Core Skills Analysis
Art
The student discussed the appearance of collected cicada shells and used careful visual observation to notice their shapes, textures, and body features. This supported early art skills such as looking closely, describing details, and representing an observed object. The activity encouraged appreciation of natural patterns without requiring the student to alter or handle the specimens creatively. The student practiced turning visual observations into words.
English
The student read about the cicada life cycle and discussed what was seen in the collected shells. This developed listening, vocabulary, speaking, and comprehension skills through science-related language. The student encountered and used words connected to appearance, change, and life cycles. Connecting the reading to a Bible verse also encouraged the student to express ideas about new creation.
History
The activity introduced the idea that cicadas follow a recurring life cycle, helping the student think about events that happen in sequence over time. Reading about the cycle supported an early understanding of past, present, and future stages. The student learned that natural events can be studied through observations and written information. No specific historical event or period was included.
Math
The student practiced early mathematical thinking by considering the ordered stages of a cicada’s life cycle. Sequencing information from reading supported concepts of first, next, and later. Observing collected shells also created an opportunity to notice similarities and differences in size or form, although no measurements or counting were specifically reported. The activity therefore supported informal classification and ordering.
Music
Music was not a direct focus of the activity, but the student could have connected cicadas with sound through discussion of their distinctive calls. The reported work primarily involved observing shells, reading, and discussing a life cycle rather than singing, rhythm, or instruments. The activity still provided a meaningful natural subject for possible sound exploration. No specific musical skill was demonstrated in the description.
Physical Education
Physical education was not directly addressed in the activity. The student’s hands-on collection and examination of cicada shells may have involved basic fine-motor actions such as looking closely and handling materials, but those actions were not described in detail. The main learning was observational and academic rather than movement-based. No gross-motor exercise or physical skill was reported.
Science
The student collected and discussed cicada shells, then read about the cicada life cycle. This supported scientific observation, classification, and understanding of change as an organism develops through stages. The student connected real specimens with informational reading, an important early science practice. The activity encouraged curiosity about insects and evidence-based discussion.
Social Studies
The activity supported social studies indirectly by encouraging discussion, shared observation, and respectful communication about the natural world. The student practiced participating in a conversation and connecting learning with a personal faith framework through 2 Corinthians 5:17. This created an opportunity to discuss how people interpret change and renewal in their communities and beliefs. No specific civics, geography, or culture content was included.
Tips
Tips: Create a simple picture sequence showing the cicada life cycle, and invite the student to retell it using first, next, and finally. Compare the shell with a photograph or drawing of a cicada and record two similarities and two differences. Make a nature observation journal entry with a sketch and descriptive words, while discussing how 2 Corinthians 5:17 relates to the idea of becoming new. If appropriate, listen to a recording of cicada sounds and add a rhythm or movement activity to represent the insect’s call.
Book Recommendations
- National Geographic Readers: Cicadas by Elizabeth Carney: An accessible nonfiction introduction to cicadas, including their appearance, behavior, and life cycle.
- The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle: A colorful picture book about an insect and the sounds it encounters, supporting discussion of insects and communication.
- From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons: A clear nonfiction book about life cycles and change in nature, useful for comparing plant development with insect development.
Learning Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1: Participating in discussions about the cicada shells and reading.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.4: Describing observed cicada features and sharing ideas clearly.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1: Asking and answering questions about informational reading on the cicada life cycle.
- CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.A.2: Informally comparing and describing observed shells by attributes such as size, shape, or texture.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.8: Recalling or gathering information from the reading and observation to support a response.
Try This Next
- Life-cycle sequencing cards: draw or label the cicada stages and arrange them in order.
- Observation worksheet: sketch a cicada shell and complete prompts for shape, texture, color, and body parts.
- Retelling prompt: “A cicada changes by first…, then…, and finally…”
- Bible connection drawing: illustrate an example of something becoming new and relate it to 2 Corinthians 5:17.