Impatient Caterpillars

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

3

Overview

This activity activates and builds on students’ background knowledge of the butterfly’s unique life cycle. Students will begin the study by completing a K-W-L chart (Know, Want to Know, and Learned). Students will interact with the picture book The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach and note characteristics that make the life cycle of a caterpillar unique. 

This learning activity was created as a result of the ALEX - Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Resource Development Summit.

Phase

Before/Engage
Science (2015) Grade(s): 3

SC15.3.6

Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

UP:SC15.3.6

Vocabulary

  • Create
  • Explain
  • Representations
  • Unique
  • Diverse
  • Commonalities
  • Life cycles
  • Organisms
  • Birth
  • Growth
  • Reproduction
  • Death

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Organisms are born, grow, reproduce and die in a pattern known as a life cycle.
  • Organisms have unique and diverse life cycles.
  • An organism can be classified as either a plant or an animal.
  • There is a causal direction of the cycle (e.g., without birth, there is no growth; without reproduction, there are no births).

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Create representations to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
  • Explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans.
  • Explain commonalities of organisms such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Patterns of change can be used to make predictions about the unique life cycles of organisms.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify unique characteristics of a caterpillar/butterfly life cycle.

Activity Details

1. Teacher should provide each student with a K-W-L chart. Have each student complete the first column with what they already know about the life cycle of a butterfly. KWL Chart: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OcAUtJURmN0L1cJLA2z6-fWjb2axG2Xg/view?usp=drive_link

2. The teacher will direct the students to complete the second column of the K-W-L chart with one or two things they would like to know about butterflies and their life cycle.

3. Teacher may choose to take a few answers from the class to assess the group's prior knowledge of the topic. 

4. Teacher should show the video of the complete reading of “The Very Impatient Caterpillar” by Ross Burach.

5. Teacher should lead a class discussion about the unique life cycle of the caterpillar from the picture book. 

  • What happened first on his journey to become a butterfly?
  • What did the caterpillar have to do to prepare to become a butterfly?
  • How long did the caterpillar have to wait before becoming a butterfly?

6. Teacher will direct students to complete the final column of the K-W-L chart with one or two things they learned from the picture book. 

Assessment Strategies

The teacher will assess the students' understanding of the basic concept of the butterfly's life cycle based on the answers from the K-W-L chart and through class discussion.

Acceleration

For advanced students, you can have them map the caterpillar’s life cycle on a chart or handout.

 

Intervention

  • K-W-L chart can be completed in whole group, rather than individually. 
  • After finishing the book, go back to each stage of the caterpillar’s journey and name what stage of the lifecycle it is in at the portion of the book. Connecting the life cycle with the character’s adventure in the picture book will be helpful for your students struggling to grasp the concept of the caterpillar’s life cycle.

 

Background / Preparation

  • The teacher should have a basic understanding of the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly.
  • Make sure the link and technology equipment work prior to showing the video.
  • Print copies of K-W-L chart
  • Students need no prior knowledge as this is the introduction to this lesson. 

 

Learning Activity (Before)

Total Duration

31 to 45 Minutes

Learning Activity (During)

Materials and Resources

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