From the series Animal Diaries: Life Cycles
A Periodical Cicada’s Life
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades PreK – 3Copyright 2017
Reviewed
From the series Animal Diaries: Life Cycles
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades PreK – 3Copyright 2017
ReviewedOne spring evening in a forest, a young child watches as millions of periodical cicada nymphs emerge from the ground. She decides to observe these long-lived insects and record what happens to them in a diary. Readers will follow along as the narrator sees the nymphs become adults, swarm together, lay eggs, and eventually die. All the details of the insect’s lives are eagerly explored, including the moment the cicada eggs hatch and begin their 17-year life cycle! Colorful photos and clear, age-appropriate text will engage young readers as they explore the life cycle, natural habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and behavior of these fascinating insects. The diary format models scientific observation and critical thinking—and encourages children to keep notebooks recording their own investigations into the natural world.
Have you ever heard the buzzes and clicks of the cicadas on a hot summer night? As part of the Animal Diaries: Life Cycles series, your students will get an up - “close and personal look into the life cycle of a periodical cicada. Written as a science diary, A Periodical Cicada's Life truly brings cicadas to life on every page. The detailed photographs and interesting facts will capture the interest of all your students. This book is arranged as a diary, with each page describing a different period of time in the cicada's life cycle. These diary entries are observations made by the main character Sophia as she walks in the forest with her father. Observations include the nymph stage, color changes as an adult, cicada songs and swarms, laying eggs, and eventual nymph stage once again. Included with the diary entries are detailed photographs, bolded vocabulary words defined in a picture glossary, fun facts, and discussion questions. After finishing the diary, the book also has aScience Lab where students are asked to write their own diary about the periodical cicada, along with question prompts. For educators, there is a companion website that provides links to more information and a crossword puzzle that can be downloaded or played online. A Periodical Cicada's Life is a great addition to any lesson about life cycles since it is one that is often overlooked. It could even serve as a lesson on insects or habitats. However used, this book is sure capture your students' attention, even if it is aneww gross!
NSTA Recommends
