Old Dominion Darden College of

University Education
Instructional Lesson Plan
Overview
Lesson Plan Overview

Date: 11-26-18

Lesson Title:

Lesson Author: Alyana Lara

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Subject Area: Social Studies, Science

Time Allotted for Lesson:

Short Description of Lesson

In this lesson, the students will be learning about animal and plant life cycles around the

world. Each continent has different plants and animals living on it, and so all students will

be assigned a different continent to study their life cycles. To make the activity simple, the

students will be using butterflies from different continents that are assigned by the

teacher. With these butterflies, they will also provide a map of the continent the butterfly

is from with various labels on the map to display their geographic knowledge. For the

purposes of the lesson, the teacher will model their own butterfly life cycle to use as an

example for the students.

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Standards
Lesson Plan Standards

Social Studies:

2.6 The student will develop map skills by using globes and maps of the world and the
United States to locate
a) the seven continents and the five oceans;
b) the equator, the Prime Meridian, and the four hemispheres

Science:

2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of
orderly changes as they mature and grow. Key concepts include
a) animal life cycles; and
b) plant life cycles.

2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system. Key
concepts include
a) living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings
b) an animal’s habitat includes adequate food, water, shelter or cover, and space

Instructional Objectives
Instructional Objectives

Social Studies:

2.6 Terms to know

 land: The solid surface of Earth
 continent: A large body of land on Earth
 equator: An imaginary line around the middle of Earth that divides it into the Northern
and Southern Hemispheres
 Prime Meridian: An imaginary line that divides Earth into the Eastern and Western
Hemispheres
 hemisphere: Half of a sphere (globe); created by the Prime Meridian or the equator

The seven continents

 North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica

The five oceans

 Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Southern Ocean

The four hemispheres

 Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western

Science:

2.4 In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

  describe changes in the life cycles of a butterfly and a white-tailed deer.
 compare and contrast life cycles of a butterfly and a white-tailed deer.
 construct and interpret models/diagrams of animal and plant life cycles.

2.5 In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

 classify objects as to whether they are living or nonliving.
 describe the basic components of an animal habitat (food, water, shelter or cover, and
space).
 classify the parts of an animal’s habitat as living or nonliving.
 construct and interpret simple models of different kinds of habitats, including a forest
and a stream.
 predict and describe seasonal changes in habitat and their effects on plants and
animals, for example, how trees change through the seasons and how animals respond
to changes in the seasons.
 describe how animals are dependent on their surroundings, for example, how squirrels
and other animals are affected by the loss of forest habitat.

Focus
Enduring Understandings

Social Studies:

2.6 Maps can be used to locate land and water features, and maps and globes help people
study Earth.

Science:

2.4
 Throughout their lives, plants and animals undergo a series of orderly and identifiable
changes.
 Changes in organisms over time occur in cycles and differ among the various plants and
animals.
 Some animals, such as mealworms, pill bugs, frogs, and butterflies go through distinct
stages as they mature to adults. Other animals, such as crickets, praying mantises, gray
squirrels, and white-tailed deer, resemble their parents from birth to maturity and do not
have distinct stages.
 White-tailed deer are the largest herbivores in Virginia. They are found in all areas of
Virginia including forests, open fields, mountain tops, coastal islands, and in cities and
towns. Their diet consists of grasses, leaves, nuts, fruits, and fungi. Virginia’s white-tailed
deer have few predators. Fawns may be taken by bobcat. Other mortality factors include
hunting, motor vehicles, poaching, and trains.

Essential Questions

 How are butterflies different on different continents?

 Why do you think life cycles are important?
 What convinced you that butterflies across continents go through similar cycles?
 How might you prove that butterflies around the world are similar/different?
Procedures
Lesson Set

To introduce the lesson, the teacher will read the book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by
Eric Carle. After the book is read, the teacher will then show the students a video of a
metamorphosis time lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWgSgMGxOc The
teacher will then ask what they found interesting about the video (3 student responses)
and what they didn’t know about it (3 student responses).

Rationale

The life cycle is what explains how plants and animals grow in their lifetimes. Regardless
of what part of the planet any living thing is from, they all go through a cycle. For the
social studies part of the lesson, it’s important for students to gain a perspective of what
the world is like so that they can gain a sense of place and know that there are many
different things all around the world, just like how there are different butterflies.

Techniques and Activities

1. Teacher Directed: After the lesson set, the

teacher will go on to explain the phases in
the life cycle of a butterfly. On the Smart
Board/Promethean Board, the teacher can
either draw or use a graphic organizer to
arrange the life cycle with the help of the
students. To make the activity more
interactive with the students, the teacher can get
the students to come up to the board and try to
rearrange the phases of the butterfly cycle in the
correct order. These phases can include the use of
pictures and important vocabulary such as
metamorphosis, chrysalis, caterpillar, and eggs.

2. Teacher Directed, Whole Group: After the teacher shows the video of the butterfly
life cycle and reads Eric Carle’s book, the teacher will begin to model how the students
will create the butterfly life cycle page and a map of their
continent (directions):
 Look up a picture of your assigned butterfly for coloring
reference!
 All of the parts of the butterfly worksheet will be colored
(includes the butterfly, chrysalis, caterpillar, and eggs)
 Next, each part on the worksheet will be carefully cut
 Before gluing, get the teacher to check your work so any
mistakes can be checked
 Once the teacher checks the work, the students can
then glue their life cycles and label the continent maps
 For the map, the teacher will provide a blank map of
each continent.
 o The students will be responsible for labeling the continent
o Name of continent
o One country that exists on said continent
o Which oceans (or other continents) border the continent
 On both pages, the name of the butterfly and their locations should be written at
the top of each piece of paper

3. Student-Centered: The students will follow the instructions written in step one of this
activity. *The map and the butterfly life cycle will be on two separate pages so that they
are opposite of each other when they are inserted into their history book! * The steps
that were provided will be provided on a checklist for the students so that they can check
themselves for completion of the activity.

Lesson Closure

To end the lesson, a verbalized recap will be done on certain key vocabulary, which includes:

Science Vocab: Social Studies Vocab:

 Metamorphosis  Continent and names
 Chrysalis/pupa/cocoon  Oceans and names
 Eggs  Map
 Caterpillar  Hemisphere
 Life Cycle  Prime Meridian
 Equator

Once the recap is completed, a whole group discussion will start, with the teacher
directing the inquiry. Some of the questions that the students can try to answer include:
 What do you think would happen if the caterpillar/butterfly didn’t have a chrysalis
to grow out from?
 How can we prove that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly when it’s in its chrysalis?
 Where do you think most butterflies lay their eggs: in tall trees or in plants lower
to the ground?
 Assessment/Evaluation

To measure the students’ achievements, the teacher will be checking each of their maps
and their life cycles individually before they glue any piece of the life cycle. Based on how
the students complete their activities, it will show how much they understand the life cycle
and show how much geography they understand. Feedback will be provided to students
verbally and they will be given written feedback on how well they comprehended the
concepts of the lesson, how well they followed directions, and the labels they used.

Student Products

By the end of the lesson, students will have created a map of the continent with the
appropriate labels of where their assigned butterfly lives and a page that shows the life cycle
of their specific butterfly. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to place these
activities into their personal history books. The reason why the pages are done on separate
pieces of paper is so that when it is inside of their book, the pages will face each other when
going through the book (the map would be on the left side, the butterfly life cycle is opposite).

Supplemental Activities: Extension and Remediation

Extensions:
For those students who fully understand the concepts of this lesson, they have the
opportunity to learn more about other animal’s life cycles through this master list of
interactive games: http://interactivesites.weebly.com/life-cycles.html where they can learn
about the life cycles of a frog, a parrot, and even a mushroom! The students are more than
welcome to pick any of the games to play to learn about more life cycles.

Remediation:
Students who need more help with understanding the concepts of the lesson can learn
more about the butterfly life cycle through Sheppard Software:
(http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/life_cycle/games.htm ). This website
offers to show a lesson of the butterfly’s life cycle, and also comes with a movie at the end
of the interactive that can be viewed for those students who may still be confused about
how life cycles work.

Adaptations for Diverse Special Learners

Learners with Disabilities:

For learners with disabilities, the students can create digital versions of the butterfly life cycle
by using one of the websites listed in “Supplemental Activities.” They can complete the
interactives and take a screen shot of the web page to be printed out and placed in their
books. Creating a digital version of the life cycle may be more helpful for them because of the
accessibility teachers that can be modified on a computer or iPad.

ESL Learners:
ESL learners can also use technology to help create their map and butterfly life cycle pages.
Also, books on the butterfly life cycle that has translations in the student’s home language can
be used along with the help of the ESL teacher. It would also be helpful if some of the
students that are sitting in the same group as the ESL student can show them how they are
creating their activity to build familiarity with their classmates and the lesson itself.

Gifted Learners:
For gifted learners, the students can use the website that is listed under “Supplemental
Activities.” They can also look for more information on the location (specific countries) and
the habitat (including the food they eat and the environment they’re in)of their assigned
butterfly. This information can be written on their map if there is enough time in the lesson.

Differentiated Instruction

To reach the needs of all students, whole group and individual work is used along with different
modes of collecting data about their butterflies. The students can use tangible resources such as
books or science journals/magazines made for students (such as Scholastic branded journals and
magazines) and resources online. There are also different ways that students can create their
pages, whether by hand or digitally. The decision to do it by hand or digitally will be based on each
student’s individual needs.
Resources
Materials and Additional Resources

 Smart Board
 Laptops, iPads, or computers
 Colored pencils, crayons, pencils
 Construction Paper
 Butterfly life cycle worksheet: https://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects/mlifecycle-
butterfly.htm (download links are at the bottom of the page)
 Blank, printable maps
 Scissors
 Glue
 Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York City, World Publishing Company,
3 June 1969
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is considered one of the most classic
children’s books since its publication in 1969. The story follows a caterpillar who
eats different food (strawberries, pears, etc.) in every page, until it eventually
starts to finally eat leaves. The caterpillar then begins to form a chrysalis and turns
into a beautiful butterfly.

Web and Attachment Resources

 Metamorphosis Time Lapse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWgSgMGxOc

 Extension Link: http://interactivesites.weebly.com/life-cycles.html
 Remediation Link:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/scienceforkids/life_cycle/games.htm

Reflection and Reaction

Personal Impact on Student Learning

Provide a well written in-depth summary of your personal impact on

student learning. Provide information on what worked and did not
work. What would you do differently?