Invertebrates Go

Polygon

written and illustrated by

Ms. Richardson’s 5th grade class

Stony Point School June 2005

The Process

The Virginia 5th grade Standards of Learning require that students study invertebrates. 5th graders are also required to study geometric shapes, line of symmetry, and geometric transformations. This book came about as a consequence of our desire to meet the standards as well as to produce a book of artistic and literary merit. Initially, we immersed ourselves in the information contained in piles of books from our classroom and school library. We created a brainstorming chart and wrote names of fascinating invertebrates. Later, each student settled on one invertebrate. We studied our invertebrate, sketched it and wrote down interesting facts. As we studied geometric shapes, we discovered that a polygon is a two dimensional closed shape made up of three or more sides. Squares, rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, rhombuses, kites, and trapezoids are all polygons. As we began drawing geometric shapes, we noticed that the artist, Pablo Picasso, expressed his paintings in geometric terms. He broke down the reality of what he saw into a number of facets (small flat surfaces). We studied many of Picasso’s paintings. The next step was to use Appleworks Paint to create our picture on the computer. We used the polygon tool, 3-D lasso, magic wand and many other tools. We thought about our invertebrate’s habitat and color. What might look like just one color is really many colors and shades. Because of this fact, we used many colors, sometimes creating a pattern with a random copy/paste to make the background. We studied factual images. Using the polygon tool, we made them look a little 3-D by not letting some shapes touch. For example, the spider’s jointed legs are not always connected. We used the lasso tool to make extra eyes or to reproduce a honey bee. We practiced patience. Some backgrounds were too busy, so we had to compare/contrast to see what might look the best. Sometimes we had to adjust a color because

it looked different when next to certain colors. We talked about complimentary colors, pastels, shades and tones. This project really opened our minds. We experienced lots of personal learning. Some of the things we learned were:

• how to zoom • differences between vertebrate and invertebrate • comb jellies are extremely fragile • how to use different colors to outline shapes • in North and South America, there are over 1,000 different kinds of

ants • dog whelks can be yellow, deep purple, or hot pink

We were studying poetry in Ms. Burke’s class and knew there were many different kinds. Everyone wanted to use a different form of poetry so we used our favorite. After learning to use the new “WORD” word processing program on our new computers, we got to work. We used alliteration, sijo, free-write, rhyming, simile, metaphor, guess what, and name poems. We learned that a collage poem is made by using different text features. We all used million dollar words. We had many favorite parts to this project such as using the polygon tool, learning new facts, and writing the poem. One person found a word to rhyme with exoskeleton. We all agree that seeing the finished product will be great!

Cobalt Blue Tarantula By Alec Beretz

I’ll spin giant webs

But I prefer a burrow I’m a natural beauty

And live far away from Euro.

An aggressive little beast, I am A rapid flash of blue

But don’t get too close! Or I’ll be sure to bite you

I eat crickets, beetles, and other bugs

I grow to be 5 inches long Be sure to observe the rainforest floor

‘cause I might be scurrying along!

Black Widow Spider Sijo By Daniel Nadkarni

In the shade of rotting logs I am very poisonous I am called a widow because I eat my mates for dinner Sometimes found in your backyard, you don’t want me to bite you

Sand Dollar

By Connor Lilley It’s hard to believe

Once I was alive Found at the surface of the sandy beach

Some think I am just sand My cilia covers my spine

Don’t try to eat me because I don’t taste good

Sea Anemone By Holly Harper

Flower of the sea

Bright beauty

Thousands of colors I can be Don’t let me dry up

I will get crackly Home to some fish

Only the clowns I won’t eat

Flower of the sea

EARWIG By Reed Shaw

It’s said I crawl into ears, But I swear I haven’t for all my years,

If I’m a female, I display primitive social behavior,

Humans say I’m a pest, But I try to act my best,

Until the summer you will not see me, Unless you come looking for me.

Paper Wasp By: Olivia Bascle

The female paper wasp makes her nest

Made out of a papery material that she bit

Mixed with wood with her spit

In the cells she lays her eggs She has very spindly legs

In their very own nest

Showing their very best

They work hard day and night Unbelievably with out a fight

A Paper Wasps nest usually contains about 20 wasps

Blue-ringed Octopus

By Tessa Diehl Here I am! Now back off! Unless you want to die! Blend in? You’ve got to be kidding! They all know me! For my blue hypnotizing rings! We, octopi, where our eight arms meet our body, we have a beak. We cut up our pray. And use our beak for self-defense. But I do more! Fear me! I inject a paralyzing poison. If a hospital is around, you have a chance of life. No hospital? Forget about it! I, a poisonous serpent with the disguise of a sweet innocent flower! Here I am! Fear me!

Who Am I ?

Written by Heather Crosby

I have eight legs two pinching claws

to pull the enemy in to me I have a “compass”

that tells me where I am two antennas

I have a long curvy tail you can eat me

you cook me on a grill you can find me in a restaurant

What am I ?

I am a Lobster

Damselfly By: Amanda Jackson

Like Dragonflies but skinnier Live in Minnesota, were it’s windier

Do many things in the air, Like hunt or find a mate Prey on small insects

Are very pretty Remember they’re not dragonflies

They’re damselflies!

Ants By Madeline Cohen

It can carry up to 27 times its’ weight

Called pupa during its cocoon stage

Abdomen, thorax, and head Yellow, brown, black, and red

Hard exoskeleton Un-like gelatin

35,000 kinds

They can quickly climb up vines

Monarch Butterfly By Cody Crickenberger

Majestic Orange and black Nectar is their main source of food Abundant in the summer Red, the color you don’t recognize Charming Hooks on their legs

Blue Little Under water Excellent

Sea creature That Acts Righteously

Free In Salty Home

by

Devin Dickerson

Sting better than a spider Can make you sick Ohhh help! Run! Poisonous Itchy On and on you’ll keep screaming Never let you free from the sting

by Kaila Brown

Portuguese Man of War by Keyonna

not like other jellies it’s a colony

working together like one 12 inches floats filled with air

it floats above the water tentacles hang down into the water 100 feet

curls up like a tsunami wave can’t swim

the water carries it where the wind blows

The Rhinoceros Beetle By: Nellie Gibson Yellow is the color of fear that runs through Your head. Yellow is the color that shows your Weaknesses and your strength. Yellow is the color of lightning that strikes your house the flow of the flowers the love in your heart the polishing on the yellow floor.

Mugiwaratonbo (Dragonfly-Green darner)

By: Nyssa Cornelius Drury, my discoverer Reap mosquito larvae A 4-6 inch wing-span Grow in ponds Outstanding colors make me obvious Northeastern insect Fury and aggression in males Live off pests You, living where you are wouldn’t see me much

Monarch Butterfly by Sherry

summertime

the stem of the milkweed plant the egg is white and shiny

sticks to the leaf the butterfly lays the egg

The Comb Jelly By: Josh R.

Some have elastic

mouths that are non stop, having 100 cousins

they’re

delicate as a flower long

as a baseball bat and

brighter than lightning

Praying Mantis Justin Hicks

In late spring 50 to 400 Praying Mantis hatch out of the egg.

When in danger these insect open their mouth, and raze their arms.

In mating season a female lets out a smell or a sound like a bell. When these insect lay eggs they typically raze their wings.

Dog Whelk K.J. Darling

Purple dye releasing meat eater

Eats mussels, limpets and barnacles like a vacuum sucking up dirt

The females lay eggs

120 long tedious, tiresome days later they hatch

20-30 un-born Dog Whelks are in 1 egg half an inch long

Dog Whelks

Sea Pen by: Kimi Abel

Sea Environment in salt water and sand A shape of a feather Pen invErtebrate Non violent

Centipede By: Abigail Williams

A centipede is like a mini Garden snake

A centipede is like a brown, Huge caterpillar crawling

On the ground A centipede is like a worm In the damp, moist ground

A centipede is like a Millipede but smaller

And shorter A centipede is brown And long in the deep,

Moist dirt

Jewel Wasp By Allison Higgins

Flying through the desert like a ruby ring

The ferocious desert dazzler seek its next prey It pounces like a tiger

King of the desert skies It takes, but it doesn’t give back

by Lucy

Gray ,green ,and blue

Retro

Eats crumbs

Elegant

Needs sugar

Big? No

Over populating

Too annoying

Tantalizing

Lucky I don’t have a fly-swatter Eww

Flies

unLovable Yucky

by Mariel Andersen

You go to work

I go to play All I do is sniff all day The fancy flipping flowers and

their purple pollen powers Sing our creaky songs Ring our grassy gongs plink

plink plink our poppy seed bells happify us as the sun

sets the mosquitoes dance sway grin we all join in sway with us, humans

cave moth by Morgan

Colorful Active Vivid Emerging

Migrate Orange Tiny Herald moth

Slick like bowling alley wax Ugly like antique shop PAINT They look like some health food my mom would force me to eat

UHH… slimy like oatmeal… The colors may be cool, but if they were gray, would scientists REALLY care about them?

They make me think of rotten fruit depends on old particles of plants, like a free garbage disposal! PURPLE like grape jelly barf

WhItE spots like old fuzzy mold GEE-if you want to know more, go make yourself sick by looking up the gross blobs-the artists formally known as SEA CUCUMBERS!!!!!!!!!!

PILAR MARSHALL

Lichen Huntsman Spider poem

By: Reid Dickerson

They blend into bark--

Are mostly multi-colored

Long-legged, short-haired

Tube Sponge Poem By: Abbi Pence

TUBE UNIQUE BEAUTIFUL ELEGANT

SPONGY LIKE SPONGEBOB

PORIFERA OPEN TOP

NOT FOUND ON LAND

GOSH! IT IS FULL OF HOLES

EVEN USED FOR BATHING

LADYBUG By Shae Douglas

Like most people, I have a nickname, “Ladybug” Adults eat up to 1,000 aphids in a summer Dozens of spots on my back Yellow, black, orange and red Bright colors signal poison to birds and insects Under a tree trunk or underground are my eggs Garden pests for dinner, count me in!

Honey Bee By: Smitha Theriault

Bumping and Buzzing through the nest Stinging and Singing to bee the best

Yellow yet not Mello Fast at Flying towards

a Flowering Floor Our Honey making Friends

We Truly Adore

Termite Rage By Will

I so like termites. They go to your house and take some bites,

But when they’re done it’s not the same, When you’re in your house it’s just a frame.