South Carolina ETV
South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545
The Life Cycle of the Butterfly (Grade 2)
Master Teacher
Marie Ingram
Time Allotment
Three weeks/30 minutes each day
Overview
This unit allows students to study the life cycle of the butterfly by observing metamorphosis taking place in a butterfly pavilion. Centers and games will be used to introduce vocabulary and learn interesting facts about butterflies.
Subject Matter
Science
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Place the life cycle of the butterfly in the correct order.
- Label body parts of a caterpillar and butterfly.
- Observe the metamorphosis of butterflies.
- Know vocabulary that relates to the life cycle of a butterfly.
South Carolina Curriculum Standards
(From the South Carolina Language Arts Curriculum Standards, grade 2, available online at www.myscschools.com)
South Carolina Science Academic Standards—Spring 2005
Animals
Standard 2-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the needs and characteristics of animals as they interact in their own distinct environments. (Life Science)
Indicators
2-2.1: Recall the basic needs of animals (including air, water, food, and shelter) for energy, growth and protection.
2-2.2: Classify animals (including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects) according to their physical characteristics.
2-2.3: Explain how distinct environments throughout the world support the life of different types of animals.
2-2.4: Illustrate the various life cycles of animals (including birth and the stages of development).
Media Components
PowerPoint
Students will work in small groups to develop a PowerPoint presentation of their process from the beginning of the unit to the end which is the releasing of the butterflies.
Video
Exploring the Diversity of Life: Butterfly Garden looks at the world of the butterfly and its habitat. You want to download the following video clips—
“Exploring the Diversity of Butterflies” (2:04)
“Butterflies and Food: More Plants Mean More Butterflies” (2:17)
“Butterfly Adaptations” (1:14)
Directions: To access these video clips, log on to your account at ETV’s StreamlineSC Web page (http://etv.streamlinesc.org). In the search by keyword box, type in butterflies. Click on “Exploring the Diversity of Life: Butterfly Garden.” Select the “a” in front of the clip “Exploring the Diversity of Butterflies” (2:04). This adds the clip to “My Playlist.” Select Continue button. Click to close window. Repeat same steps for “Butterflies and Food: More Plants Mean More Butterflies” (2:17) and “Butterfly Adaptations” (1:14).When finished, log off.
(Note to Teacher: If you don’t have an account with ETV’s StreamlineSC, check with your media specialist about signing up for an account.)
Web Sites
Insect Lore (www.insectlore.com) Order complete butterfly kit with 10 caterpillars and a pavilion to hang the chrysalises for about $30.
SchoolExpress (http://www.schoolexpress.com) Purchase butterfly materials (optional).
Butterfly Patterns (http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects/images/btpbutterfly.gif) Patterns for 3D art project.
Can Teach (http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems26.html) Butterfly songs and poems.
Materials
Booksfrom the library on caterpillars and butterflies, such as From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman and Butterflies by Karen Shapiro, illustrated by Jean Cassels.
Supplies for Activities
Per small group:
Materials for 3D art projects such as toilet tissue rolls, pipe stem cleaners, craft sticks, and coffee filters as suggested at http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects. (Note to Teacher: After going to the Web site, scroll down to “Insect Crafts.” Instructions, patterns and materials needed are listed for several butterfly crafts. The ones best suited for the unit are Butterfly Flier and Butterfly TP Roll Craft.)
Per student:
writing paper
construction paper
crayons
markers
Per class:
A complete butterfly kit with 10 caterpillars to hang the chrysalises and a butterfly pavilion to be ordered from www.insectlore.com.
Equipment
Computer
Projector/screen or TV/ TVconverter
Overhead projector or board
Digital camera
PowerPoint and Word software
Prep for Teachers
- Order the butterfly kit with 10 caterpillars to hang the chrysalises and a butterfly pavilion from www.insectlore.com about two weeks before beginning the unit.
- Gather art supplies and copies of patterns using suggestions from http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects to make 3D butterflies.
- Check out books on butterflies and equipment from the library.
- Make a K-W-L chart to introduce the unit. See Step 3 under Introductory Activity for questions.
- Bookmark Internet sites to be used by the students.
- Make the following games and diagrams:
“Boom Game”: A can that contains the following vocabulary words about caterpillars and butterflies: caterpillar, butterfly, chrysalis, pavilion, adult, larvae, nectar, antennae, thorax, abdomen.
“Sequence Game”: Students will place the life cycle of the butterfly in the correct
order in a file folder. (Note to Teacher: See end of lesson for example.)
“Crossword Puzzle”: Students will complete a puzzle using butterfly vocabulary
words. (Note to Teacher: Puzzle found at end of lesson.)
“Labeling of Parts”: Students will use word cards for the parts of the butterfly to label on a blank diagram. (Note to Teacher: See the end of the lesson for butterfly parts.)
- When using media, provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
Introductory Activity
Step 1: Set a container of caterpillars and the butterfly pavilion in a central location in the classroom where all the students will notice them as they enter the room.
Step 2: As students begin to ask questions about the items, begin a circle map with “Caterpillars” as the topic on the board or overhead projector. Write information given from the students in the circle map.
Step 3: Create a K-W-L chart with the questions “What do we know about butterflies?’ and “What do we want to find out about butterflies?” Lead the class in filling out the K-W-L chart.
Learning Activities
Step 1: Meet in a circle time each morning to do a large group activity or view a video clip and to introduce centers and games developed about butterflies until all have been discussed. (Note to Teacher: This is when you can have the students do the games listed in the Prep for Teachers.) Meet in circle time every afternoon to share discoveries of the day. Students will discuss any changes they observe in the caterpillars.
Step 2: Log on to ETV’s StreamlineSC Web page to access your Playlist. (Note to Teacher: It is probably better if you download it to your computer’s hard drive or a CD. Many schools don’t have the band width to live stream.) Students will view segments from Exploring the Diversity of Life: Butterfly Garden. After each segment the class will discuss content questions about the clip.
Step 3: The Focus for Media Interaction questions for 1. “Exploring the Diversity of Butterflies” (2:04) are “Why is observing butterflies a great way to explore diversity in animals?” (There are so many kinds of butterflies.) “What are the four different stages a butterfly goes through in its life cycle?” (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult) Instructions: Locate the video clip on your hard drive or CD. Double click video clip icon. Click on silver circle in the bottom right of the video screen to show full screen. Click the x in the upper right corner when the clip is complete.
Step 4: The Focus for Media Interaction questions for 2. “Butterflies and Food: More Plants Mean More Butterflies” (2:17) are “When do butterflies eat nectar plants?” (as adults) “What are host plants?” (leaves that caterpillars eat) “Why are caterpillars picky eaters?” (Each kind only eats a few kinds of leaves.) Instructions: Locate the video clip on your hard drive or CD. Double click video clip icon. Click on silver circle in the bottom right of the video screen to show full screen. Click the x in the upper right corner when the clip is complete.
Step 5: The Focus for Media Interaction questions for 3. “Butterfly Adaptations” (1:14) are “Why do butterflies have dark wing spots in cool climates?” (to warm them up in the sun) “Why do butterflies have different wing patterns on the bottom?” (to help them hide and rest) Instructions: Locate the video clip on your hard drive or CD. Double click video clip icon. Click on silver circle in the bottom right of the video screen to show full screen. Click the x in the upper right corner when the clip is complete.
Step 6: Divide students into small groups. Have each group develop a PowerPoint presentation of interesting things they have learned from the beginning of the unit to the end, which is the release of the butterflies. Digital pictures will be taken during the unit to illustrate the activities and projects. Tell them they could include some of the following on their presentation slides:
Life cycle of the butterfly
How a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis
Pictures of what a butterfly eats
Body parts of a butterfly
Examples of a butterfly blending into its surroundings
Types of butterflies in their climate regions
Step 7: Have students work in small groups to make their 3D art projects. These will be displayed in the classroom.
Step 8: Have students learn one of the poems or songs about butterflies from
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems26.html.
Culminating Activity
The Culminating Activity will be the releasing of the butterflies. Digital pictures will be taken. Poems and songs about butterflies will be read. The PowerPoint presentations will be shown.
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Language Arts: Students will read books about caterpillars and butterflies. They will engage in informative writing to use information that they have learned about butterflies. Complete sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling will be used.
Math: Students will be given an outline of a butterfly and they will illustrate that they understand that the wings of butterflies are symmetrical by coloring a design that shows symmetry.
Community Connections
- Invite parents and community to experience the butterfly release event.
Student Materials
FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
FLICKR PHOTO
TWITTER
BLOGS
