Unit topic: Science
Graded level: 3rd Grade
Lesson topic: Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Lesson objectives:
The student will be able to list the chronoligical stages in a butterfly's life cycle and be able to apply the correct terminology (metamorphasis, cocoon, larva, chrysalis, pupa)
The student will be able to identify a picture and know which stage of the life cycle it corresponds to.
Instructional technique:
Introduce website to the students and see if they have any prior knowledge about the life cycle of a butterfly.
Lecture on the temonology of a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfrly.
Select willing students to read the attatched sheet that lists the four stages of a butterfly life cycle.
Direct students to cut, color, and paste each picture with its corresponding stage.
Instructional materials:
Website: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/life_cycle.html
Guide for worksheet
Worksheet: Simple Science- Buttefly Life Cycle
Live Butterfly Habitat
Theoretical Perspective:
Metamorphasis is an important concept to be learned by students because they should understand how an insect changes its habitat and appearance. Students should know that all living things experience some level of growth over a period of time. It is important that students identify living from nonliving things for later topics such as photosynthesis.
Procedure:
Teacher passes out computers to each student and shows them how to navigate website.
As the students are pulling up the activity, the teacher passes out the guide for the webiste.
The students will drag the appropriate picture with the life cycle stage, at the end of the five stages the student will recieve a score.
As they are manipulating on the website the student will be expected to fill out a website guide.
Teacher begins the lesson by handing out a Butterfly Life Cycle worksheet to each student.
Teacher explains to the students the process a caterpillar undergoes to become a butterfly.
As a class, each stage on the worksheet is read and analyzed.
The students then color the pictures on the worksheet, cut them out, and paste them onto the life cycle chart
Teacher walks around the classroom to check the progress of each student and make sure they are doing the worksheet correctly.
Class goes over their answers as a group.
At the end of the lesson students should be able to see and understand each stage of the life cycle. The teacher will bring out the butterfly habitat.
As the caterpillars grow students should be able to identify and explain in a brief journal entry what is happening to the caterpillar.
The lesson was created to ensure that children who struggle with learning, wheather it be poor reading skills, non native speakers, or children with disabilities, are able to have several different ways of learning about the topic instead of a traditional lecture. Multiple forms of visuals are included so that the student is not relying solely on reading. They are able to cut and color pictures of the stages, as well as using the website to identify which stage the caterpillar is in beforehand. Most importantly, by including the butterfly habitat, students are able to physically see the stages and angage in the process while the caterpillar grows.
Evaluation:
The student will be able to list the chronological stages in a butterfly's life cycle and be able to apply the correct termonology (metamorphosis, cocoon, larva, chrysalis, pupa)
The students should be able to identify and explain which stage of the life cycle the caterpillar is in as they watch it grow in the habitat
The student will be able to identify a picture and know which stage of the life cycle it corresponds to.
Through the worksheet the students should be able to correctly place the stages of the life cycle in order.
Will students lose interest in this lesson since it will be ongoing over a couple of weeks?
Will the students fully understand the vocabulary post lesson?