Lesson Title: Discovering the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Grade Level: First Grade

Utah State Core Curriculum ILO(s) and Content Standard, Objective and Indicator(s):
Intended Learning Outcomes

Generating Evidence: Using the processes of scientific investigation, specifically:

-Framing questions: Observe using senses, create a hypothesis, and focus a question
that can lead to an investigation.

Communicating Science: Communicating effectively using science language and reasoning,

specifically:
-Developing social interaction skills with peers.
-Sharing ideas with peers.
-Using multiple methods of communicating reasons/evidence (verbal, charts, graphs).

Knowing in Science: Understanding the nature of science, specifically:

-Ideas are supported by reasons.

Content Standard, Objective, and Indicator(s)

Standard 4 Life Science - Students will gain an understanding of Life Science through the
study of changes in organisms over time and the nature of living things.

Objective 2 - Living things change and depend upon their environment to satisfy their basic
needs.
-Indicator 3: Describe and model life cycles of living things.
National Arts Standards: Dance: DA:Cr2.1.1
a. Improvise a series of movements that have a beginning, middle, and end, and describe
movement choices

Reading: Literature Standard 2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central
message or lesson.

Vocabulary:
Previous Vocabulary:
-Egg
-Butterfly
-Caterpillar

Lesson Vocabulary:
-Larva
 -Pupa
-Chrysalis
-Metamorphosis
-Hibernate
-Molting/Molt

Preparation/Materials:
To prepare for the lesson, the teacher should create the following:
Five separate stations with seats for 5-7 students at each depending on the size
of the class. There should be a table with books (see below) on the life cycle of
the butterfly, with thinking questions written down. There should be a second
station with a computer with speakers and seats around it with the Youtube
video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWgSgMGxOc, prepared to be
played. There should be a third station with sets of two seats facing one another
for the debate/discussion with a prompt on each chair. The fourth station will
need worksheets, glue, pencils, and scissors. The fifth station will need precut flip
books with markers, crayons, and other drawing utensils.
A word wall with lesson vocabulary word prepared to be added.
A set of real life pictures of each stage of the butterfly cycle.
Book List:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Becoming Butterflies by Anne Rockwell
Butterfly: See How They Grow by DK Publishing
National Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh
Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.
See How They Grow: Butterfly photographed by Kim Taylor
The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen

The Life Cycles of Butterflies: From Egg to Maturity, a Visual Guide to 23

Common Garden Butterflies by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards (advanced
book)
A Butterfly Grows by Stephen R. Swinburne (advanced book)

The classroom should be organized into stations with room for whole class discussions
as well as empty space for tableaux work.

Lesson Description:

1. As students enter the classroom, they should be brought into a central space all facing
the teacher. The teacher will begin by asking the students to share with the class what
they know about caterpillars and butterflies. The story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by
Eric Carle should then be read to the entire class. Comprehension questions should be
asked every couple of pages to ensure understanding. (Examples: What do you think is
 happening to the caterpillar? What do you think will happen next? Share with a partner
what has happened in this story so far.) After the book is finished, ask the students to
retell the story in order using words like first, next,last, etc. This can be done as a
whole class or using think-pair-share. The teacher should then show the set of real life
pictures of the butterfly life cycle using proper vocabulary words which are on the word
wall.

2. The students will be broken up into five groups and placed at one of the five stations.
These stations should be explained before breaking the students up into groups to
answer any questions or misunderstandings.
a. Station #1 will have an array of books (See above book list) for the students to
read, review, and look at to provide ideas for discussion. There should be a few
pieces of paper as well with thinking questions to spark these discussions with
questions such as: What stages does the caterpillar go through to become a
butterfly? What are some similarities you saw between the books? What did you
find interesting? What questions do you have about the metamorphosis of
caterpillars into butterflies?
b. Station #2 will have a video set up on a computer to watch which shows a time
lapse metamorphosis of a butterfly
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWgSgMGxOc). Students at this station
should be encouraged to watch this as many times as they would like and to
pause and rewind where necessary.
c. Station #3 should be set up in an open space in the room with three sets of two
chairs facing one another. Each chair should have a piece of paper with a topic
for the students to discuss: the beginning of the cycle, the middle of the cycle, the
end of the cycle, what do you think is happening in the chrysalis?, why did the
caterpillar in the story need to each so much food before forming the chrysalis?,
what is one question you have about the butterfly cycle? Students should be
encouraged to switch discussion topics if there is time.
d. Station #4 is a sequencing activity where the students must use pictures to put
the life cycle in order. The students will cut out each picture and then decide the
order that they need to go in. They will glue them in order on their worksheet.
After sequencing using pictures, students must write one sentence per picture
describing each stage in the cycle.If there is time, students should compare their
answers with one another.
e. Station #5 will be at a table for the students to create their own flip book of the
life cycle. The flip books will already be cut out and prepared for each student but
they will need to write the form the insect is in at each stage of the cycle and then
draw a picture under each flap.

3. Students will then come back together as a whole class for a discussion on what they
discovered about each stage. The teacher should ask questions about the names of
each stage, what order they go in, what the caterpillar/looks like at each stage, and how
it moves. The students should be encouraged to show one another how it looks and
 moves with their body. The teacher should then explain what a pantomime is to the
students. Emphasis should be on creating levels with their body, using their whole body,
focusing on the task, and staying silent. During the discussion, the teacher should
choose 2-3 students to show their own pantomime of a stage of the cycle to not only
model pantomimes but to give ideas on movement for each stage. Students will be
broken back up into their station groups and will plan a pantomime of the whole process,
showing how the caterpillar moves and how it looks at each stage. They should be
reminded of levels, focus, engagement, and movement. The teacher should go to each
group as they are working to ensure they understand the task and the life cycle. After the
planning period, the students will perform their pantomimes for the class with a brief
discussion after each one about their performance and if the students were able to
distinguish between the stages.

Time Activity Description

0:00-2:00 Intro to the Butterfly Life Activating background

Cycle knowledge of students on the
topic

2:00-6:00 Read The Very Hungry Ask comprehension

Caterpillar by Eric Carle questions

6:00-8:00 Think-pair-share/whole class Retelling story from beginning

discussion on book to end

8:00-11:00 Stations How To Give directions on how each

station works

11:00-11:30 Break into Groups

11:30-16:30 1st Station Walk around to each group to

ensure they are staying on
task, answer questions,
assess understanding

16:30-21:30 2nd Station

21:30-26:30 3rd Station

26:30-31:30 4th Station

31:30-36:30 5th Station

36:30-38:30 Station Discussion

38:30-42:30 Pantomime Introduction and Explain what pantomime is,

Examples how it should look, and have
students show each other
 42:30-43:00 Break into Groups Each group needs to find
their own space

43:00-53:00 Group work on pantomimes Walk around to each group to

ensure they are staying on
task, answer questions,
assess understanding

53:00-60:00 Group performances with

brief discussion

Assessment:
The assessments for this lesson are integrated into the lesson itself and are mostly
informal and formative. The teacher should be constantly walking around and listening to
student discussions to obtain information on if they are comprehending the material. When the
students are in the stations and are reading the books and watching the timelapse video, they
are observing and discussing ideas about the life cycle.The students are engaging in discussion
and sharing throughout the lesson and the flip chart and sequencing activity are indicators of the
understanding of the cycle. The pantomime performance acts as a summative and more formal
assessment as the students must collect the information they have gathered through the lesson
and apply it accordingly. Without a strong understanding of the sequence of the cycle as well as
how each cycle looks and moves, the pantomimes will not be successful.

Accommodations for Gifted/Talented, ELLs, and Special Education

Gifted/Talented:
Students who are on a higher level will have access to books about the butterfly life cycle that
are at a more advanced level such as The Life Cycles of Butterflies: From Egg to Maturity, a
Visual Guide to 23 Common Garden Butterflies by Judy Burris and Wayne Richard and A
Butterfly Grows by Stephen R. Swinburne. These students will also be asked to write their own
sentences in the sequencing activity instead of using the handout for support which includes
helpful pictures. Since the lesson is more interactive than product-based, the accommodations
for gifted/talented students are not as extensive.

ELLS:
If possible, The Very Hungry Caterpillar will be provided to students in their first language while
the teacher reads it aloud. Students who are ELLs have book options during the stations with a
few of the books being mainly picture-based and not requiring as much reading. During the
discussion station, ELL students will be paired with a peer whose first language is English for
support on the assignment. During the pantomime, ELL students will be spread throughout the
groups to ensure peer support.

Special Education:
Depending on their specific needs, student with special needs will be paired with higher level
peers, given access to online versions of the books, and will get extra time at stations if needed.
Students with physical disabilities who cannot participate in the pantomime can narrate their
groups pantomime for the class describing the stage and movements.

Lesson Plan 1 Supplementary Materials

Lesson Plan 1 Supplementary Materials
Lesson 1 Supplementary Materials
Lesson 1 Supplementary Materials