Butterfly Life Introduction to the Butterfly Life Cycle

Butterfly Life Introduction to the Butterfly Life Cycle Sonia Puri 15 th July 2012 1

Overview of the Lesson Title: Life Cycle of a Butterfly Grade Level: 1 st Grade Subject Area: Science Secondary Subjects: Language Arts 2

Goals • To familiarize students with the life cycle stages of a butterfly • As part of an animal unit, this lesson will teach students about the various stages of a butterfly’s life, and how these stages are similar to ours 3

Standards • TEKS Standards Addressed (code and description): § 112. 3. Science, Grade 1. (1. 7) Science concepts. • The student knows that many types of change occur. • The student is expected to observe and record changes in the life cycle of organisms. 4

Objectives • Identify the four different stages of a butterfly life cycle (from egg, caterpillar, pupa or cocoon, to a full-grown adult butterfly) • Compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction books about butterflies • Design their butterfly life cycle plates • Explain and share the stages of a butterfly’s life • Recite a poem about a butterfly life cycle by Meish Goldish • Write a short story of where the adult butterfly might go after the cycle is over 5

Materials Needed ü The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle ü A Butterfly Is Born by Melvin Berger (prior day) ü Poem, Butterfly Life Cycles, by Meish Goldish ü Paper Plates (one per student) ü Colored Pencils (handful per table) ü Ziploc Bags (one per student) ü Glue ü Bright Butterflies Worksheet ü Sequencing HW Sheet ü Various forms of Pasta (prepared in Ziploc bags by the teacher) ü Pastina (egg) ü Curly Colored Pasta (Caterpillar or Larva) ü Shell Pasta (cocoon or pupa) ü Bow - Tie Pasta (adult butterfly) Technology Requirements: ü Computer ü Projector Screen ü Internet Access ü Smart Board 6

Setting The Stage • Invite the students to the carpet • Introduce the reading selection - The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 7

Setting The Stage • Reinforce prior knowledge of fiction and nonfiction reading selections about butterflies • KWL Chart of Butterfly What I KNOW What I WONDER What I LEARNED 8

Anticipatory Focus Pose a few high orders of thinking questions for the students, such as: • Where did you come from? • Can you describe the stages of your life? • How are the stages of your life similar to the stages of a butterfly? 9

Modeling • Compare and contrast the stages of the butterfly to the stages of a human • Explain that a butterfly develops through four main stages: egg, caterpillar, cocoon and adult butterfly, while the human develops through main stages: baby, child, teenager and adult 10

Guided Practice • Visit following link for life cycle video: http: //www. cheshire-butterflies. co. uk/speciesdetails/ot/life_cycle_10. htm • Students may identify and drag and drop the stages of the butterfly life cycle to the right pictures on the smart board using the following link : http: //www. cookie. com/kids/games/butterfly-life-cycle. html 11

Independent Activity • Explanation of the independent activity and provide model • Invite the students back to their seats • Distribute a paper plate to each of the students • Invite the students to take a colored pencil and make four equal parts 12

Independent Activity • Distribute a small Ziploc bag to each student. The Ziploc bag will contain four different types of pasta. Each piece of pasta will symbolize the various stages of the life of a butterfly • Next show the children the pasta that will represent each stage of the life cycle. 13

Independent Activity • Ask them to explain why they think each type of pasta was chosen. Egg: Pastina Larva or Caterpillar: Curly colored pasta Chrysalis: shell pasta Adult butterfly: bow tie pasta • Direct the students in placing the appropriate pieces of pasta in the correct life stage of the butterfly 14

Independent Activity • Model this concept for the students, while walking around and monitoring the students’ progress • Direct the students’ in the labeling process. The students will need to write the four different stages of the life of a butterfly 15

Mastery Check • Upon completion of the hands-on activity, the students will be re-directed back to the carpet • Ask various students to share their interpretations of the butterfly life cycle plate • The students will explain the different stages 16

Sing- Along • Introduce the ‘Butterfly Life Cycle ‘poem by Meish Goldish • The poem will act as a form of reinforcement for the students • Read (sing) the poem aloud and ask students to try the second time together 17

Sing- Along Poem - Birth of a Butterfly (can be sung to the tune of Hush Little Baby, Don't Say a Word) A mama butterfly lays all her eggs, Out pops a caterpillar, crawling on its legs. The caterpillar first is rather thin, But then it eats till it bursts through its skin. After growing nice and big, The caterpillar climbs on a leaf or twig. It makes a shell where it hangs inside. The shell then cracks, and the parts divide. Inside the shell, a change was going on, The form of the caterpillar now is gone. When the shell opens, what comes out? A beautiful butterfly fluttering about! 18

Accommodation Strategies For Students With Special Needs • Blind students will use the audio from video presentations about butterfly life cycles to learn about butterflies. They will use speech to text software to complete their book builder assignments • The students that are hearing impaired can see and read the text on the presentations. Students that are not at grade level will have a peer tutor to answer any questions 19

English Language learners • To culminate a unit on butterflies, teachers can ask beginning ESL students to illustrate, rather than explain, the life cycle of butterflies • Students can point to life cycle parts of a butterfly on their own drawing or on a diagram as an assessment of vocabulary retention 20

Assessment (should relate to objectives): • Short Term: The students will be able to create a butterfly life cycle plate identifying each stage of the cycle. Various students will share their own interpretation of the life cycle of a butterfly • Long Term: The students will be asked to talk about the various stages of the life cycle of the butterfly, while comparing them to the life cycle stages of a human 21

Closure and Assignment • In Class: Students who complete the activity quickly will complete a short story on butterfly paper, about where their butterfly will go after it completes the life cycle (Bright Butterflies) • At Home: Students will complete a mapping/sequencing sheet 22