Praying Mantis and Bats in the Wind
Chet the Praying Mantis This week I read a story with my 3rd grade reading group about Chet, the Praying Mantis. He is a private investigator who is asked to solve the Case of the Missing Drops . My students guessed the drops were chrysalis for butterflies. The villain in the story was Batty Bat. Near the end of the story Chet uses his camouflage skills to hide in a tree while Batty Bat and his gang are discussing the location where they hid The Drops. We had 5 minutes left in the period and as we were sitting outside for the lesson... I asked the children to imagine Chet hiding in the tree next to us and Batty Bat with the gang. Then I suggested the town of Bug Box and Buggy Hall at the base of the tree. A few hours later as I was waiting outside the 3rd grade class with my 5th grade tutoring group one boys says, "Ms. Deena can I go see the Praying Mantis on the tree?" "HUH?! WHAT!?" Sure enough, there was a real Praying Mantis on the base of the tree exactl