DOCUMENTO DE CARACTERIZACIÓN DEL MUNICIPIO DE CUMARAL-

Record of minibeasts found on 20 June

I-spy method

This activity is appropriate for children in infant and junior classes. The teacher prepares the children to look for a small number of common plants and animals. During their

preparatory work in the classroom they use secondary sources, such as photographs or pictures, to identify a limited number of plants or animals. Workcards illustrating the animals to be found in the habitat may be provided. The workcards can be used to record the number and location of each animal. When the children can identify a limited number of animals they can search for these in several places in the habitat.

Searching and observing sets of animals

As children develop experience of searching for animals it may be helpful to give each group responsibility for finding and identifying particular types of animals with different characteristics. These may include:

• many legs, without legs • shells

• wings • feelers • scales

• animals that live alone or in groups

• animals that live on the ground or under stones.

As part of an extended investigation the children could return to the habitat several times, perhaps in different weather or at different times of the year, to see how the population changes. Keeping a diary

The children can keep a diary of a habitat and record the variety of animals and plants observed at different times during the year. A diary will also encourage observation of the growth and development of plants and animals at different stages of their life cycle. Drawings, photographs and measurements should be recorded in the diary to supplement the written entries. Making drawings based on close observation

Children should be provided with opportunities to make observational drawings of different animals. Small animals or minibeasts should be placed in a viewing container, and the children should look as closely as they can at them with a magnifier. Animals such as slugs, caterpillars, spiders and snails are slow-moving and can be easily observed.

Encourage the children to pay close attention to details of the animal’s shape and proportions, where it is jointed, and textures and patterns of different parts of its body. This work requires concentrated looking, and as children draw they should observe many features of the creature that they may have previously overlooked.

Making a series of drawings

A series of drawings is one of the most effective ways of recording the stages of an event, such as a spider spinning its web or a worm moving on the surface of the soil.

Children can make drawings on separate sheets of paper and these can be displayed in sequence. The activity of drawing will help them to focus on what is happening, and the drawings will provide a detailed record to which they can refer.

Annotated drawings

After a visit to a habitat the children are asked to draw an annotated picture of the habitat, showing some of the plants and animals that live there. The teacher will discuss the children’s drawings and ask them to consider:

• Is this a good place for these animals and plants to live? • Are these animals and plants always found together? • How do the animals rely on the plants in this habitat? • Where do the animals find shelter?

• Can you see fur, feathers, droppings, food remains, tracks? • Are there any signs of how the animal influences the habitat,

for example worm casts, digging holes or burrows, eating vegetation?

Discussing these questions provides an insight into children’s understanding of the environmental influences on a habitat and the kinds of organisms the environment supports. It will also encourage children to question and to use their questions to devise investigations for themselves.

The structure of the animal

• Can you tell if it is alive? • How big/long/tall/heavy is it? • How many

legs wings eyes

tentacles has it? • Is the body hard or soft? • How many body parts has it? • Has the animal got

stripes scales rings?

• Can it see/hear/smell?

• Which animals are similar to each other? • Which animals are different from each

other?

Feeding habits

After repeated observations in the classroom the children should ask questions such as:

• What does it eat?

• Which food does it prefer? • How does it eat?

• Does it hold its food?

• How much does it eat? • Does it drink?

Where they like to stay

• Does it like dark/light wet/dry cold/warm places? • Does it stay on the ground on trees in holes under the soil in water?

• Where does it sleep, and for how long? • Does it make its own house?

• Does it move around, or does it stay all the time in the same place?

How they move

• Does it walk crawl jump hop fly swim?

• Does it move all the time? • Does it move quickly or slowly? • Is it noisy when it moves?

• For how long does it rest?

• How far does it travel in a minute? • How fast does it move?

• Does it leave tracks?

• Can you recognise the animal by its tracks?

Relationship with other animals

• Does it live alone?

• Does it live with other animals? • Does it live with animals of the same

type?

• Does it communicate with other animals? • Has it got a bite or a sting?

• Can it defend itself?

• When it comes in contact with another animal, how does it behave?

How they reproduce

After caring for and maintaining animals in the classroom for short periods the children should ask questions such as:

• Can you identify the male and female? • How do they mate?

• Does the female produce eggs or young? • How many eggs or young does it

produce?

• Are the young similar to or different from the parents?

Exemplar 13