Rationale:
Butterflies are very familiar for 2nd/3rd graders. It seems too familiar to us that we think we do not have to teach it. However, students can learn so much from butterflies. Did you know that there are over 28,000 butterflies? Through field trips, projects, creative crafts, students will have a deeper understanding of butterflies. And in the end, you can vote to see which butterfly will become the class butterfly. This web-based inquiry will guide your students and you to a more effective way to scaffold learning on butterflies. Enjoy!
Illinois Learning Standards:
STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
Why This Goal Is Important: The inquiry process prepares learners to engage in science and apply methods of technological design. This understanding will enable students to pose questions, use models to enhance understanding, make predictions, gather and work with data, use appropriate measurement methods, analyze results, draw conclusions based on evidence, communicate their methods and results, and think about the implications of scientific research and technological problem solving.
A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry.
11.A.1b Develop questions on scientific topics.
STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.
Why This Goal Is Important: This goal is comprised of key concepts and principles in the life, physical and earth/space sciences that have considerable explanatory and predictive power for scientists and non-scientists alike. These ideas have been thoroughly studied and have stood the test of time. Knowing and being able to apply these concepts, principles and processes help students understand what they observe in nature and through scientific experimentation. A working knowledge of these concepts and principles allows students to relate new subject matter to material previously learned and to create deeper and more meaningful levels of understanding.
A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change.
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, skin) and their major functions.
B. Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.
12.B.1a Describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environments.
NSES Content Standards:
Life Cycles of Organisms
§ Animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms
§ Millions of species of animals are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent form an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.
Objective:
(Required Activities)
TEAM:
Investigation: Students will be able to create questions that they have on butterflies.
Field Trip: Students will be able to study more in depth on one kind of a butterfly depending on their choice.
INDIVIDUAL:
Life Cycle: Students will be able to learn to persuade their classmates to vote for their butterfly.
Reading: Students will be able to learn the basic life cycle of a butterfly through a worksheet.
(Choice Activities)
TEAM:
Story Book: Students will be able to use their creativity and their knowledge on butterflies to create a story book.
Finding out State Butterflies: Students will be able learn what different states have chosen as their representative butterfly.
Butterfly flier: Students will learn the components of a flier and persuasion advertisement.
Butterfly Clip: Students will be able to generate a reflection after watching a clip.
INDIVIDUAL:
Puzzle: Students will be able to learn and be familiar with terms related to butterflies.
Jokes: Students will be able to create a joke using their knowledge on butterflies.
Butterfly Mobile: Students will be able to create a butterfly mobile following directions.
Butterfly game: Students will use the internet to choose a game of their choice and play it then write a reflection on what they learned about the butterfly through the game.
Guiding Students:
Here is a more detailed description of each activity. This will help you guide your students.
First, you will introduce to your students that you will be learning about butterflies for the next month. Each week they will be required to finish two activities, whether it’s a team or individual one.
Divide students into groups: you will know your students best; it would be most beneficial if it was a heterogeneous group depending on their academic level and social ability.
Explain to students that they can finish the tasks in whichever order they want. However, they need to have it all done by the due date.
INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY:
Students will be going on a field trip. This will be a “preparing” stage for them and also getting them excited. In groups, students will start developing questions on butterflies.
Tell students that they will be choosing one butterfly to further investigate and do a project on after going to the museum. Students should have about 5-10 questions they want to find out either about butterflies in general or a specific butterfly. Students will turn this question sheet in to the teacher before going to the field trip.
FIELD TRIP:
Material Needed: cup for drawing group number
At Field Museum, students will be mainly working in their groups. They will find out answers to their questions as much as they can through the resources there. Then they will look through all the different kinds of butterflies and come up with a list of top three butterflies they want to further investigate.
When class comes back from the field trip….
Teacher will put in each group’s name in a cup. Then teacher will draw out one name and the first to be drawn will get their first pick of butterfly that they want to further investigate. There will be only one group studying one kind of butterfly.
After each group is assigned to a butterfly, each group will use library books, online resources to create a poster that would teach the class about their butterfly. The objective of the project would be to persuade their classmates to choose their butterfly as the class butterfly.
HAND OUT RUBRIC for students to follow through to achieve a high grade. (rubric can be found under ASSESSMENT)
Questions they can look into:
a. Where does the butterfly live?
b. What does the butterfly eat?
c. What is one interesting fact about this butterfly?
3. At the end of the inquiry project, students will all prepare their speech to present their butterfly. After learning about the different kinds of butterflies, the class will vote on one butterfly.
(Choice Activities)
Story book:
Material Needed: Construction Paper for cover, markers, pencil, papers, children’s books.
Go to http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/kids/kids_books.html to find children’s books needed for your classroom.
Students can create their own butterfly story. They can read through some butterfly books that the teacher can display as a reading center. Teacher will have fiction and non-fiction books. Students can choose whichever genre to write the book on. There is only one rule which is for students to show their understanding of butterflies in a deeper level.
Teacher could give some ideas:
Stories on life cycle of a butterfly, a butterfly finding his mother, two different kinds of butterflies becoming friends etc.
State Butterflies:
Material Needed: computer
There are several states which claimed one kind of a butterfly to represent their state. In Illinois, the Monarch butterflies represent us. Students will be discovering what Illinois has chosen and learn more about monarch butterflies through researching online.
Guide students to use “Google” to do this research.
Butterfly Flier:
Material Needed: Construction Paper, regular paper, markers.
In this activity, students will learn the components of a flier. The flier should include a picture, a basic description of the butterfly, and one persuasion writing on why the butterfly should be chosen to represent the class.
Have a sample flier for students to be able to see.
Butterfly Movie Clip:
Material Needed: computer, journal
Students will be going online to watch a short butterfly clip. They will write a short journal reflection on what they saw in the clip and how it helped them learn more about butterflies.
(Individual Activities- Required)
Life Cycle Worksheet:
Material Needed: computer, worksheet
Students will go through the butterfly cycle through an online activity. http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/projects/butterflies/
Teacher will provide a butterfly worksheet for students to fill in as they watch the clip.
Reading:
Material Needed:“Butterflies” by Jeunesse Gallimard or “Melody’s Mystery” by Diane K. Harvey” and journal
Students will read either “Butterflies” by Jeunesse Gallimard or “Melody’s Mystery” by Diane K. Harvey” and write a journal entry on a short summary of the book.
(Individual Choice Activities)
Word Search Puzzle:
Material Needed: puzzle from online
Go to http://www.foremostbutterflies.com/butterfly_activities/crossword/crossword.htm
and print out puzzle worksheets. After completing one worksheet, students must know each term and how it is related to the butterfly. Therefore, advise students to use dictionaries and encyclopedias to learn more about butterflies.
Jokes:
Material Needed: jokes from online
Print jokes from http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/kids/jokes_and_riddles.html and students can read these jokes and create their own joke.
Butterfly Mobile:
Material Needed: 5 Butterfly Prints (2 of each butterfly), 2 Dowel Stick, Yarn (or string or ribbon), Scissors, Tape, Glue, Crayons (or markers or colored pencils)
Go to http://www.billybear4kids.com/butterfly/craft/craft1.html and find out how your students can create a butterfly mobile.
Butterfly Game:
Material Needed: computer
Students will go to http://www.foremostbutterflies.com/butterfly_activities/ and choose one game to play. Then they will write a journal reflection.
Q: How did you like the game?
Q: Did it help you learn anything new about butterflies? How?
Advanced Preparation
The material list is in each description under “Guiding Students”
For ELL students
Guiding ELL students with this unit could be rather easy. It is very important to go over the directions with the ELL students carefully. They could be independent and do the activities on their own if they know exactly what they are required to do. Therefore, after going over the guidelines for this web-based inquiry, make sure to go over it again with the ELL learners.
Also, when dividing up the groups, make sure to mix in the ELL students with students who would be willing to help them through this process. Sometimes students learn better through peer teaching.
Most of the activities will not require much English skill. However, for the video activity, teacher should watch the video before and make a worksheet specifically for the ELL students and make sure that they understand the activities.
Use many pictures and visual aids to help ELL students.
Assessment:
Look at the attached file!
| assessment.doc | |
| File Size: | 33 kb |
| File Type: | doc |
