Figuring With Fireflies
On a summer night, a field of fireflies is a sight to behold!
These amazing insects--which are actually beetles, not
flies--make a bright greenish light that can be seen at night.
Ten Flashing Fireflies by Philemon Sturges is a fun way to introduce
students to these amazing critters. Hidden in the repetitive language of the
story are simple addition and subtraction concepts. Plan to read the story
more than once. Then, during your second or third reading, have
volunteers write number sentences on the chalkboard that represent the
firefly activity shown in the book's illustrations. Discuss the number
patterns that are observed. Later display the book at a center along with a
supply of bookmaking materials. No doubt several of your enthusiastic
entomologists will be interested in creating variations of this unique bug
book.
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