Sandra Hoffman

Abstract

Connecting science, English language arts, and art with inquiry, early childhood students learn the importance of bats and help them survive.

      Since it was Halloween season, bats came to mind, in my first grade classroom. I thought the students could progress in reading and science and at the same time dispel misinformation about bats by engaging in an in-depth, interdisciplinary bats unit. We started out with a classroom survey asking about students’ attitudes towards bats. The survey showed that most students were afraid of bats or disliked them. 

       Then reading began. In our classroom, we had a lot of fiction and nonfiction about bats our first graders were able to read. Stellaluna was a favorite and we had Literature Circles about it. Though structures for Literature Circles are flexible, often students have roles such as Summarizer who summarizes important points and Connector who connects what takes place in the book to real-life events in children’s lives. Collaboration is key, as the roles students take and discussion among everyone help all the children in the circle gain stronger understanding of the book. Literature Circles promote learning for students with diverse learning needs, as they support literacy and communication skills (Herrera & Kidwell, 2018).

      After reading and discussing several books we came up with many facts about bats. We found many favorable things about bats and how they are beneficial to the world. Using a Venn Diagram, we compared bats and birds. We learned the two different types of bats and their characteristics. 

Figure 1

Students sharing their work with an audience beyond their class, for example with their posters hanging in the hallway and the bat houses out in the school yard, added to the unit’s excitement.

Figure 2

Through demonstration and games, the students learned about echolocation.  Students also found out that some bats are endangered, such as the small brown bat in Maine and wrote about what they were learning. At this point the students retook the survey. Results showed their negative attitude towards bats had changed to an appreciation of and favorable opinion about bats. They even wanted to change others’ attitudes towards bats. 

    One way the students worked to help bats was with posters they collaboratively created. Their posters highlighted interesting facts about bats that the children had discovered through reading. Students also made posters that showed all the ways bats help the world. These impressive posters were hung in the halls of our school to inform others of the value of bats.

    Students wanted to do even more to help endangered bats. So with the help of a parent we constructed a couple of bat houses that were hung in the school yard to help increase the bat population in our area.

     Since this unit of study was in October we made and hung models of bats to decorate our room to enjoy through Halloween. With our new knowledge, these creatures were no longer scary but celebrated!

    Through this interdisciplinary unit that tied together English Language Arts, Science, and Art, my students engaged in collaboration and critical thinking, gaining knowledge that they then used to help bats. Students sharing their work with an audience beyond their class, for example with their posters hanging in the hallway and the bat houses out in the school yard, added to their unit’s excitement .

Students were inspired to help change the world through taking up the cause of an endangered species.

    Having a parent involved in making the bat houses, beyond being an important logistical support, added to the unit’s specialness and was another feature that forwarded students’ engagement and therefore, learning that will be integrated and remembered. This project was a fun way to learn and students were inspired to help change the world through taking up the cause of an endangered species.

Figure 3

Reference

Herrera, L.J.P. & Kidwell, T. (2018). Literature circles 2.0. Updating a classic strategy for the 21st
       century. Multicultural Education 25(2), 17-21.

Photos: Sandra Hoffman and Twitter

Helping An Endangered Species is based on a blog post by the author, “Don’t Blame the Bats.”

Sandra Hoffman taught first grade in South Berwick and Indian Township, Maine and was a child development specialist for Washington County Children’s Program in Machias. During Covid lockdowns she taught her grandson, who was in first grade.