2 Week Life Cycle Unit: Butterflies (Living Things Grow and Change)

Day 1
Science & Comprehension:
Inference Activity: Whats in the box
(caterpillar)
Inquiry Activity 1: What do you already
know about living things? Introduce
concept of life cycles.
Inquiry Activity 2: Scientific Inquiry
questions, predications, observations, etc.
OWL Chart: Observe, Wonder Know
Add to this daily or as observations,
wonders, and learning arises

Day 2
Science:
Butterflies and Dinosaurs
Tech:
Schoology discussion Do you think
butterflies and dinosaurs lived at the
same time?
Informational Text:
Anticipation Guide: Create
Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar by Bob
Barner
Vocabulary:
Writing:
Journal Prompt What is similar
between dinosaurs and butterflies?
What is different?

Math:
Start Life Cycle Change Charting (or
calendar)
Measure size of caterpillars
& record data
Whole class
chart:
Keep track of number of
caterpillars, chrysalis,
etc. to use for
math subtraction
problems
Writing:
Butterfly Journal
Calendar, observation log, I wonder pages,
written response journal pages, vocab., etc.

Math:
Review symmetry & shapes for work in
daily 5 station
Record data on calendar & measure
take photo of stage with iPads also and
keep it in an online journal

Day 3 (move this day if unit is done in

the fall)
Science:
What do living things need to survive?
Review of Living vs. Nonliving
Living and Nonliving Things Sort cards
Literature/Informational:
Find a book on what living things need to
survive
Vocabulary:
Writing:
Journal Prompt What do living things
need to survive?
Living and Nonliving Things Sort Journal
Page & Is it Living? Recording Sheet
Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem
Symmetry, number matching & shapes
modify example below to add color,
shapes, and larger numbers

Butterfly Math story problem to solve

each day related to number of
caterpillars, chrysalis, etc.

Creativity:

Creativity:

Day 4
Science:
Why did butterflies survive and
dinosaurs didnt? (This could be
introduced as a Schoology discussion
question)
How do they survive MN winters?
Migration & Hibernation
Brain Pop Jr. Video: Migration
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/ani
mals/migration/
Literature: Welcome Back Butterflies
(Reading A to Z wordless book &
discussion)
Vocabulary: migration, hibernation
Tech:
Link to animal migration and
hibernation sites through Schoology on
iPads
Writing:
Journal Prompt How do we survive
the winter? How is this similar to a
butterfly? How is this different?
Or
Name some other animals that you
know of that migrate. Name some other
animals that hibernate.
Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem
Creativity:

Day 5
Science:
Butterfly Life Cycle: General Overview
Butterflies & Caterpillars SMART board
lesson with lead-in to Eric Carle book
Literature:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Read Works Order of Events Lesson plan
Or use Close Reading Lesson Plan
Story Graphic Organizer
Vocabulary:
Tech:
YouTube video: Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle
told from the perspective of a butterfly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry4hq
n0WD60
Writing:
Journal Prompt If I were I hungry
caterpillar I would eat ____, and ___, and
____.
Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem
Creativity:
Butterfly Poem by Ema Hardesty
Eric Carle butterfly art project

Day 6
Science:
Life Cycle
Learn about stages and label important
parts with correct vocabulary.

Day 7

Day 8

Science:
Life Cycle
Interactive Life Cycle Smart board lesson

Science: Physical Attributes of Butterflies

(body parts, camouflage and also a
review of life cycle)
Brain Pop Jr. Butterflies video
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/ani
mals/butterflies/

Informational Text:
Life Cycle activity (multiple activity choices)
Informational Text:
The Butterfly Life Cycle (Level H Reading A
to Z book)
Create a Directed Reading Thinking
Activity to guide the focus of discussion

Vocabulary: life cycle, egg, caterpillar,

chrysalis, butterfly, metamorphosis

Literature:
Life Cycle Readers Theater (link below)

Tech:
Vocabulary:
Writing:

Day 9
Science:

Day 10
Science:
Informational Text:

Literature:
Life Cycle Readers Theater (link below)

Tech:

Tech:

Writing:

Writing:

Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem

Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem

Creativity:

Vocabulary:
Tech:

Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem

Tech:

Creativity:
Life Cycle Project add to each day

Math:
Record data on calendar & measure

Writing: draw the stages of a the life cycle

of a butterfly
Math:
Record data on calendar & measure
Butterfly Math story problem
Creativity:
Butterfly Life Cycle Song Metamorphosis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YVq
Hnw0W-Q

Creativity:

Writing:
Butterfly body parts

Butterfly Math story problem

Butterfly Cycle Song (with actions)

Creativity:
Caterpillar to Butterfly craft
Allow students to create a model of
caterpillar to butterfly. Provide various
materials and give some guidance, but
encourage own thinking and ideas

Daily 5 Activities
Read to Self
Butterfly printable books (Reading A to Z)
Life cycle books (animals & plants)

Listen to Reading
Life cycle books (animals & plants)

Word Work
Sight words

Writing
Butterfly Journals

Vocabulary

Purposeful Reading, Writing & Math

activities pack

I Spy and Can Spell Butterfly Inspector

Cards

Math
Butterfly symmetry with shapes, colors,
numbers
Butterfly number mats
Butterfly subtraction

Standards:
Foundations

Literature

Informational

Language

Writing

Math

Science

Social Studies

Media Literacy

Content Vocabulary:
Egg, caterpillar,
chrysalis, butterfly,
antenna, insect, legs,
wings, symmetry,
migration, overwinter,
metamorphosis

Use a combination of drawing,

dictating, and
writing to compose
informative/explanatory
texts in which they name what
they are writing about and
supply some information
about the
topic.
With guidance and support
from adults, explore a variety
of digital tools to produce and
publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.

Identify, create,
complete, and extend
simple patterns using
shape, color, size,
number, sounds and
movements.

Use observations to
develop an accurate
description of a
natural phenomenon
and compare ones
observations and
descriptions with
those of others

Describe a map and a

globe as a
representation of a
space.

With prompting and

support, create
an individual or
shared multimedia
work for a specific
purpose

Recognize basic twoand threedimensional shapes

such as squares,
circles,
triangles, rectangles,
trapezoids, hexagons,
cubes, cones,
cylinders and spheres
Use words to
compare objects
according to length,
size, weight and
position.
Order 2 or 3 objects
using measurable
attributes, such as
length and weight

Sort objects into two

groups: those that
Engineering occur in
nature; are found in
nature and those that
are
others have been
human made.

Use a variety of words

to reference time in the
past, present and
future; identify the
beginning, middle and
end of historical stories.

Participate in shared research

and writing projects

With guidance and support

from adults, recall information
from experiences or gather
information from provided
sources to answer a question.

Observe and compare

plants and animals

Identify the external

parts of a variety of
plants and animals
including humans.
Differentiate between
living and nonliving
things.

Other Skills:
Foundations

Literature

Informational

Fiction

nonfiction

Language

Writing

Math

Science

Symmetry
Subtraction

Life Cycle
What living things need

Social Studies

Media Literacy
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