Life cycle of a Butterfly Lesson Plan

Name: Ashleigh Miller Date of Lesson: March 31, 2011 CT Name: Ms. Hernandez

Subject Area: Science/ Theme: Plants and Animals, Life Cycle of a Butterfly

School/Grade Level: Zavala/Pre-K 4

Overall Daily Goal:
After a powerpoint over basic vocabulary for the Life Cycle of a Butterfly, students will be able to identify the four stages by creating a poster with each stage on it.

Standards/TEKS:
VI.B.2.
Child describes life cycles of organisms.
Objective:
The child will observe and learn the four stages of a butterfly’s life cycle.

(11) Communication. The student delivers the product electronically in a variety of media, with appropriate supervision. The student is expected to:
(A) publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, printed copy or monitor display; and
(B) publish information in a variety of media including, but not limited to, stored files or video.

English Language Proficiency Standards:

(2) Cross-curricular second language acquisition/listening. The ELL listens to a variety of speakers including teachers, peers, and electronic media to gain an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language in all content areas. ELLs may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in listening. In order for the ELL to meet grade-level learning expectations across the foundation and enrichment curriculum, all instruction delivered in English must be linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student's level of English language proficiency. The student is expected to:
(D) monitor understanding of spoken language during classroom instruction and interactions and seek clarification as needed;
(E) use visual, contextual, and linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding of increasingly complex and elaborated spoken language


Time Constraints:
Focus: 10 min. Input: 20 min. GP: 20 min. (this will be done in small groups, each group receiving 20 minutes) IP: 20 min. Closure: 5 min.


Cognitive Objectives:
• Audience: Pre-K Students

• Behavior: to create a poster with the 4 stages of the butterfly’s life cycle

• Bloom’s: Will correctly identify the 4 stages of the life cycle of a butterfly

• Condition/Criterion: After a PowerPoint over basic vocabulary for the life cycle of a butterfly, students will create a poster with the four stages and play a board game.

• Degree: with 90% accuracy

After a powerpoint presentation over basic vocabulary for the Life cycle of a Butterfly, students will be able to create a poster which identifies the four steps of the cycle with 90% accuracy. They will then play a board game.

Modifications or Accommodations:
• Redirection- The students who get distracted or are having a difficult time concentrating will be given redirection in order to help them get back on track.
• Students will be given a longer time on an assignment. If a student is not able to complete an assignment in the given amount of time, additional time will be given. The student can set aside the assignment and refer back to it during center time or any free time.
• Some students have a difficult time writing words. For the students that need assistance, the teacher will help them spell out and write the word on their paper. The words will also be written on the board for all students to see.

Previous Knowledge Necessary:
No previous knowledge is necessary. This is an introductory lesson.

Community and Culture:
This lesson is relevant to the students because they are able to go outside and find butterflies during the spring time of the school year. They can also relate to the butterfly because just like the butterfly, humans also have a life cycle, it just takes on a different process.

Rationale:
The importance of this lesson is to provide students with the basic vocabulary of the butterfly’s life cycle. They also get a chance to do a hands-on project that will help them visually see the life cycle happening in front of their eyes.


Materials Needed:
• Book: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by: Eric Carle
• Board game: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Game
• Book: “Hermie”
• Powerpoint over the four stages of the butterfly life cycle
• Time lapse video of life cycle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUSKxWMIh0&feature=BF&list=PL68C0343ECA07BD2D&index=23
• Cotton Balls
• Leaves
• Pipe cleaners: brown and multi-colored
• Twigs/Sticks
• Markers
• Coffee filters
• Large piece of construction paper/ divided into four sections
• spray bottle


Multiple Intelligences:
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart):
o Students will visually see the 4 stages of the butterfly’s life cycle.

• Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart):
o The students will be working in groups during guided practice which will promote interaction with other students.

• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (Body Smart):
o Students will be moving around the room and using their hands to complete an activity. They will be using their hands to make the life cycle on a large piece of construction paper. They will also be playing a board game.

• Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart):
o A PowerPoint over the four stages of the butterfly will be introduced to the students. Each item will be labeled so they can clearly see what the stage is.

• Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart):
o Students will have the opportunity to complete an independent practice board game.

• Spatial Intelligence (Picture Smart):
o Students will be shown a PowerPoint and a time lapse video of the butterfly’s life cycle.


Instructional Steps:

• Focus/Anticipatory Set/Hook:
I will begin by introducing to the students the lesson for the day. I will also write it down on the board. I will tell them that we will be learning about the 4 stages of the butterfly’s life cycle. We will start the lesson by singing a butterfly song with movements. After the song I will read the book, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” to the class. I will question the student’s throughout the story. Questions will include: “Can you identify what stage the caterpillar is in now?”, “How do you know which stage the caterpillar is in?”
I will then show them a powerpoint over the four stages.

Teaching:
After the powerpoint, I will show the class a time lapse video of the butterfly’s life cycle.

Guided Practice:
• In small groups, we will create the four stages of the life cycle on a large piece of construction paper. I will show the students how to create each piece one at a time. I will then write the name of the stage on the board so they can write it down on the correct square on their life cycle.

• Steps:
 We will create tiny eggs using cotton balls. Each student will make one egg by rolling up pieces of a cotton ball. They will then glue it onto a leaf. This will signify stage 1 of the life cycle.
 Then using large pipe cleaners, the students will make a caterpillar and glue it onto the paper to signify stage 2 of the life cycle.
 For stage 3, we will create a chrysalis by using a cotton ball. The students will then glue it onto a stick.
 For the final stage, I will have the students use different color markers and they will draw different color shapes and pictures on a coffee filter. After they have filled their coffee filter with pictures I will go around the room and spray water on their coffee filter. This will cause the marker to run and create a pretty colored coffee filter. They students will then be able to choose a pipe cleaner in the color of their choice that will then be wrapped around the coffee filter to create a butterfly.

• Independent Practice:

• In their small groups, the students will play the board game, “The very hungry caterpillar”. This game reinforces counting, colors and contrasts. I will introduce the game to them and the rules and the group will then play the game together without help from the teacher.

• Technology
• Students will have the opportunity to create a VoiceThread over the Life cycle of a Butterfly. Using a laptop with a built in microphone, students will record themselves talking about each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle. They will use the pictures they created earlier in the lesson in order to help them remember each stage of the life cycle. When the students go home, they can talk to their parents and comment on the Voicethread about how the butterfly’s life cycle compares to another life cycle.

• Extension:

Now that the students have learned and understand the life cycle of a butterfly, they will be able to understand more fully that each living thing has its own life cycle. I would encourage students to talk to their friends and family about life cycles and see if they can find a life cycle that interests them that they can share with their classmates. They can then compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the life cycle of a butterfly and a human, and many other living things.

• Closure:
After guided and independent practice is completed, I will have the students meet on the carpet for whole group. I will ask students questions about the life cycle. I will see if any of the students can remember and identify the four stages of the butterfly’s life cycle. I will then read the book, “Hermie” to the students before they leave for the day.



LINK to TIE Plan