flowers.
Ask the children to think about the flowers that have a special significance
in the host country. Do some flowers have a particular meaning? Invite the
children to think about the flowers that are used in festivals or religious
celebrations in the host country.
Recording activity
Try to source and bring in to the classroom some of the flowers from the
home country that the children have researched.
You could take photographs, draw pictures and press some of the flowers.
Encourage the children to annotate the images and create a scrapbook of
the flowers that have a special significance in the host country.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
The Exit Point

Celebrate the children’s learning at the end of this unit by having an Ugly Bug Ball.
Encourage the children to dress up as either insects or flowers. Or create small models
instead and role-play the ball using the models.
The children could write invitations to each other on leaf-shaped pieces of card. Help them
to source appropriate music or create some of their own using ideas from the Music tasks.
The following suggestions will provide a useful starting point:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=utWrIWq2_tk
YouTube has Disney’s Come On Let’s Crawl to the Ugly Bug Ball (with words so that you
can sing along).
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ants+in+your+pants+song&aq=1
YouTube has this Ants in Your Pants song and video for kids by Eric Herman Music.
(To watch a YouTube video in safe mode, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Safety mode: Off’, then select
the ‘On’ option)
Invent dances with insects partnering flowers, and fun games with insects and flowers on
opposing teams.
Encourage the children to create themed refreshments, e.g. chocolate-coated ants
(raisins), beetles made from liquorice, carrots cut into flower shapes, green-coloured
drinks, etc.
The children could make a photo-blog or a podcast about their Ugly Bug Ball for the
school website, telling their parents and other classes what they have learned from this
unit.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Assessment
Assessment is possible throughout the theme. The learning targets could be made into a
class record sheet on which you can record evidence of success as and when you see it.
You may decide to record by exception, i.e. assuming that the majority of the class attains
the specified learning targets then you could just record evidence of those children who
exceed or don’t reach the target. This will allow you a more specific focus next time the
class engages in new activities related to those targets.
Knowledge – the ‘know about’ learning targets – can be assessed at the end of each
subject component.
Skills – the ‘be able to’ learning targets – can be observed and assessed whilst the
children are doing them. The Rubrics in the IPC Assessment for Learning programme are
an excellent resource for this.
Understanding – the ‘understand’ learning targets – can be evaluated by a judgement of
observations carried out through the unit.
Ask the children to carry out their own assessment at the end of the unit. They should use
the following headings to list/make notes on their newly acquired knowledge, skills and
understanding – ‘new things I know about communication’, ‘new things that I can do’ and
‘new things I am beginning to understand’.
Ask the children to evaluate their learning – what did they do well, what could they do
better, what did they find most/least interesting?
How did they prefer to learn – as an individual/in pairs/small groups/large groups/as a
whole class?
What was their preferred style of recording their findings – illustrating/writing/talking/
making, etc?
This evaluation aspect will also support the development of the personal goals.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Resources
For this unit, you will need some, but not necessarily all, of the following:
Equipment
• Poems about gardens, flowers and insects
• Reference material on insects and flowers in the host country,
including ants and bees
• Copies of famous works of art of flowers, insects and gardens
• White fresh-cut flowers or sticks of celery
• Beans and seeds (e.g. grass seeds) that grow quickly
• Vegetable tops
• Shoe boxes
• Modelling material, glue and modelling dough
• String and wooden pegs or stakes
• Flat, waterproof trays
• Cotton wool
• Dark paper
• Empty, clean egg shells
• Jars
• Absorbent paper
• Sawdust
• Chicken wire
• Newspaper and paste
• Paint
• Papers, tissue paper, card, thin sticks
• Magnifying glasses
• Paint, PVA glue, spatulas, pastels, etc.
• Pieces of fabric and sponge
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
• Costumes, music and refreshments for the Ugly Bug Ball

• Video camera or camcorder
• Digital camera
• CD ROM encyclopaedia
Software:
• Google Earth (http://earth.google.com)
• Graphing and database software such as Microsoft’s Chart Wizard and
Excel
• Graphics software such as Dazzle (www.indigolearning.com) or RM
Colour Magic (www.rm.com)
• Word cloud software such as Wordle (www.wordle.net/create)
Websites
www.tooter4kids.com/classroom/insect_poetry.htm
Tooter 4 Kids website has insect poems featuring a cricket, a caterpillar, an ant
and a mosquito plus a song and an insect rap.
http://kids.yahoo.com/directory/Science-and-Nature/Living-Things/
Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropods/Insects
Kids Yahoo website has information and photographs about bees, wasps, ants,
butterflies and moths.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant
Wikipedia website has photographs and detailed information about ants.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/ant/
National Geographic website has photographs and information about ants.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/animals-pets-
kids/wild-detectives-kids/wd-ep4-ants.html
National Geographic has a video about a colony of fire ants.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/funscience/ants-
science-experiment/
National Geographic Kids website has a feature explaining how you can bait
ants to observe them.
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee6.htm
HowStuffWorks website explains how honey is made.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/animalsnature/honey-
bee-mystery/
National Geographic Kids website has an article about the honeybee.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
www.equalexchange.co.uk/producers/cosatin.asp
EqualExchange website has information about Fairtrade honey producers.
www.vangoghgallery.com
Van Gogh Gallery has a biography, information and images of Van Gogh’s
famous paintings.
www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm
Kidzone has information and photographs of the Monarch butterfly.
www.classicsforkids.com/music
Classics for Kids website features music samples, biographies of composers
and information about the orchestra.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/science_5_6.shtml
BBC Schools Science has an interactive game for children aged 5-6 called
Growing Plants.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/science_6_7.shtml
BBC Schools Science has an interactive game for children aged 6-7 called
Plants and Animals in the Local Environment.
www.pedagonet.com/Insectclopedia/lsplns.html
Pedagonet.com has a huge range of insect lesson plans and resources for
teachers.
Videos
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2cE86AA1q0
YouTube has this video of the entire life cycle of the Pipevine Swallowtail
Butterfly.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE-8QuBDkkw
YouTube has this PBS video that takes an inside look at the honeybee hive.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSk_ev1eZec
YouTube has this science video showing the complete metamorphosis from
egg to larva to pupa and then adult bee with in real-life footage.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n44o5cs2jac
YouTube has this video of a honey farm on Hawaii. It looks at the complete
production process from the hive to the jar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=utWrIWq2_tk
YouTube has Disney’s Come On Let’s Crawl to the Ugly Bug Ball (with words
so that you can sing along).
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ants+in+your+pants+song&aq=1
YouTube has this Ants in Your Pants song and video for kids by Eric Herman
Music.
Books
The Secret Garden Walker Illustrated Classics, by Frances Hodgson
Burnett, illustrated by Inga Moore, Walker Books, 2009
The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle, Puffin,1997
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, Puffin, 2002
Eddie’s Garden, by Sarah Garland, Frances Lincoln, 2006
Bugs and Insects Spotter’s Guide, by Anthony Wootton, Usborne, 2006
The Tale of Tsar Saltan, by Alexander Pushkin, Dial, 1996
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
Draft Letter To Parents

This letter is only for guidance. Please amend it to suit your own preferred style but, if
you do, please include the same information.
Dear Parents,
Over the next ____ weeks those of us in Class ____ will be following a unit of work on a
theme that focuses on on ‘Flowers and Insects’.
This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum
sets out very clearly what children will learn – the learning goals – in three different areas:
1. The subjects of the curriculum. The learning goals for each of these subjects are at
least as challenging as anything taught in the curriculum in your child’s own country.
In many cases, the learning goals are more challenging.
2. Personal development – the characteristics which will help children become more
responsible, independent learners.
3. International understanding – which will help children develop both a sense of the
independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between
countries and cultures.
Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one
or more of the subjects.
During this unit we will be focusing on Science, Geography, Art, Music, Society and
International.
In Science, we’ll be finding out:

• Where flowers and insects prefer to live and grow
• How and where seeds grow
• How to set up tests to discover how plants use water
• How to grow lots of different things
• How beans grow
• About the life cycles of insects
• About ants and bees
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
In Geography, we’ll be finding out:

• About honey and silk production
• About the migration of the Monarch butterfly
In Art, we’ll be finding out:

• About paintings of flowers and insects
• How to make paintings and models of flowers and insects
• How to use symmetry to make paintings of insects
• How to create a garden in the classroom
In Music, we’ll be finding out:

• About the music of the famous composer, Rimsky-Korsakov
• How to create our own music
In Society, we’ll be finding out:

• About keeping stick insects as pets
• About people who help us
In International, we’ll be finding out:

• About flowers and insects from the host and home countries
• About how climate and weather patterns affect life around the world
• About flowers as emblems for different countries
All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the
learning goals. Children will be reading, researching, writing, illustrating, working on their
own and working in groups. We will be checking to see how well your child has learned
through particular activities and asking children to explain their work, perhaps to you.
We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with
your child the work they have done as the term progresses and let them teach you.
Talk with your child about the toys and games that you used to play with when you were
growing up. If you still have examples of these toys, then show them to your child and talk
about how you played with them. Collect and look at old photographs that feature family
members playing with toys. Help your child to understand how toys have changed over time.
FLOWERS AND INSECTS
If your child has some work to research, please help them, but without actually doing the
work. If you have the chance to further their interest in the ideas of this theme please take
it, but your enthusiasm and interest is most important.
By the end of the unit, we hope your child has achieved all of the learning targets. We hope
they have had an enjoyable time in the classroom. And we hope you have enjoyed seeing
your child work with enthusiasm. If you have any comments about the work your child has
done, please get in touch.

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Flowers

The Entry Point 11

Explaining the Theme 13

The Big Picture 15

Science Learning Targets 17

Geography Learning Targets 38

Art Learning Targets 42

Music Learning Targets 46

Society Learning Targets 50

International Learning Targets 53

The Exit Point 56

Draft Letter to Parents 62

The IPC has a simple but comprehensive structure

Approx no. of hours Approx no. of weeks

Entry Point, Knowledge Harvest, Explain the Theme 6 ¾

Links to other IPC subjects

Language Arts and Mathematics links

Assessment for Learning opportunities

1.20 Know the names of the parts of plants

Geography Learning Targets

Art Learning Targets

ICT Learning Targets

Music Learning Targets

Society Learning Targets

International Learning Targets

ICT: Opportunities for ICT Learning Goals

Task ICT Learning Goals

Science Task 7 1.5

The Entry Point

Explaining The Theme

In Science, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

In Geography, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

In Art, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

In Music, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

In Society, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

In International, we’ll be ﬁnding out:

The Big Picture

Insects and society

Flower paintings in history

Science Learning Targets

1.14 Know the names and characteristics of a range of animals

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

You will need:

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

The following websites will also provide a useful starting point:

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

• Which countries are they found in?

Science Extension Task

Geography Learning Targets

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Geography Extension Task

Assessment for Learning Opportunities

Art Learning Targets

Assessment for Learning Opportunities