Birth
of
a Butterfly
Thanks
Kelly Chaney
Grade Level(s): 1, 2
Subject(s): Science/Entomology
Duration: two 40-minute periods
Description:
I will first
tell my students that today we are going to learn about the birth of a
butterfly.
I will also tell them that after we have completed the activities we
will be going to the computer lab.
At the computer lab I have a butterfly website that we will be playing
on.
I would recommend that you have an aide to help out with any type of
problems the students would have.
I am using the computer lab as a form of reward for students.
Then I will begin by introducing the book.
I will tell the students that the book is about a little girl and her
grandfather.
The little girl rescues a caterpillar from the mouth of an on-looking
blue jay and asks her grandfather to help her care for and raise the
caterpillar.
Once I have introduced the book I will draw the students' attention up
to the figures on the board.
I will tell them that those are the life stages of a butterfly, but
they are not in order.
I will tell them to use their listening ears during the story to figure
out what order the figures should go in and they will need to help me
put them in order once we have finished reading the story.
Goals: Students will demonstrate an
understanding of insects and science as a whole.
Objectives: Students will be able to
construct the life cycle of a butterfly using pasta.
Materials:
Book =
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Greg Shed.
Construction
paper (assorted colors)
Computer Lab
(one computer for each student)
Internet
address: http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/butterfly/butterfly.html
Raw pasta
(rice = eggs, mafalda (bite size lasagna) = caterpillar
Shells =
chrysalis, bow tie (farfalle) = butterfly
Leaves
(small)
Twigs
(small)
Glue
Paint
brushes (to spread glue)
Cups (to
hold glue)
Life cycle
figures (eggs, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly)
Procedure:
Once I have
read the story and the students and I have put the drawings in order, I
will then introduce the activity and explain what they need to do.
While
showing my example, I will show the students how they will construct
their own life cycle of a butterfly.
First they will fold the piece of paper into four equal parts. In the
upper left corner will be stage one (egg).
They will then put stage two (caterpillar) in the upper right corner.
The third stage (chrysalis) will go in the lower right corner and
finally the fourth stage (butterfly) in the lower left corner.
They will then draw arrows showing the progression of the stages.
After I am
done explaining the directions I will pass out all the materials and
let the students begin the activity.
Closure:
Once the
students have completed the activity and cleaned up, we will recite the
following poem.
While reading the poem the students can point to the corresponding
stage.
I started as
a tiny egg
Upon a leaf
of green
And now I
stay upon the leaf
So I will
not be seen
Soon I'll
build a chrysalis
Upon a limb
up high
I'll stay a
while and then come out
And be a
butterfly
Assessment:
I will look
at the each student's life cycle of a butterfly activity to see if they
understand the concept.
I will also observe the students when we recite the poem. |
|