Impatient Caterpillars Write the Life Cycle

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

3

Overview

Students will demonstrate content knowledge of the life cycle of a butterfly. Students will have gained this knowledge through reading nonfiction texts and hands-on coding experiences. To demonstrate learning, students will explain in writing the unique characteristics of each stage.

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

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
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 create a written representation and illustration of the unique and diverse characteristics of each stage of the life cycle of a butterfly.

Activity Details

1. Review the information from the previous activities:

2. Teacher will give each student a Life Cycle Writing Handout:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DRGDktyHU3SugbUlTAVTE2sRNOBQRBCD/view?usp=sharing

3. Students will recall the information learned from prior activities to complete the handout. 

  • At the boxes at the top of the page, students will illustrate each stage of the life cycle.
  • On the lines at the bottom of the page, students will write about each stage. The stages are listed below:
    • First egg….
    • Next Larva
    • Then pupa makes a cocoon.
    • Finally butterfly

Assessment Strategies

Based on the responses from the handout, the teacher can access if students understand the butterfly life cycle and each stage’s unique characteristics.

Acceleration

Students can create a presentation of the various stages of the butterfly’s life cycle and explain the unique characteristics of each stage. 

Intervention

  • The handout could be done in a whole-group setting so that the teacher could reiterate the unique characteristics of each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.
  • Have students refer back to the Britannica Elementary Article from the "during" activity in order to complete the handout Article. The article is accessible by using the AVL: https://www.avl.lib.al.us/. Click on Elementary, Britannica School, Search "Butterfly and Moth."

 

Background / Preparation

Teacher Preparation: 

Student Preparation: 

  • Students must have prior knowledge of the life cycle of the butterfly.
  • Students need pencils and coloring supplies.

Learning Activity (Before)

Total Duration

16 to 30 Minutes

Learning Activity (During)

Materials and Resources

  • Life Cycle Writing Worksheet
  • pencil
  • crayons, colored pencils, or markers
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