The Life Cycle of Butterflies An Integrated Language Arts and Science Lesson for Third Grade English Language Learners Susan Cochran BLED 40520

Lesson Rationale and Duration This is an introductory lesson on the life cycle of butterflies from an integrated Language Arts and Science unit. The unit utilizes the theme of animal life cycles as a means of learning the comprehension skills of identification of main idea and details in informational texts. The unit and lesson are designed for a pull-out group of third grade ESL students who are Proficiency Level 3 Developing according to the WIDA Can Do Standards. Lesson Length: minute lesson periods

Cognitive Function Students Will Be Able To: Identify and compare the characteristic life cycle stages of a butterfly Language Target Students will use spoken and written American English to communicate and express their understanding of information

New Jersey and Common Core Standards Sci D.I. – compare the physical characteristics of the different stages of the life cycle of an individual organism, and compare the characteristics of life stages among species. LA.3.RL.3.1 – (Grade Level Standard) Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basic for the answers. LA.3.RL (Grade Level Standard) Determine the meaning of a general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant of a grade 3 topic or subject area. LA.3.L.CCR.6 – [Anchor Standard] – Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression

Assessment Students will be assessed based on the following: Content  Class and cooperative partner participation  Circle Graphic Organizer completion  “Acting out” butterfly life cycle  Identification of the stages and names of the butterfly life cycle in the Life Cycle on a Plate activity Language  WIDA Can Do Descriptors Level3 Developing for reading, writing, speaking, and listening  Sentence structure and word usage of content vocabulary related to the informational text and images/videos presented to them.

Materials Needed  Google Images of butterflies, caterpillars, caterpillar eggs, pupas, chrysalises, milkweed, etc.  Chart Paper or Interactive White Board  Science Article: A Butterfly is Born  Video of real time and elapsed time metamorphosis of a butterfly:  Video with captions and words explaining the butterfly life cycle:  Paper plates, glue, markers, pasta for life cycle stages: couscous for eggs; shell pasta for chrysalis; twists for caterpillar; bowtie pasta for butterfly

Anticipatory Set: Activate and determine the background knowledge of the students pertaining to butterflies:  Display various photos/images of butterflies, caterpillars, butterfly eggs, chrysalises, and butterfly pupas from Google images, while asking students what they are viewing. terflies+and+caterpillars&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&s a=X&ei=kHPIUdyaGNG70AGujYHACw&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw =1280&bih=699#tbm=isch&sa=1&q=butterflies+caterpillar s&oq=butterflies+caterpillars&gs_l=img.3..0j0i5j0i24l j3j ernk_timediscountb img.r9dw1g41Z7I&bav=o n.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv ,d.dmQ&fp=9be076764ec72 d05&biw=1280&bih=699 terflies+and+caterpillars&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&s a=X&ei=kHPIUdyaGNG70AGujYHACw&ved=0CDYQsAQ&biw =1280&bih=699#tbm=isch&sa=1&q=butterflies+caterpillar s&oq=butterflies+caterpillars&gs_l=img.3..0j0i5j0i24l j3j ernk_timediscountb img.r9dw1g41Z7I&bav=o n.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv ,d.dmQ&fp=9be076764ec72 d05&biw=1280&bih=699  Students are partnered with a “say something” buddy and given a few minutes to express or discuss the content of the pictures. To assist in the initiation of discussion review and display sentence frames for students to say to each other: “I see a ______,” “The caterpillar is_____,” “The butterfly is _______.” More verbally proficient students are partnered with those less verbally proficient.

Anticipatory Set (continued)  With students sitting in a semicircle at a reading table or on the floor, on chart paper or interactive white board, brainstorm and complete a Circle Graphic Organizer recording the responses from students about butterflies based on their discussion with their buddy pertaining to the observations of the images. Write the word “Butterflies” in the middle of the chart paper with a circle around the word. Record these words/phrases outside the circle. Have students repeat the words or phrases, referring to pictures or images as needed.

Butterfly Circle Graph pretty fly change caterpillar colorful pretty Monarch

Instructional Process  With students still at the table or carpet, conduct a picture walk of an illustrated science article entitled, “A Butterfly is Born.” Explain to the students that this article is about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly. Show students the pictures on each page and tell/discuss what is happening in each stage of the life cycle, stopping to show and discuss the words that label the pictures or parts of the butterfly cycle: butterfly, caterpillar, egg, chrysalis, pupa, or key verbs like changes and flies.

Instructional Process (continued)  Read the selection to the students, stopping to discuss and ask questions.  Discuss the circle diagram in the article that illustrates the life changes of the butterfly.  Give each buddy partner a copy of the book and have them take turns reading the selection to each other. Circulate to listen to the buddy reading.  Play and stop to discuss the video of real time and elapsed time metamorphosis of a caterpillar  Play and stop to discuss the video of butterfly life cycle explanation

Guided Practice  On the carpet in a semicircle display photos or pictures with labeled words of butterfly, caterpillar, egg, chrysalis, pupa  Have students take turns holding the pictures and “acting out” the butterfly life cycle. As the students “act out” the sequence, have them explain the part of the cycle making sure he/she is using the appropriate vocabulary  Add these words and other new words learned from this lesson to the word wall in the classroom and to his/her personal word wall folder

Independent Practice/Evaluation Butterfly Life Cycle on a Plate Students construct the life cycle of a butterfly on a paper plate using pasta (couscous for the eggs; shell pasta for the chrysalis; twists for the caterpillar; bowtie pasta for the butterfly) to depict the stages. Students divide the plate into four quadrants with each part of the cycle in each quadrant. They glue the pasta and color with marker as needed, they label each part of the cycle with the appropriate words or phrases. They must also write a short sentence describing each stage of development. For example: The caterpillar hatches from the egg; The caterpillar eats the leaves; The caterpillar becomes a pupa; The butterfly comes out of the chrysalis.

Closure Each student shares his/her life cycle on a plate reading and showing what they constructed and wrote. In so doing, the students will demonstrate their comprehension of the sequence of the life cycle, content area vocabulary, and comprehension of the text..