03/04/2025

The buzzing excitement in the second-grade classrooms at Dodge Elementary wasn't just from the students; it was from the fascinating world of insects the students were actively discovering.

A classroom grant from the Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) Foundation funded the purchase of special microscopes to be used by all GIPS second grade students, transforming CKLA (core knowledge language arts) and science lessons into hands-on experiences.

Second grade Dodge Elementary teachers MaKenna Supencheck and Kaitlin Warner, both passionate about sparking curiosity in their young learners, utilized the microscopes to bring the details of insects into sharp focus.

"CKLA Knowledge is like listening comprehension," Supencheck explained, "Instead of kids just reading, I'm reading stories to them, and we do a lot of class discussions and group work. This unit was about insects, so we learned all the characteristics of what makes an insect, an insect."

The insect unit, a part of the CKLA Knowledge curriculum, was popular with students, despite some initial squeamishness. 

"Some of them love it, and some of them think it's disgusting," Supencheck laughed, "but it's really cool learning the different parts. It's great because we learn about the importance of insects and why we probably shouldn't kill them."

The hands-on aspect of science, especially the visual learning, is what Supencheck truly enjoys. "It's fun to do things that are more hands-on, or teaching them things that are more visual," she said.

Thanks to the grant, the microscopes took visual learning to a whole new level. 

"Today, we looked at dead butterflies, which was cool because we saw all the different colors and shapes," Supencheck shared, "and then the different body parts. We got to look at the eyes up close, which was really fun."

Kaitlin Warner shared Supencheck’s excitement.

"This was actually for CKLA Knowledge, and we have been learning about all different insects, common characteristics of all insects, and then the butterfly life cycle," Warner said. "Today was kind of a fun day before the test, to celebrate the learning."

Warner highlighted the curiosity of her second graders.  

"They learn a lot about insects they haven't heard about before, and a lot of facts about them that they didn't know before. It's a very fun and engaging unit for them," Warner said.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the microscope activity. "We got to observe the butterflies with our microscope from the grant," Warner shared. "They got to see the different body parts, like the head, thorax, abdomen, the legs, and antennae. Just to see those up close and some different microscopic details was fun for them."

Warner said the experiential learning provided by the microscopes made a significant impact. 

"I think it's fun because they get to see something up close and see those details that they wouldn't have seen before," Warner explained. "For some of these kids, this is their first experience with a microscope, and so getting to just experience the different parts of that is really cool."

The GIPS Foundation's support has allowed these young scientists to delve deeper into the world of insects and more, fostering a love for discovery that will stay with them for years to come. Both teachers expressed their gratitude for the GIPS Foundation grant. 

"I'm very thankful for this grant because I wouldn't have been able to do something like this without it," Warner expressed.

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