Heather Svihl

10/26/2011
Lesson Topic:
Butterfly Exploration
The purpose oI this lesson is to inIorm students about the metamorphic changes that are involved in
becoming a butterIly. Students will also be able to have the ability to research inIormation about a butterIly.
This lesson was adapted Irom 2 lesson plans that I Iound on AtoZ Teacher StuII (links below).
http://lessons.atozteacherstuII.com/332/liIe-cycle-oI-a-butterIly-pasta-activity/
http://www.atozteacherstuII.com/pages/277.shtml
Description of Classroom: This is a 2
nd
grade classroom oI about 40 students with mixed abilities,
mixed ethnicities and mixed genders.
Background: This lesson is the beginning oI a two week unit about bugs. We will spend
one week on butterIlies and one week on ants. This lesson will be completed throughout the week on
butterIlies. Students need to know how to make observations and predictions. Students will also need to
know the correct procedure to work in learning circles and to complete research. As a transition into this
lesson I will remind students oI the proper procedures.
Nevada Standards:
.2.A.1: Record observations using pictures, words, numbers and charts
.2.A.3: Make and justiIy predictions based on observations
.2.A.1: Explain that animals have oIIspring that are the same kind oI animal, and that diIIerences
exist among individuals oI the same kind oI animal
.2.A.2: Describe how animals grow and change throughout their liIe cycle
Content Objective(s):
1. iven their observation journal, students will record observations oI real liIe caterpillars using
pictures, words, numbers and charts with a satisIactory level as deIined by the rubric attached to the
Iront cover oI their observation journal
2. In their observation journals and in a one-on-one conIerence with the teacher, students will be able
to make and justiIy predictions by reIerring to at least two observations they have made.
3. iven the opportunity to observe and research students will be able to explain that ButterIlies have
babies that go through a metamorphosis to become a butterIly.
4. iven the opportunity to research students will describe how caterpillars grow and change into
butterIlies by writing an accurate biography oI a butterIly.
Language Objective(s):
1. Students will write a report about a butterIly and write observations, predictions and explanations in
their observation journals
2. Students will discuss their observations, predictions and explanations with the teacher. They will
also assist the teacher in creating a class KW chart by providing the teacher what they know, what
they want to know and what they think they know.
3. Students will read various sources to gain knowledge on butterIlies in order to create a Iactual
report.
4. Students will listen to others share their thoughts and opinions, listen to directions given by the
teacher and also listen to Eric Carle`s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
ey Vocabulary:
iIe Cycle: The continuous change that a living thing goes through
ButterIly: Insect with broad, colorIul wings
arva (Caterpillar): Insect between the egg and pupal stages
!upa: Insect in the stage between the larva and the winged adult
Chrysalis: the pupa oI a moth or butterIly
These are just a few of the major words that students may ask about. Students know that I will assist
them in looking up any word that they don`t know.


!reparation Scaffolding Grouping Options
Adaptation oI content Modeling Whole Class
inks to background uided practice Small groups
inks to past learning Independent practice !artners
Strategies incorporated Verbal scaIIolds Independent
!rocedural scaIIolds
Integration of !rocesses Application Assessment
istening Hands-on Individual
Speaking Authentic (MeaningIul) roup
Reading inked to objectives Written
Writing !romotes engagement Oral
Teaching Strategies:
KW Chart will be used in the warm-up and early part oI the lesson
uided Discovery: In the middle oI the lesson, students will be given the opportunity to discover
and explore while using guidelines set by the teacher
Student ConIerencing: During the guided discovery time, the teacher will be talking with the
students on one-on-one basis.
arm Up Activity:
I will begin by engaging the students and activating student`s prior knowledge and background inIormation. T
teacher will show a picture oI a butterIly and will ask students
the Iollowing questions:
Have you ever seen a butterIly?
Have you touched one?
What do you know about butterIlies?
What do you want to know about butterIlies?
I will then introduce the Chart !aper Ior a KW Chart and will begin creating a KW Chart. As a class, we
will create a KW chart about butterIlies.
1his activity will take approximately 1 minutes.
Lesson Sequence:
Engage.
1. I will begin the warm-up as detailed above to engage and activate students prior knowledge and
background inIormation by asking questions and creating a class KW Chart (10 Minutes)
2. I will then transition into story time. Teacher will then show the video oI Eric Carl`s The Very
Hungry Caterpillar to the class. (7 minutes)
Explore and Explain.
1. I will brieIly review the students the liIe cycle stages with the students. I will then introduce the
real-liIe caterpillars to the class and explain exactly what the students will be doing Ior the
remainder oI the class. ( minutes)
2. I will then allow the students to begin their exploration. I will walk around and help students get
started iI they need a little extra help. $ee attached butterfly Exploration Debrief for more
information) (30 minutes)
3. I will then signal the end oI today`s work time and have students clean up and come back together
as a whole class. ( minutes)
4. I will then provide closure by review the stages oI a butterIly`s liIe cycle with the students and will
introduce the ButterIly Bulletin Board. ( minutes)
Extend.
Students can talk with their parents about the liIe cycle oI humans or even other living things.

This lesson will take a total of 62 minutes. This lesson is longer than 0 minutes because I integrated
reading, science and arts. Students will be working on these learning centers for the next 3-4 days.
The assignments in this lesson require several days for students to complete.
Accommodations: The teacher will meet all required student accommodations as stated in their IE!`s.
The teacher will also allow the students to work at their own pace.
Materials:
MagniIying lasses
Observation Journals with Rubrics Attached
ButterIly Exploration Report Rubric
Chart !aper For KW
ButterIly !atterns
Spiral !asta
Shell !asta
Bow-tie !asta
Small round pasta
Crayons/markers
lue
Real iIe ButterIly arden Kit
Variety oI resources Ior students to obtain inIormation
Online Resources:
Site has great printables: http://k2printables.com/butterIlies.htm
Facts about diIIerent butterIlies: http://www.kidsbutterIly.org/education
reat Resource Ior ideas on an entire unit on The Very Hungry Caterpillar
http://www.mrscowan.com/veryhungrycaterpillar.htm
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Video Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?vHpISHA8Fs4w
reat website Ior resource Ior ideas Ior activities: http://earthsbirthday.org/butterIlies/
Contains inIormation about the !ainted ady ButterIly:
http://www.insectlore.com/xlorepediastuII/paintedlady.html
This website contains inIormation about Insect ore`s ButterIly arden:
http://www.insectlore.com/xinsectucationalstuII/instructions/garden.html
Review/Assessment:
On top oI inIormally assessing students as I walk around and conIerence with each student, I will use
rubrics to grade their observation journals and their reports. At the end oI the unit students will be tested on
liIe cycles.
Reflection:

I am planning on giving students ample oI time to observe the real liIe caterpillars and to research, I just
hope that students will be actively working and not playing around. I am also hoping to be able to walk
around the classroom and to be able to spend about 3 minutes with each student. I also have a link a video
version oI a hungry caterpillar and I hope that they video is still accessible and that I have access to the
computer resources. I also have a 'plan B just in case something goes wrong with the technology I have
selected to use.

The art part oI this lesson plan may require some monitoring to make sure that students don`t eat the raw
pasta as this could be a saIety issues, because iI they try to eat the raw pasta chocking may occur. The real
liIe caterpillars area could present an issue as well because students may try to open the container. For this
reason I will need to make sure that beIore introducing the caterpillars to the students we will have to
discuss some rules.