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Follow the Firefly

Students will light up their creativity as they learn about fireflies and create an original illustrated story about one.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Stapler and Staples
  • String

Steps

  • Step 1

    Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are amazing creatures that emit light during the summer months in many parts of the world. Have students learn about this insect. For instance, they are not actually flies, but beetles and the variety found in western North America doesn't light up. Their light is produced through "bioluminescence," which is a chemical process produced by an enzyme in the firefly's abdomen called luciferin.

  • Step 2

    Have students write a story about a firefly. Perhaps a firefly will use its light to guide a lost creature to safety or one will stage a nighttime light show for the community. They can use both black and white paper as the background for their book to represent night and day scenes. They can practice writing their story on scrap paper or strips of white paper that they glue into the book.

  • Step 3

    To make the book students can fold several sheets of paper in half and bind them with a row of staples down the center fold. They can create a pop-out image of the story's main character, a firefly they might name. Students will use a separate piece of paper to design their colorful firefly, then cut it out. It can be attached to their book with a string that is glued or stapled to the top of the center fold.

  • Step 4

    As students read their book to the class they can move the attached firefly around to be seen on each page of the story.

Standards

LA: Write using words, numbers, and images to inform and explain, share experiences, and create narratives, either fictional or non-fictional.

LA: Add drawings or other visual displays to written text to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

SCI: Ask questions about the features of phenomena observed and conclusions drawn from investigations or models.

Adaptations

The population of fireflies is declining. Have students find out what is causing this decline and learn about ways to save them, such as by avoiding the use of pesticides, turning off outdoor lights at night to reduce light pollution, etc.

LED lights are much more energy efficient than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, and much of the world uses them now. Did you know we have fireflies to thank for this invention? Have students investigate biomimicry, the practice of using designs found in nature to solve human problems. Have them learn about how a scientist studied fireflies and used this information to invent LED lighting.