Katie Millard
June 2010
Science
2nd Grade
40-60 minutes
Link back to CALLT-KatieM Wiki
Page:
http://callt-km.wikispaces.com/
Life Cycles Unit- Day 1: Life Cycle of a Butterfly
RATIONALE:
As part of a life cycles unit, this lesson will teach students about the various stages of a
butterfly's life, and how these stages are similar to ours. The purpose of this lesson is to
familiarize the students with the life cycle stages of a butterfly. This lesson is for second grade
students. Students had 1 previous lesson about the life cycle of a butterfly. The English
language learners (ELLs) are in the speech emergence stage if language development. All ELLs
in this class are Hispanic.
OBJECTIVES:
 The learner will listen attentively to the PowerPoint titled The Life Cycle of a Butterfly.
 Using the Quizlet Life Cycle vocabulary cards, TLW be able to name and describe the
stages in the life cycle.
 After viewing the life cycle PowerPoint and using the Quizlet flashcards, TLW be able to
discuss, sequence, and label the stages in the life cycle of a butterfly with small
group/pairs using pictures.
 The learner will listen attentively to the story Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons.
 After reading Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons, TLW be able to ask and answer
questions pertaining to the life cycle of a butterfly.
MATERIALS:
 The Life Cycle of a Butterfly PowerPoint (By Mrs. Millard)
 Teacher computer, projector and remote
 10 student laptops (Quizlet flashcards) (or enough for each pair of students to have a
computer)
 Quizlet Life Cycle Flashcards: http://quizlet.com/2436221/life-cycle-of-a-butterfly-flashcards/
 10 sets of pictures of the different stages in a butterfly’s life cycle (1 per group/pair of
students)
 11x17 construction paper (enough for each pair of students)
 glue, markers, pencils
 Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons (Children’s Book)
 Life cycle coloring page
 Text Analyzer: http://www.usingenglish.com/members/text-analysis/ (Used by teacher
prior to lesson to determine the graded level of different texts and the frequency of the
unit vocabulary words in each text. The teacher will analyze the read aloud stories as well
as other life cycle books that the students will access to throughout the unit.)
CURRICULUM ANALYSIS AND LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS: Students will be made aware
of things such as:
 Each of the four stages in a butterfly’s life cycle: egg, caterpillar/pupa, chrysalis/larva,
adult.
 Then the animal life cycle begins all over again.
 Students will use language as a means of communication to complete the life cycle
activity.
 Students will use language structures that are developmentally appropriate. Students in
this class are capable of producing basic sentence structures using the content-based
language for the unit.
 Students will use oral and written language to communicate the different stages in a
butterfly’s life cycle.
 Students will be using adjectives, the language skill we are focused on this week.
 Students will learn the vocabulary words: egg, caterpillar, pupa, larva, chrysalis, adult,
butterfly, and life cycle.
PROCEDURE:
A. Introduction and Motivation:
Begin the lesson by introducing the students to the term Life Cycle. Explain the
definition of the term life cycle: the stages in an insect/animals life. Explain that over the next
few weeks we will be learning about the life cycles of different animals and plants. Today we
are going to start our life cycle unit by learning about the life cycle of a butterfly.
B. Lesson Body
 Using the computer, projector and remote, begin the Life Cycle of a Butterfly PowerPoint
presentation.
o Go through each slide pausing to ask and answer questions about the content and
pictures on each slide.
o The key vocabulary words for this unit are in larger, boldface type. Really focus
on these words and their meaning during the presentation.
o As you are describing each picture use adjectives to reiterate and practice the use
of adjectives since that is our grammar focus for the week.
o Explain that each of the stages happens in this particular order for every butterfly
(egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult).
o View the video at the end of the PowerPoint. This discuss the life cycle in a bit
more detail for the students.
 After the PowerPoint, have each student sit with their “shoulder partners” (the person that
is sitting right next to them). The person sitting closest to Mrs. Millard’s desk will need to
get a laptop from the cart.
o One person will log on to our Class CALLT Wiki page: http://calltkm.wikispaces.com/
 from the Wiki page, students will click on the link for the Quizlet Life
Cycle Vocabulary Flashcards. http://quizlet.com/2436221/life-cycle-of-abutterfly-flash-cards/

Students will review the vocabulary flash cards together and they will play
the 2 vocabulary “games”
o Once students are finished they will return their computers to the laptop cart and
color in the life cycle of a butterfly coloring page until the entire class is finished
reviewing the vocabulary on Quizlet.

Working with their “face partner” (the person sitting directly across from them) students
will put the life cycle pictures in sequential order, glue them onto construction paper and
label the stages using the vocabulary they have learned in their lesson. Students will write
both of their names on the sequencing page and turn it into the “inbox” on the teachers’
desk as an assessment.
*All procedures are adjusted and adapted to meet individual needs of integrated students. *
C. Lesson Closure:
 As students are finishing up and they have turn in their sequencing page have them sit on
the carpet area, in their “reading meeting spots” to listen to the book Monarch Butterfly
by Gail Gibbons. The teacher will read the book aloud to the students, pausing to ask and
answer questions. After the books is finished students will “turn and talk” to their
“thinking partner”(pre-arranged partner used during reading instruction) to tell them 2
new things they have learned about the life cycle of a butterfly.
 Differentiated Instruction:
o Students, who complete the activity quickly, will color the life cycle coloring
page and then read the different butterfly life cycle books until it is time to begin
the next activity.
o Students that need assistance with the activity will work with the teacher at a
table.
o Students that need assistance with the voicethread.com component of the lesson
will be paired with a peer for assistance if possible. If teacher assistance is needed
the teacher will assist.
EVALUATION:
o The teacher will be informally assessing students through observation while walking
around listening to the pairs of students working together. The teacher will ask and
answer questions to aid in the students understanding of the materials.
o The teacher will assess the life cycle sequencing activity that partners turned in to see if
there are any students that need further instruction in the sequence of the life cycle or
vocabulary.
Pictures for Sequencing Activity:
Name:__________________
As you wait for your classmates to finish, color in the different stages in a butterflies life cycle.
When you finish coloring you may read a Butterfly book located on the table in the front of the
room.