Phase 1 minibeast detectives (2,3 days)

As a class, go out into school grounds or an alternative, appropriate environment to look for minibeasts in their natural habitats. Working in small groups, and supervised by an adult, the children should explore clues based on the four senses to detect which minibeasts live in the environment. Ensure the children remember to apply the minibeast code developed by the class in previous sessions, based on the RSPCA key principles.

• Show respect for animals and the places where they live.
• Never handle animals draw pictures instead.
• Move slowly and quietly so you do not disturb the animals.
• Leave animals' homes exactly as you found them. If you turn over rocks and logs put them back the way you found them.
• Do not drop litter.
• Keep to marked paths and trails.
• Stay safe at all times.

Use the RSPCA sheet my minibeast as a prompt for discussion. Identify how the minibeast looks, how it moves, what the environment of the minibeast is like, based on the four senses: looking, hearing, smelling the habitat and touching the habitat.

Focus on one minibeast and, if necessary, model for the children how to add notes based on their observations onto the sheet. Explain to the children that their notes will support them as they make tape recordings of their findings and, later, as they begin to write their poems. Drawings and photographs could also be taken for reference in the classroom.

Moving away from the minibeast habitat, record word images using dictaphones or tape recorders to describe the habitat and the minibeast, for use during the sessions in phase 3.

Repeat the process for a different minibeast. the work may require a number of sessions, to enable the children to observe and record several minibeasts.

In the classroom, allow the children time to share their findings, notes, drawings and photographs. The children could be divided into different groupings from those used in the 'minibeast detective' work.

Model for the children how to use the collection of information books and images collected by the class to find further information about the minibeasts.

Explain to the children that all the information they have recorded and discussed will support them as they write their own poems, by providing extra detail and insight into the minibeasts, their beauty and their right to be left alone.

Guided writing during the phase

Based on the specific needs of the children, guided writing at this phase in the teaching sequence could concentrate on pre-teaching writing skills or revising and securing previously taught targets.

Pre-teaching before writing could concentrate on the following aspects of writing:

Securing previously taught objectives and targets could be focused on specific aspects of writing. Guided writing sessions would provide opportunities for children to return to targets after writing has been completed in pieces from a previous unit or other area of the curriculum.

For further details on using guided writing refer to the booklet, improving writing with a focus on guided writing and the accompanying video clips available in the cpd area of the of the primary framework website.

Learning outcomes

Children understand that they should 'look and leave' when observing minibeasts in their natural habitat.

Children appreciate the ways in which humans have a responsibility towards all animals.

Children can identify wildlife in their local area and know how to protect it.