Conshohocken Elementary students are learning a lot from a ladybug through One Book/One School

At Conshohocken Elementary, the book Ladybug Launch is helping students learn science concepts, new vocabulary, Spanish words, and more — as this year’s title for One Book/One School.

Ladybug Launch — written by Melissa Trempe and Natalia Ojeda and illustrated by Manuela Montoya —  tells the story of Natalia, a Chilean girl who wants to become a scientist, and Luna, a ladybug who dreams of traveling to space. It’s based on the true story of a group of high school girls in Chile, including one of the authors, who designed an experiment for NASA.

For December’s lesson, third graders from Mrs. Campbell’s class and first graders from Mrs. Carter’s class worked together on a hands-on project that reinforced the English Language Arts concept of “sequencing.” Sequencing is the ability to identify the order of events in a story or the steps in a process. After reading Ladybug Launch as a class, the students put six events from the story in order and glued them into a folded paper book.

The students enjoyed the project and working with their partners. “I liked gluing the stuff,” said CE third grader Jaeden Wallace. “It was really fun.” 

Classmate Avery Steiger agreed. “It was fun, because I got to work with new people that I didn’t know.” 

Upcoming lessons will include project-based learning with live ladybugs and connections with art. In November, one of the authors visited the school to talk about her journey as a writer. When the book was introduced, the first lesson focused on the Spanish words sprinkled through the text. 

“I have some students in my class that speak Spanish at home, and so it was really exciting to see them know the words and tell the rest of the class what they mean,” said CE teacher Kim Carter.

In addition to using Ladybug Launch in class, each child also received a copy of the book to take home, ensuring the story will continue to inspire the students beyond the school day.