Look Closer -- Bugs A Close-Up Look at Insects and Their Relatives

Author:  Sue Malyan

Genre:  Nonfiction

The book goes from going over different types of bugs to how some bugs may look innocent but are really poisonous.  Some bugs have spikes on them to protect them.  An interesting fact I learned about caterpillars is that they only use their first 6 legs for walking and the rest are used for suction cups to hold on.  In this book it also explains how grasshoppers chirp using their long legs.  It also explained that a scorpion’s stinger is strong enough to kill a human, so I will stay out of its way!  A dragon fly’s wing beats about 20 times every second.  This book explained flying bugs to ground bugs.  Other facts include that some bugs lay their eggs and leave their young to fend for themselves but some bugs stick around and defend their young till they can fend for themselves.  Look Closer covers a lot a good and interesting facts about bugs.

I would use this book to begin a science unit on insects.  I would capture a grasshopper or caterpillar to have in class for the students to look at when we came to their section in the book.  After reading aloud, I would then go outside to try to find some of the other bugs mentioned.  This would be a great learning experience and keep the students engaged.  If we couldn’t find any of the other bugs mentioned, we can still set the few bugs we had in class free.  Also, I would use this to build on information.  I will have each student pick a bug from the book and look up more information about it on the computer.  Each student would make a poster of facts about their bug and draw a picture of the bug.  We would post those in the room.