Jessica Meador

September 21, 2010

Introduction

Lesson Plan Topic: Life cycle of a butterfly

Length of lesson: 40 minutes

SOL: 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.

Cognitive Objectives

Students will:

• Students will construct and label the life cycle of a butterfly.

Materials/Technology and Advanced Preparation

Materials:

Computer (Power Point assessable)

25 white paper plates

25 pieces of light blue colored construction paper cut into circles

Uncooked pasta (orzo or rice, large shell, rotini, and bowtie)

watercolors

glue

75 very small sticks

50 leaves

25 wildflowers

Advanced Preparation:

1. Buy supplies

2. Cut 25 circles to go into the plates and draw an X in the middle of the circle.

3. Put 3 sticks, one blue circle(with X), 2 leaves, wild flower, one orzo pasta, one shell

pasta, one rotini, and one bowtie pasta in a zip lock bag for each student.

4. Pull up video clip.

Teaching and Learning Sequence

Introduction/Anticipatory Set:

• Ask students what they know about the butterfly life cycle.

• Show the whole class a Power Point about the life cycle of a butterfly:
Lesson Plan Development:

• Discuss the Power Point and new vocabulary words introduced. Draw

picture of the butterfly life cycle on the board and write the names of the

butterfly cycle beside each phase. Call on students to review the

vocabulary words. Leave information on the board so that students may

refer to it as hey make their own butterfly life cycle.

• Explain to the students that they will now be able to make their own

butterfly life cycle on a paper plate.

• Glue down circle in the center of the plate.

• Next, label the outer edges of the plate with the stages of the butterfly's

life cycle.

• Have children paint their rotini green for the caterpillar and their shell

green for the chrysalis.

• Have children paint the butterfly their favorite color. Glue the orzo or rice

on a leaf in the egg stage.

• Glue the rotini on a leaf in the caterpillar stage. Glue the large shell pasta

underneath the stick for in the chrysalis stage. Then glue the bowtie pasta

to represent the beautiful transformation into a butterfly.

Closure:

• Tell children to bring their finished life cycles to the rug to share.

• We will review our vocabulary words (chrysalis, pupa, metamorphosis

egg, and larva) as each child shares their butterfly life cycle.

Homework: Life cycle vocabulary sheet. Children will choose a word from the box to tell

about each picture and then number each picture to show the correct order.

Assessment:

Formative:

• Watch children as they make their butterfly plates to see that they’re

putting the correct pasta on the correct part of the plate.

• I will also listen as children discuss their own butterfly plate for correct

vocabulary use.

Summative:

• Life cycle plate will be evaluated for correctness and will be used to assess

information given in the classroom.

 • Vocabulary worksheet will be graded as a homework grade and will

serve as an assessment to tell the teacher if any material needs to be re-

taught.

References:
Rainbow Star. www.rainbowstarbooks.com/butterflyunit. September 18, 2010.

Have Fun Teaching. http://www.havefunteaching.com/worksheets/science/living-and-

nonliving-things/butterfly-life-cycle.pdf. September 18, 2010