Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: Boy Cricket Girl Cricket

Length of sessions:

Seven 30 minute sessions
Two 45 minute sessions

Introduction Activity (45 minute session)
Read A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill or Catch a Cricket by Carla Stevens. Discuss what the students know about crickets. Teacher records on butcher paper.

Activity 1(Two 30 minute sessions)
Divide into teams and introduce the students to the observation record sheet. Talk with the students about how to make descriptive observations. Ask the students to observe crickets in the container and record their observations in words and drawings. Depending on the skill level of the students, have one student in each team be the recorder. As a class, chart the similarities and differences the students observed between different crickets. Teacher records on butcher paper. Discuss differences observed by the students. What do they think these differences mean? Using books from the library ask the students to find out the answer if they have not figured out the answer in discussion. Work with the students on how to use a field guide and books to look for information (see Insects: A Golden Guide by Herbert Zim for a picture of a female cricket laying eggs). Set-up a chart titled "What we learned about crickets" and encourage the students to add to the chart throughout the lesson.

Activity 2(30 minute sessions)
Have the students report their findings from Activity 1. Introduce the words "female" and "male." Make sure all students are clear on the difference between male and female crickets. Have the students draw a male and female cricket in their journal. (Remind them to pay attention to details.) Talk about how there are male and female mammals, plants, insects and other animals. Count how many female and male students are in the class by a show of hands. Extend the discussion by counting how many there are in each student's home. Chart the results on a graph.

Activity 3(Two 30 minute sessions)
Review Rearing information for handling. Divide the class into teams to count the crickets. Cool crickets down in refrigerator for easier viewing and handling. Provide each team with at least seven crickets. All students will be counters. Choose one student per team to be the recorder, and one student to be the reporter. Review the characteristics that determine the crickets' sex.

Show the students how to record their counts and let the students know that they all need to agree about a count before it is final and can be charted. Have the teams count the number of male and female crickets and record the numbers on the record sheet. Count three times to get a more accurate count. After the three counts, have each team color the graph with their final count that all team members have agreed on. Have each team cut out each column from their final count. Ask each team to report their findings and glue their counts on the class graph in a long strip. Calculate totals with the class. Compare the cricket graph with the class graph made in Activity 2.

Activity 4(Two 30 minute sessions)
Through discussion and questions, review the differences between male and female crickets. What have the students noticed about the crickets' singing? If the students have not noticed or discussed the chirping, allow time for each team to look for singing crickets and which body parts are being used to make the sound. (Silence may be required for the crickets to sing.) Read A Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. What have they learned from the story? Which sex is singing? Why do you think they are singing? Teacher adds to the list of "What we learned about crickets." Teach "Cricket Sing Song" and add additional verses to the song. Incorporate rhythm instruments, combs and students imitating cricket singing sounds. If possible, attach sand paper to their arms and legs (or hands) and have the students rub them together in rhythm.

Closure Activity(45 minute session)
Read I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe. Ask the students what they like about crickets and review the list of what they have learned. As a class, write a letter to the cricket in the story telling him what the class has learned about crickets and how they feel about crickets. Have each student include a drawing of a cricket on or with the letter.

Lesson Intro Set-up Lesson Plans Additions
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