E is for EXPLORE: Second and Third Grade learners CREATE A CREATURE

 

Kid K'nex Education is a great engineering tool to have in your library. The pieces are bigger, so they don't hurt smaller fingers, and the students can create all kinds of fun creatures using this set. I have my second grade graders and even my third graders build with these, and they LOVE them. I think these go well beyond the preschool age group. The set we purchased from Amazon (click on the red link above) comes with 131 pieces, so having 2-3 sets in your classroom or library is ideal. 

Where to begin? How do we use these in library? To start with, we read about different animals, insects, and critters. A couple of great books to consider reading aloud are the following ideas and suggestions: (Click on the book title for the read aloud).

Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us are Kin 

Some Bugs

Du Iz Tak? 

Now is a great time to discuss habitats. What sort of animals and bugs live in a desert habitat? Woodland habitat? Rainforest habitat? What types of foods do they eat? What kind of adaptations do they require to survive? What is the food chain? If you have a subscription to PebbleGo, this is a great time for students to access the databases and get some really good background information. 

PebbleGo even has an article that explains animal adaptations for different habitats that students can either read or listen to.

After we read about bugs, animals and critters of all shapes and sizes, we have students invent their own insect/creature/animal. They can use their creativity as long as they can explain their creature's habitat, food sources, and adaptations. This is a great activity to complete after they have done the database research above or they have learned about life cycles and food chains in class. It serves as a pretty good review because even though their creature is an original invention, the food source must make sense in the habitat, and the animal adaptations must allow the creature to survive in its habitat. The kids take the information they learned and synthesize it into a new creation. These are always my favorite activities. Click on the worksheet below to access the PDF. 

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Next step? Students try to recreate their insect using the K'nex Education kit. There are eyes, limbs, wings (which can also be used a fins), and other building pieces they can put together to make an original and unique creature. This is a super fun library station OR whole group instruction activity. I love seeing what they will create. Feel free to download the freebie from TPT; it includes the standards, learning goals, and procedures. 

Here is our sign we use for our table to let everyone know what standards we are completing at this station. If you click on it, you can make a copy! 

CREATE Stations...A is for ART - A Second Grade Library Station

 

It is no secret....second graders love dinosaurs. We had the best time listening to Dinosaurs Before Dark by Mary Pope Osborne. We were able to listen to the author read the first chapter aloud on the Brightly Storytime website, and it was a great way to get the story underway. 

Similar to my earlier CREATE station posts, the novel is accompanied with a short research project activity where students have the opportunity to access print encyclopedias or a database. If we are using print encyclopedia, this research activity is best completed in small groups, and it is part of my Explore station.  The small group can each choose a different dinosaur and have their own encyclopedia volume.  

If we are all accessing the database, then we can work in a whole group setting with students on their chromebooks. When we use databases in second grade, we access Pebblego. It is the perfect database for this age group, and they all seem to really like it. 

Feel free to access my EXPLORE STATION HERE. This is a freebie that will allow you to print and/or edit the materials and lessons to suit your needs and make changes, so it works for your resources. 

Now for the next part....the really fun activity....the students get to pick a dinosaur coloring sheet. 

Quivervision is very engaging and gives a WOW factor for the students. Here is a link to my station that has directions, standards, and Quivervision sheets: Quivervision Art Station.

Be sure to check out the Quivervision Education Dashboard if you would like to research subscriptions for your classes.  

I also have this sign below that I use as a visual for my art station; it covers K-2. Feel free to click on it and make a copy.