Butterfly Life Cycle

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?