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Insects, The Magazine

School: Mary O. Pottenger School

City/State: Springfield, MA

Grade(s): 2

Format(s): Magazine: Science

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science and Technology, Visual Arts

Project Overview

This magazine was created by second grade students at Mary O. Pottenger Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was part of a two-month learning expedition on insects that included a wide range of scientific and artistic activities.

Students studied insects through books, online research, and through hands-on research in a field and in the classroom. Each student became an expert on a different local insect, and created a page for the magazine featuring key facts about their insect.

Students were also developing technology and media literacy, so the format for the magazine required each student to create a simulated cover for a magazine or newsletter that featured their insect. These covers were bound together as the pages of this booklet.

The quality of scientific illustrations in this student product is due to a process of multiple drafting, peer and expert critique. A former classroom teacher who is also an artist volunteered her time to support the artistic aspects of the project. The illustrations went through many drafts, with students getting guidance from classmates and the visiting artist. 

Common Core State Standards

Standard Long Term Learning Target
RI.2.5
  • I can use text features (bold, captions, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, icons) to efficiently find facts in informational texts.
W.2.2
  • I can construct a closure on the topic of an informative/explanatory text.
W.2.7
  • I can participate in shared research projects.
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