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Step 1
Read a fiction book about bats aloud to the class. Two great books are "Bat Jamboree" by Kathi Applet and "Stellaluna" by Jannell and Jewel Cannon (see Resources below). Have the kids take turns reading the book aloud. After you have read the book, discuss the plot and characters with the class. Have the kids make a list of some of the bats' special traits that are mentioned in the book.
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Step 2
Choose a nonfiction book about bats. The book "Bats" by John Bonnett Wexo from the Zoobook series is a good choice (see Resources below). Again, read the book aloud, showing the pictures to the class. After you finish, discuss the science facts about bats. You can make a list with the class and compare it to the fiction list from Step 1.
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Step 3
Pass out two pieces of paper and pencils to your student. Tell them to pick a topic about bats to research and write a short paper on. They can write about a specific type of bat and its habits, or about where bats live and what they eat. Allow them to use nonfiction books and Internet sites for research. Tell them to take notes first and then write two paragraphs about the topic in their own words. The paper should have a title like "Vampire Bats" at the top of the page. Good sites to use are Bat Conservation and Bat World (see Resources below).
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Step 4
Pass out two more pieces of paper. End the lesson by having the students write a short fiction piece or story about a bat as the main character. They can use their knowledge about bats to make the story more realistic. It should be at least two paragraphs with a plot or point to the story. Discuss the differences between fiction and nonfiction reinforcing the points of the lesson. Have the children read the fiction stories aloud. A bulletin board can be created to hang papers for the lesson.
