Unit of Study: Lifecycles: Butterflies
Title of Activity: Butterflies read aloud and book-making
activity
Connection: Children have been learning about life cycles of different animals
Age: Pre-K/ 3 and 4
Part
1:Whole class on the carpet led by Gabby
Part 2:
Tables with 5-6 children each, one teacher at one table and one teacher
floating between two tables.
Goal: Children will learn about the lifecycle of butterflies while bolstering
math learning, language, reading and writing skills, and sensory and motor
development.
Objectives:
Physical well-being/ health/ motor
development: Children will be
able to draw illustrations for their books using crayons.
Children
will be able to hold a crayon correctly and use adequate pressure and control
to draw one drawing with or without a visual aid.
Language, communication and literacy: Children will be able to expressively label the
stages of the butterfly lifecycle with or without verbal prompts from teacher.
Cognition: Children will be able to follow at least one set
of three-step directions during the activity.
Children
will be able to put the steps of the lifecycle in order from first to last.
Children
will be able to discuss their work with peers and teachers.
Social and emotional development: Children will be able to wait and take turns using
materials as well as sharing their books with the class.
Vocabulary: chrysalis, nectar, lifecycle, metamorphosis
Materials:
·
Book for
read-aloud- From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Helligman
·
Large
chart paper
·
One
title on a strip of paper: "The Life Cycle of a Butterfly", per child
·
Small
paper labels for each step of the life cycle (egg, larva or caterpillar,
chrysalis, adult butterfly), one set per student
·
Two
sheets of white paper folded in half and stapled into a four page book, one per
child
·
Crayons
·
Scissors
·
Glue
Procedure:
1. Invite
children to join you at the carpet for story time.
2. Read
the story and introduce new vocabulary as you go along, pause briefly for one
or two “think-alouds”.
3. On
chart paper, draw and label the four stages of a butterfly
life cycle. Go back into the book and find each stage. Talk about what a
cycle is and point out the end where adult butterflies fly off to lay eggs.
4. Give
each student a stapled book with labels glued onto each page. Go over the
stages again and show the students how they can use your chart to help them
read their labels. The egg stage will be on the same page as the title. Then
they can use their crayons to draw and color illustrations for each page of
their book.
5. When
work time is finished, the children will be invited to the carpet for a
“regroup and share” session. Every child is not required to share and if there
is not enough time for every child to share, we will have a second sharing
session later in the day. (If there is not enough time for a “regroup”,
children will be given the opportunity to share and discuss their work at their
tables with the leading teacher who is present)
Modifications:
1. Teachers
will be present to facilitate social interactions and verbal communication.
They will help with skills such as eye contact, turn taking, listening and
speaking and participating in group discussions.
2. Vocabulary/writing
words will be said and accompanied with visual prompts for children who require
this.
3.
Children
with fine motor delays will need support with writing/drawing.
4.
Children
with fine motor delays or cognitive disabilities, who have trouble drawing,
will be given hand over hand support and or larger crayons.
5.
Children
with severe language delays may expressively label one vocabulary word instead
of three.
Assessment:
1. Was
the child able to draw illustrations?
2.
Was the child able to hold a
crayon correctly?
3.
Was the child able to draw one
drawing?
4.
Was the child able to follow one set of three-step directions
during the activity?
5.
Was the child able to
expressively label the stages of the butterfly lifecycle?
6.
Was the child able to take turns
during the activity?
7. Was the
child able to share or discuss his or her work?
