First graders are learning all about insects. Using favorite children’s literature, we have explored fiction and nonfiction literature. Eric Carle’s The Very Quiet Cricket and The Grouchy Ladybug have been two class favorites. I Can’t Said The Ant,  by  was enjoyed so much that we read it multiple times and then created our own silly rhyming word families just like the book. Characteristics of this animal classification that students are exploring include having six legs, an exoskeleton, wings, and three main body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen). Students examined insects up-close as Ms. Grace shared her personal insect collection with us. Using these bugs and online research students each chose an insect to diagram.