Butterfly Thematic Unit 1 st Grade

1. Butterfly Thematic Unit1st Grade By: Hilary Barber, Karibeth Gentry, and Rachael Moshman

2. Unit Summary Through the study of butterflies, students will be able to recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need basic necessities in order to live. These necessities include air, water, food, and space. Through this unit, students will have the opportunity to discover first-hand how to take care of a living thing, while watching the changes they go through as they grow. Students will better understand the world and how organisms survive in it through the observations they will make during this unit. The students will also be able to learn how organisms, specifically butterflies, adapt to their environment by flying South for the Winter months to escape the cold, and return to their homes in the North once Spring is here. Students will develop an understanding of part-whole relationships and measurement by examining caterpillars, butterflies, and empty chrysalises.

3. Major Concepts • Science • Biology-life cycle of a butterfly • Basic needs of living things: air, water, food, and space • Preserving butterfly’s habitat • Social Studies • Why butterflies migrate • The weather/seasons effect on butterfly migration • Where butterflies migrate • Math • Writing • Expository writing • Journal writing • Creative writing through a play

4. Graphic Organizer

5. Learning Goals Science • To teach students the basic needs of living things such as air, water, food, and space by providing these necessities to their group caterpillars. • To teach students the impact we as humans have on the environment and how it impacts the butterflies habitat and quality of life. • To teach students the life cycle of a butterfly by observing and reading about the stages they go through from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. Social Studies • To teach students why butterflies migrate by reading books about migration. • To teach students the effect of the weather and season on butterfly migration by making a chart of the weather conditions in each season. • To teach students to locate places and features on a map by tracing butterfly migrate routes. Math • To teach students to measure using iterations of units by grouping units and to measure in inches and centimeters using a ruler and to have students order and compare objects by length. • To teach students to create symmetrical objects and to describe their symmetrical objects using appropriate geometrical vocabulary. Writing • To teach students how to write in a variety of informational/expository forms through the observations they make about their group caterpillar/butterfly. • To teach students how to write creatively in the form of a play.

6. Student Learning Outcomes Science • Individually, students will write observations in a daily journal about the life cycle of a butterfly and the changes that they notice graded for a 90% accuracy and participation using a rubric. • Through researching the basic needs of living things, in groups, students will provide their butterfly with the basic needs for them to survive: air, water, and food with a 100% accuracy as determined through observations. • Through observing their group's caterpillar and reading several fiction and non-fiction books about caterpillars and butterflies, students will discover the life cycle of a butterfly and describe it with 100% accuracy using a poster and life cycle wheel. • Using their group caterpillars/butterflies as subjects, students will observe the changes butterflies go through during metamorphosis using their five senses and describe their observations in a journal. • After observing and providing the basic needs of living organisms to their group caterpillars, students will discuss what it means to take care of a living thing using their own experiences and attitudes, informally assessed for participation and thoughtfulness of the subject matter.

7. Student Learning Outcomes Social Studies • After researching the butterflies migratory paths, students will identify and include key map elements such as a compass rose, cardinal directions, title, and a key/legend into their butterfly tracking map with 100% accuracy. • Individually, after reading many butterfly books and watching various informational video clips, students will write a creative story from the point of view of a butterfly depicting what he or she sees and experiences on the journey South for the Winter graded using a rubric for 90% accuracy and creativity • In a whole-group setting, students will use a map to locate and track a butterfly's migratory pattern from the North to the South to prepare for Winter with a 100% accuracy. • After reading a story about butterfly migration and watching a short video clip, in small groups, students will discuss why butterflies travel South for the Winter months with a 95% accuracy.

8. Student Learning Outcomes Language Arts • After viewing a National Geographic video clip, students will explain their impact on the environment and its affect on the butterflies' habitat using an expository writing outline graded according to a rubric with a 90% accuracy. • Before, after, and during read-alouds of butterfly books in whole-group, students will organize their prior knowledge of butterflies, what they want to know, what they learned, and further questions that they have in a KWLQ graphic organizer graded using a rubric with at least 90% accuracy. Math • Provided manipulatives, the students will be able to measure various items in both inches and centimeters with 80% accuracy. • Provided with the results of each group’s measurements, the students will create a class graph for each unit of measurement and draw conclusions about different units of measurement with 80% accuracy. • Individually, students will create an understanding of part-whole relationship by creating butterfly wings using small, 2-dimensional shapes and use appropriate vocabulary to describe what they created. with a 95% accuracy.

9. Sunshine State Standards Science • SC.1.L.14.1: Make observations of living things and their environment using the five senses. • SC.1.L.16.1: Make observations that plants and animals closely resemble their parents, but variations exist among individuals within a population. • SC.1.L.17.1: Through observation, recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, need the basic necessities of air, water, food, and space. • SC.1.N.1.2: Using the five senses as tools, make careful observations, describe objects in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion, and compare their observations with others. Social Studies • SS.1.G.1.5: Locate on maps and globes the student's local community, Florida, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico. • SS.1.G.1.2: Identify key elements (compass rose, cardinal directions, title, key/legend with symbols) of maps and globes. • SS.1.G.1.4: Identify a variety of physical features using a map and globe. • SS.1.G.1.3: Construct a basic map using key elements including cardinal directions and map symbols. • SS.1.G.1.6: Describe how location, weather, and physical environment affect the way people live in our community. Math • MA.1.G.5.1 Measure by using iterations of a unit, and count the unit measures by grouping units.   • MA.1.G.5.2 Compare and order objects according to descriptors of length, weight, and capacity. •   MA.1.G.3.1: Use appropriate vocabulary to compare shapes according to attributes and properties such as number and lengths of sides and number of vertices. • MA.1.G.3.2: Compose and decompose plane and solid figures, including making predictions about them, to build an understanding of part-whole relationships and properties of shapes. Writing • LA.1.4.2.1: The student will write in a variety of informational/expository forms (e.g., rules, summaries, recipes, notes/messages, labels, instructions, graphs/tables) • LA.1.4.1.2: The student will participate in writing simple stories, poems, rhymes, or song lyrics.

10. Grade Level Expectations Science • To understand that living things need food, water, space, and shelter to survive. • To understand ways in which organisms change as they grow and mature. • To understand that living things grow and change in different ways and in different lengths of time. • To understand that plants and animals are similar but not identical to their parents. • To understand that there are limited resources available for all living things to use. Social Studies • To understand the meaning of and reasons for migration. • To understand that the seasons have different weather and how that impacts living things. • To understand why and how to use a map. Math • To be able measure various objects using iterations of units and to measure in inches and centimeters using a ruler. • To compare and order objects by length. • To understand part-whole relationships and use appropriate geometrical vocabulary to describe geometric shapes. Writing • To understand how to write in a variety of informational/expository forms. • To understand how to write creatively in the form of a play.

11. Weekly Schedule

12. Media List • Document Camera • Digital Projector • Books • TV or video monitor screen • To play the computer video clips • Computer • Previously selected websites • Power point • Word Processing

13. Science Lesson Plan Overview • As an introduction to the lesson, the students will sing a familiar caterpillar song about the life cycle of a butterfly together with the teacher. • The lesson will begin by giving the students a few minutes to observe their caterpillars using their five senses and to describe their observations in observation journals which are graded weekly. Their observations will be discussed with the class to compare the differences and similarities of each group’s caterpillars. • The teacher will then explain the life cycle of a butterfly using a chart as a visual reference. The students will learn the word, metamorphosis, through explicit instruction and class discussion and add it to their individual word walls. Afterwards, the teacher will read the book From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman and Bari Weissman and the class will work together to fill out a KWL chart. The students will then watch two short video clips depicting a butterfly’s life cycle and discuss what they learned with the class. • The students will individually create a butterfly life cycle wheel with the assistance of the teacher. Each stage will be clearly labeled and illustrated. This wheel will serve as a reference tool throughout the entire unit. • Finally, in small groups, the students will create a Metamorphosis poster using words and/or pictures to describe the life cycle of a butterfly. Each group will present their poster which will be graded using a rubric. The posters will be placed in the hallway throughout the duration of the unit.

14. Social Studies Lesson Plan Overview • Students will be shown a map. They will learn it is a representation, usually on a flat surface, of an area of the earth. • Students will observe features shown on maps, including countries, states, cities, roads, oceans, mountains and rivers. • Students will discuss places they like to visit and that maps can help them find their way to these locations. • Students will be shown Florida, their town, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico on a map of the United States. • Students will be given a blank map of the United States to find and label Florida, their town, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico on their own. • On their map, students will color their town red, Florida yellow, and the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico blue.

15. Math Lesson Plan Overview • Students will examine photographs of several different species butterflies (i.e Monarch Butterflies and Painted Ladies). Using appropriate math vocabulary (circle, square, rectangle, and oval), students will compare and contrast the different butterfly species. Students will also determine that butterfly wings are symmetrical and identify, if any, patterns on the wings. Using the shapes and patterns that the students identified in the butterfly’s wings students will create symmetrical butterfly wings.Students will then be given different shapes (triangles, rhombuses, and hexagons) and using smaller shapes students will create symmetrical butterfly wings (i.e. three triangles make one rhombus butterfly wing). Students will share how many of the smaller shapes it took to make the bigger shape. Students will start using smaller shape to make a bigger and then will use several kinds of smaller shapes to create the bigger shape (i.e. one triangle and one diamond make one rhombuses). • The class will obtain caterpillars and watch their metamorphosis. Once the butterflies have emerged from their chrysalises the students will measure the chrysalises. Students will then measure the chrysalises using iterations of different objects. Students will record their measurements and then the class will graph the results for each unit of measurement. The students will compare the measurements and draw conclusions about the sizes if different chrysalises and why different units produce different measurements.

16. Writing Lesson Plan Overview • At the beginning of the unit, there will be a writing lesson on how to write expository text in an observation journal. The teacher will explain what expository text means, and read an expository text on butterflies. Then, the teacher will read a short fictional text on butterflies. The students will compare and contrast the difference between expository and fictional text. The teacher will then model for the students how to write an expository text based on observations. To do this, the students will go out to the school’s butterfly garden and observe their surroundings using their eyes, nose, ears, and touch. Once given a chance to observe, the students will come back inside and help the teacher write an expository observation based on what they saw, heard, smelled, and touched. The teacher will check each student’s observations for participation as well as accuracy. • Each day the students will be given an opportunity to observe their group’s caterpillars/butterflies using their five senses (mainly four-without taste). After observing, the students will be given time to write their observations in a journal. This observation journal will be assessed weekly for accuracy of observations, thorough explanations, and participation.

17. Culminating Activities • Metamorphosis and Migration Skit: • The students will work in small groups of 3 to 4 students to create a short skit that depicts either a butterfly’s Migration or Metamorphosis and present it to the class and a parent audience. • Each group will be randomly assigned either Migration or Metamorphosis so that each subject is equally represented. • The students will make puppets out of paper bags and other supplies provided for them in the classroom to use as characters or props in their skit. • They must create a skit that clearly depicts their topic. Each group member must have at least 2 to3 sentences of a speaking role. They will be judged on group participation, creativity, accuracy of information, detailed descriptions of their topic, and overall organization using a rubric. • By viewing the groups’ skits, the audience should be able to grasp the concept of either Metamorphosis or Migration through the information and creativity the students use in their design. • Parents will be invited as this provides an audience for the students as well as involves the parents in the Integrated Thematic Units that we complete in the classroom.

18. Assessments • K-W-L-Q Chart • Summative Math Assessment • Math and Science Journal Entries • Creative Writing • Metamorphous and migration skit

19. References • Cook, G.L. (2004). Interdisciplinary Inquiry in Teaching and Learning. Columbus, Ohio: Prentice Hall, Inc. • Harcourt, Inc. (2004). Harcourt Math Florida Edition . Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc.