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Science Unit Plan: Caterpillars & Butterflies

Essential Questions:
-How does a caterpillar become a butterfly?
What stages does a caterpillar go through to become a butterfly?
What is an insect?
Why does a caterpillar become a butterfly?
How do animals change as they grow?
What do caterpillars need to live?

Grade Level Concepts (1.3):
-Plants and animals have life cycles that include a predictable sequence of stages: they begin
life, develop into adults, reproduce and eventually die.
-Some animals change dramatically in structure and function during their life cycle in a process
called metamorphosis.

Grade Level Expectations:
-Explain that living things experience a life cycle that includes birth, growth, reproduction and
death.
-Compare and contrast the changes in structure and behavior that occur during the life cycles of
animals that undergo metamorphosis with those that do not.

Inquiry Skills:
A INQ 1. Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms, and the environment.
A INQ. 3. Make predictions based on observed patterns.
A INQ. 6. Present information in words and drawings.

Language Objectives:
-Students will draw, record, and make predictions and observations in their Butterfly Journals
throughout the process of the entire unit.
-Students will use adjectives and vocabularies discussed throughout the unit to explain and
discuss metamorphosis as it affects different insects; specifically focused on the caterpillar.

Science Literacy & Real-World Connections:

Metamorphosis is a process that is fundamental to understanding animal life. By
introducing insects (specifically caterpillars) as animals that go through this process, students
will have a greater understanding of what metamorphosis might look like for various other
species.

Students will also be exploring the concept of life cycles, and will begin to understand
how animals progress through various life stages as they change and grow. Explaining and
understanding life cycles is an essential milestone for young children, as they will learn how to
better care for and respect the environment and living creatures around them. Students will also
explore the various importance of butterflies to our environmental health, and how common
insects and creatures are essential elements of a successfully functioning ecosystem.

Science literacy is developed through students using butterfly journals to practice
making predictions, hypotheses, and ongoing observations. Students are challenged to create
thoughtful responses to various inquiry lessons through drawings, diagrams, written descriptions,
and various other visual representations.

Unit Level Outline:

Week 1
Lesson 1: What are insects and why are they important?
**Prior to lesson** Teacher will collect various insects and put them into small jars (with holes in
them). (Examples: spider, caterpillar, grasshopper, ladybug, etc.). Create an index card with a
picture of the insect and a few facts about them near the jar.**
Before beginning the activity, teacher will call students to the rug and ask them to
brainstorm what they know about insects. Teacher will create categories for each insect
collected. All student suggestions will be written up on chart paper. Teacher will ask
guiding questions such as, How many legs does this insect have? What color is it?
Does it have eyes? How big is it? This What We Know About Insects chart will be
displayed in the science area of the classroom.
Teacher will use index cards created to describe each insect, and have students play a
game called, What Insect Am I? To guess which insect is in the jar.
Repeat for all insects, and show students the insect (do NOT open the jar). Remind
students these jars will be placed in the science area for students to observe the insects
throughout the day.
Teacher will wrap-up the game by explaining, Insects are all different shapes, sizes,
colors, and live in different places- just like us! However, all insects share a few things in
common. (Examples of facts to share: There are 6-10 million insects in the world, insect
bodies have three parts: thorax, abdomen, head- explain this with pictures and
definitions, they have two antennae, 3 sets of legs, they are cold blooded, some live in
groups, some live in water/some on land, they are found all over the world, spiders are
NOT insects).
Explain to students that in the future, we will be doing an investigation of one very
special insect: A caterpillar!
NOTE: INQUIRY LESSON

Lesson 2: What makes a caterpillar a caterpillar?
Display a clear image of a caterpillar in its environment. Draw two large overlapping
circles on the board, have students do the same in their Butterfly Journals.
Teacher will model comparing and contrasting caterpillars with humans and students will
copy into their Butterfly Journals (the objective is for them to understand how unique
they are from our kind, while also understanding all of the interesting facts there are to
know about them).
Teacher will ask students what differences they immediately see (this should be the
physical appearance). Repeat until all students have responded.
Teacher will fill in the chart with facts that students didnt provide. Here is a list of
suggestions:
Monarch Caterpillars:
Shed their skin 5 times: the last being a light green, called a chrysalisthe skin is
layered underneath the one on top of it.
Only eat milkweed
9-14 days after hatching they are fully grown
2 inches long
Life cycle: 28-38 days TOTAL
Stages of life: Egg, Larva (the caterpillar stage), Pupa (the chrysalis phase in a
butterfly's development), and Adult
8 pairs of legs: or 16 individual legs
Metamorphosis
People
It takes us 18 years to grow
We have to eat many things including meat and vegetables to have a balanced diet so
we are getting the right nutrients
We typically grow to be from 5 feet to 7 feet
Our body always functions the same
5 stages: birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood
Now ask them if they see any similarities between humans and caterpillars, here are a
few suggestions:
Similarities:
Our looks change as we reach different stages in our life
We are all organisms
We eat plants

Major Point: Students will walk away with interesting facts about caterpillars, point these
facts out when you get the caterpillar to remind them of all the ways that make it special.

Lesson 3: How does a caterpillar become a butterfly?
Students will watch an educational YouTube video about the transformation of the
monarch butterfly in a Mexican habitat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG5PAzrpZ6k
Teacher will ask, What is so special about a caterpillar? What does it turn into?
The teacher will guide a discussion about how a caterpillar is something that transforms
into a butterfly (Aid with visuals and labels on the board to encourage students to use
vocabulary words such as larvae, pupa, and butterfly).
Students will be broken up into groups to draw a picture of one stage of the butterfly that
we just discussed. Together we will create a classroom display on the transformation of
the butterfly.
For the closing activity students will recall the stages of a butterfly using hand motions
-Egg: hand clutched tight like a fist
-Caterpillar: index finger extended, scrunched, extended, scrunched,....
-Chrysalis: index finger of one hand wrapped by other hand (like a hotdog)
-Butterfly: with thumbs interlocked, fingers wiggle and do flying motion

Week 2:
Lesson 4: What do we know about caterpillars and butterflies?
Initiation: Students will start the lesson with a KWL chart, so I can see what they think
they know about butterflies and caterpillars, and what they want to know.
This will prompt a student-led class discussion on similarities and differences on what
they know about butterflies, and their top 2 things they would like to learn about
butterflies and caterpillars.
Lesson: I will read one or two non-fiction books that illustrate and give information on the
cycle of a caterpillar and butterfly. Following is a list of different books that I could chose
from: Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars, From Caterpillar to Butterfly, Caterpillar Caterpillar,
Discovering Butterflies, Amazing World of Butterflies and Moths, The Monarch Butterfly,
The Butterfly Book, A Kids Guide to Attracting, Raising, and Keeping Butterflies
I will make copies of the text and break my students up into groups of 2.
Students will read, highlight, analyze, and master the non-fiction information on that
page to share with the class.
Students will rotate around the classroom in a jigsaw style, sharing what they learned
from their page of the text, adding to their L column.
Students will post these papers into their journals to reference when they are observing
their butterflies throughout the unit activity

Lesson 5: Butterfly journals & making observations:
Each student will be handed a blank paged booklet that we will make ahead of time, the
front cover saying _________s Butterfly Journal.
Every day that the caterpillar is in the room, students will record a few observations that
they notice about it.
Display and review a poster of:
What a good observation includes:
Specific, physical features of the study
What the study is doing/ how the study interacts with its environment.
How the study has changed from the day/days before.
Go through one example/non example of a good observation
Students get with EEKK (Eye to eye, knee to knee) partners to practice discussing
everything they observe by looking at one picture of an insect (which we will give to
them) together.
Get back into whole group, and ask for a few groups to volunteer to share their
observations about their picture.

6. Lesson 6: Creating an environment for caterpillars

SCIENCE INQUIRY LESSON PLAN FRAMEWORK
Grade Level & Unit: 1, Unit: Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Area: Earth Physical Life
Title or Topic: Caterpillars & Butterflies
Essential Questions: (subset from Unit-level Outline)
-What stages does a caterpillar go through to become a butterfly?
-Why does a caterpillar become a butterfly? How?
-How do animals change as they grow?
Standards/Frameworks (GLCs, GLEs, INQs): (subset from Unit-level Outline)
Grade-Level Concepts: Students should understand that...
-1. Plants and animals have life cycles that include a predictable sequence of stages: they
begin life, develop into adults, reproduce and eventually die.
-5. Some animals change dramatically in structure and function during their life cycle in a
process called metamorphosis.

Grade-Level Expectations: Students should be able to...
-1. Explain that living things experience a life cycle that includes birth, growth, reproduction
and death.
-3. Compare and contrast the changes in structure and behavior that occur during the life
cycles of animals that undergo metamorphosis with those that do not.

Inquiry Skills: In order to create and communicate scientific knowledge, students will..
-A INQ 1. Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms, and the
environment.
-A INQ. 3 Make predictions based on observed patterns.
-A INQ. 6 Present information in words and drawings.

Science Objective(s):
Knowledge
-Students will be able to apply information learned in previous lessons to physical
representation of the caterpillars in the classroom.
Skills:
-Students will be able to set up the appropriate environment for caterpillars and understand
how to interact with insects in the classroom.
-Students will be able to identify one meaningful observation related to the caterpillars.
Attitudes:
-Students will be open to classmates ideas and observations about the caterpillars.
-Students will be
Language Objective(s):
-Students will be able to draw in their Butterfly Journals the environment created for their
caterpillar.
-Students will be able to use adjectives and vocabulary from the unit when describing the
physical environment created for their caterpillar.
Assessment of Learning Objectives:
-Students will be able to create an environment appropriate for a caterpillar to live in.
-Use student drawings/writings in Butterfly Journals as ongoing assessment about the
caterpillars/butterflies to assess the students observational skills (Each inquiry lesson will
have a reflection).
-Students will orally report group observations and decisions about creating their caterpillars
home.

Anticipated Misconceptions:
-Caterpillars eat human food
-All insects can fly
-All insects eat leaves
-Butterflies live in the summer
-Butterflies are colorful
-Insects breathe like humans
-Insects produce sound with their voice
-Insects are poisonous or make you sick
-Insects are slimy and gross
Key Vocabulary with Definition(s):
Caterpillar: The larva of a moth or butterfly. Similar to a worm.
Environment: The area in which something exists or lives.
Milkweed: A plant with soft, spiny leaves and yellow flowers.
Larva: A living creature that comes from an egg and goes through a metamorphosis when it
becomes an adult.
Metamorphosis: A change of physical change from one form to another.
Lesson Materials:
-5 boxes
-5 milkweed plants
-Grass
-Soil
-Sparkly cut-up paper (different colors)
-Leaves
-Flowers
-Moss
-5 monarch caterpillars

Safety Considerations:
-Purchase soil that is clean and without harsh fertilizer. This can be harmful when students
handle this if they do not clean their hands after handling.
-Caution, tell students not to eat any materials used in the environment (leaves, soil,
milkweed, flowers, etc.).
-Be cautious of potential student allergies.
-Have a plan for removal of the butterflies in a timely manner.
-Have students frequently wash hands, remind students to wash hands carefully after animal
investigations.
-Purchase healthy caterpillars from a safe and trusted organization recommended by the
science department or experienced teacher.
-Remind students to be cautious of handling caterpillars, and to reduce handling so as not to
cause pain to the creatures.


Lesson Inquiry Activities (3-Step Inquiry Model)
Inquiry Starter: Students will discuss what they have learned thus far about what makes a
caterpillar a caterpillar by referring to created classroom materials (compare and contrast,
KWL chart, graphic organizer). They will use this information to make suggestions about what
they think should go into an environment that a caterpillar lives in (through the creation of a
classroom list on Whiteboard). Teacher will line up and label all materials with
picture/vocabulary card in the front of the classroom and introduce them verbally. The
students and teacher will collaborate on the possible uses of these materials in the creation of
a class model environment for caterpillars.
Focused Investigation: Students will be divided into groups of 4-5 students (potentially their
table groups depending on classroom set-up). Students will be given roles within their groups
(such as: recorder, material collector, time-keeper, question-maker/sharer and optional
zookeeper) as well as an observation sheet to write down/visually display what is included in
their caterpillar homes (by the recorder). Each group will be given a box, markers, and the
material collector will attain materials needed for their group. Students will have 20 minutes to
design their ideal environment for their caterpillars, which will be monitored by the timekeeper
in each group. Teacher will circulate to answer questions asked by the question-maker in
each group, and monitor student progress as well. After all groups are finished, teacher will
collect caterpillar homes and release a caterpillar into each environment (optionally performed
by the zookeeper in each group). Caterpillar homes will be stored in a safe classroom spot
that is accessible to students for frequent viewing and observations.

Sharing Understanding: Each group of students will share why they made certain
decisions about the environment they designed for their caterpillar by recording used
materials on provided observation sheets. Students will orally explain their choices
(performed by the question-maker/sharer) based on what they have learned about caterpillars
and butterflies thus far (what they chose and why). After sharing, students will reflect on this
experience individually in their Butterfly Journals and answer the questions: 1. What
materials did we choose? and 2. Why did we choose these materials?


Differentiation for All Learners: For each material that could be potentially used in the
environment, there will be a word and picture label accompanied with the material. By
creating specific roles for the students within the groups, students will be able to focus on one
specific role within the experiment, which reduces overwhelming activities. Students who take
on the role of recorder may record observations in visuals as well as written explanations, and
students who take on the role of question-maker/sharer may report information in their native
language.


Lesson 7: Making hypotheses & predictions
Read aloud: Charlie the Caterpillar by Christopher Santoro.
Before the reading: Ask students to notice its fictional characteristics, but to pay attention
to the main character and how he changes throughout the story through his body and his
feelings.
During the reading: Stop and ask students to make predictions about what will happen
next. This will prompt the main objective.
After the reading: Have students discuss the sequence of events that took place in the
story
How this relates to our science plan: Teacher will say, In your Butterfly Journals, you
will be making your own predictions and asking questions about the caterpillar you see,
just as you did as I was reading. This is another piece of a great observation. As you
continue to understand the lifecycle of a monarch caterpillar/butterfly, you will be able to
better predict what will happen to our classroom caterpillar. You will also have more
curious questions when you see it in person.
Students make their first predictions/hypotheses at their seats about the caterpillar they
see using the words I predict my caterpillar....

Week 3:
Lesson 8: Symmetrical sandwich
A variety of pictures of butterflies will be on display at the front of the class.
Students will have to make observations about butterflies and what is the same from
picture to picture. At this point students should be aware of how to make appropriate
observations, especially physical ones.
If students are missing the concept of symmetry that is represented in the different
pictures of the butterflies, the teacher will help lead them to discovering that the
butterflies are symmetrical on both sides, leading to a discussion of what symmetry
means.
We will create a definition of symmetry as a class and write down the definition on the
board as well as a picture of a symmetrical butterfly that students can reference during
the following activity.
Students will have an outlined paper butterfly that they cut out and paste onto a piece of
cardboard paper with a sentence strip on the bottom.
Students will decorate the wings of the butterfly using glue to stick on sprinkles, candy,
and various other decorations. The objective of the activity will be for students to make
the two wings symmetrical.
Once the teacher checks the symmetry of the butterfly, students will write a descriptive
sentence describing the characteristics of their symmetrical butterfly.
For example: My butterfly is symmetrical because it has 4 red skittles on each side
(Students will be prompted with the beginning of this sentence, My butterfly is
symmetrical because... to scaffold ELL students).
After the activity the students will pair and share their symmetrical butterfly and will
display them around the classroom!


Lesson 9: What do caterpillars eat? What do butterflies eat?
After reading, teacher will ask students, Do we think everything in this book is real?
Why? Teacher will introduce the text, The Very Hunger Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Teacher will ask students what they know about this book before reading. Teacher will
explain that this book is a fictional text. Fiction means that the book is invented from the
authors imagination. However, sometimes fiction has real, true, parts of it. While Im
reading this text, I want you to think about what might be real, and what parts might be
part of the authors imagination. Or why not? What do you think might be real? What
might be more creative? Teacher will make a chart of Real v. Creative for The Very
Hungry Caterpillar.
Teacher will ask students, Who knows what kind of books usually tell us facts? Once a
student has suggested non-fiction, or another type of book, teacher will explain what
non-fiction texts are. Non-fiction books are the opposite of fiction. They are usually
about real things, real people, real events, or real places. While Im reading this text, I
want you to think about what parts sound real to you.
After reading I Wonder Why Caterpillars Eat So Much by Belinda Weber. Ask students to
add to the list of Real v. Creative.
Review fiction v. non-fiction with students and discuss the foods mentioned in both
books. Discuss the similarities between the books, and create a master list of foods we
think are eaten by caterpillars & butterflies (T-chart style). Major points: Caterpillars eat:
leaves, grass, milkweed, plants, etc. Butterflies drink: nectar, tree sap, pollen and fruit
(drinks from flowers). Talk about misconceptions. (Examples: Caterpillars go into a
cocoon. Caterpillars eat everything. Etc.)
Students record their observations of the caterpillar for the day in their butterfly journals.
To wrap-up, remind students to keep these ideas in mind when creating their own
homes for their caterpillars.


Lesson 10: Where do caterpillars live? Where do butterflies live? -> FIELD TRIP
During morning meeting: Teacher will say, A few small changes makes a huge
difference. Close your eyes: if you did not have eyes that worked, you wouldnt be able
to see me. Hold a pencil and put your hand in the air holding that pencil. Now bend your
thumb down. If you didnt have a thumb you wouldnt be able to pick anything up. Try to
pick up the folder in your desk without using your thumbs. I will pass out two cheerios for
each of you to eat. If you didnt have a tongue, or taste buds on your tongue, you
wouldnt be able to taste it or swallow it.
Lesson: Teacher will say, Even though the caterpillar and the butterfly are considered to
be the same animal, there are small changes that make their entire existence so
different. Can anyone think of ways that these animals could exist differently in their
environments?
Major points: Butterflies have wings that make them fly, and they get nectar from
flowers. Caterpillars crawl, they only eat milkweed, and they are really attracted to the
color green. They live in two completely different atmospheres. (Students will understand
this atmosphere as we will be visiting a butterfly garden at the Beardsley Zoo).
Closure: Visiting the actual garden during the science part of the day.
NOTE: INQUIRY LESSON

Lesson 11: Predators/Food Chain
Students will sit together on the carpet and start a discussion of what the word predator
means.
Students will build on their background knowledge of predators that they already know,
one common example would be a mouse and a cat that they might have as a pet. This
will turn into a class discussion of students identifying predators that they are already
aware about. Teacher will record a list of Predators on chart paper.
Teacher will seg-way into talking about the Food Chain and how there is a certain order
that predators go in. Students will start to understand there is an order of predators.
I will break the students up into groups of 4. Each groups will have different flash cards
that have pictures and words of different potential predators of the butterfly. All cards will
follow a sequential order, but one specific card will be the initial predator of the butterfly
such as frogs, lizards, or birds.
Each group will have to decide in their groups which cards are realistic predators of the
butterfly and then place them all in order.
Once groups start to wrap up within their groups we will go around sharing our cycle of
the food chain by using magnets or the pocket poster to put their food chains in order.
Students will discuss if the other groups food chain order is correct. Teacher will correct
student errors if necessary.
Once we are finished discussing them as a whole class, students will chose one food
chain other than their own to record into their Butterfly Journal and reflect on what they
learned today.

Week 4:
Lesson 12: Creating Our Own Butterflies
Teacher facilitates a whole class discussion about various caterpillars and their matching
butterflies (Examples: Painted Lady, Monarch, Hackberry Emperor, Red Admiral,
Common Buckeye, American Snout, Wooly Bear - also include scientific names)
Example questions to ask students: How does this caterpillar look similar to itself as a
butterfly? What colors do you notice on the wings? On the body? How does it look
different?
Teacher will explain why different caterpillars turn into different butterflies.
Example questions: Do we all look alike as babies? Do we look similar? What do we
have in common? Right- we look similar but we are all unique and individual (we all have
eyes, mouths, noses, arms, legs, etc.). This is the same with caterpillars- they have
similar features (legs, colors, antennae, etc.), but they turn out to be beautiful butterflies
that are unique and special- just like all of us!
Teacher will model the creation of a butterfly to students using a paper towel, markers,
and water droplets. Teacher will remind students about the lesson of symmetry (learned
in Lesson 8).
Teacher will dismiss students to their desks and pass out materials.
Students will have 15 minutes to create their colored butterfly wings individually.
Students creations will be set to dry, and teacher will clip different colored pipe cleaners
to wings and hang around classroom.
Students record observations in their butterfly journals

Lesson 13: Wrap-up
Students record their last observations in their butterfly journals.
In the same groups as they worked in throughout this unit, students will play a review
jeopardy game. Categories include: Facts about Caterpillars, Facts about Butterflies,
Transformation Process, Environments, and Miscellaneous.
Students will hand in their butterfly observation journals to be assessed.
Finally, as a class, we will go outside to let our butterflies free (in accordance with school
policies)!



Teacher Resources:
http://people.duke.edu/~jspippen/butterflies/butterflypredation.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG5PAzrpZ6k
http://iitc.tamu.edu/lessons/caterpillars.html
http://iitc.tamu.edu/lessons/lesson24.html

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