Subject(s): Language Arts, Science Grades(s): Grades 2-3

Title – Butterfly Cycle
By – Daniela Rodriguez
Primary Subject – Science
Secondary Subjects – Language Arts
Grade Level – 2nd

Texas Essential Knowledge Science Standards:

(2.6A) Animal Body Parts – Growing and Changing of Animals.

Objectives:

• Define a “life cycle”
• Identify the four important steps in the butterfly’s life cycle
• Organize a butterfly’s life cycle in proper order

Materials:

• 15 copies of a Butterfly Life Cycle worksheet
  (coloring pictures of the 4 phases – not in order – with blanks for a step number and caption)
• 15 green sheets of paper
• Crayons
• Glue
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar book

Pre-activity:

• Create and copy worksheets
• Gather the sheets of green paper, the caterpillar book and the other materials

Transition:

Student seated at their desk facing front so they can see the book.

Hook:

• “What is a cycle?”
  • If their answer describes a bicycle, say that this is one form of the word.
  • “Bi” means two and “cycle” means circle or wheel, so a bicycle does have two circular wheels that go around. Another form of the word “cycle” means a circular process – a process with steps or phases that keep repeating: 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2… like a wheel keeps turning.”
• “Do humans have a cycle? What about a “circle of life” or “life cycle”?
• “Do animals have a cycle?”

Procedure:

1. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar .
2. Ask questions during the book, such as “What phase is this? Egg?”
3. Talk about how plants, animals and even humans change.
4. Ask, “What is the human life cycle?”
   • Baby, child, teenager, and adult!
5. After reading the book, pass out the worksheets and the green paper.
   • “Okay class, now take your green construction paper and fold it in fourths (or in half twice).
   • Then look at your phase worksheet. You are going to color the phases and then glue them in order onto your green paper.
   • Each phase should be numbered and have a caption. That is what the blanks are for.
   • On the back of the green paper, you are going to write a butterfly story.

Closure:

Have children share their story and review the four main phases of the butterfly cycle.