Butterfly Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Students will be able to investigate and understand that butterflies will go through metaphases
throughout their life cycle.
Materials:
 Worksheets
 Pasta
 Glue
Introduction:
You may be wondering why the third grade and kindergarten classes together. Does
anyone know what your field trip tomorrow is about. You will be seeing a play about butterflies.
Before you go though, we want to help you become Lepidopterists. A lepidopterist is a scientist
that studies and is an expert on butterflies.
Procedure:
We are going to watch video about the life cycle of butterflies
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hSnpkGyXx4). Caterpillars go through a metamorphoses
which transforms them into butterflies. When caterpillars are born they are hatched from eggs.
Eggs: Play video until 38 seconds
Eggs are layed in the spring and summer. A mother butterfly will lay about four hundred
eggs on a single leaf. These eggs are very tiny. It takes about a week for an egg to hatch.
Caterpillar: Play video until 51 seconds
A caterpillar’s main job is to eat. It goes through a phase of molting where is sheds its
skin so that it can eat more. This would be like a caterpillar eating and getting new bigger
pants. After two weeks, the caterpillar finds a nice twig or leaf to call its new temporary
home. The caterpillar will hang upside down in a J formation.
Pupal Stage: Play until 1:04
The caterpillar spins silk and attaches itself to a twig or stick. Its new soft body will
harden to form a chrysalis. A chrysalis is the cocoon like covering around the caterpillar.
A cocoon is the chrysalis for a moth. It takes about five hours to form the chrysalis. Once
the caterpillar is snug in the chrysalis it goes through metamorphosis. This is when a
being changes forms throughout its life time. What other things go through a
metamorphosis? Frog, moth, dragonflies, beetles, some spiders. The chrysalis
changes from a green droplet to a see through casing throughout two weeks when the
butterfly emerges.
Adult:
When it first exits the chrysalis the butterfly needs to let its wings dry before it flies
away. An adult butterfly drinks nectar from flowers just like a hummingbird. The life
cycle repeats itself when the adult butterfly lays four hundred new eggs.
Activity:
Put students into already grouped pairs and pass out materials. Explain that they will be
receiving four types of pasta and their goal will be to match the noodle to the life cycle
stage. They can work together to complete the activity.
Conclusion:
Today we learned about the life cycle of a caterpillar to a butterfly. Can anyone tell me
the first stage? Etc. Now when you are at the play tomorrow you will be expert
Lepidopterists.
Assessment:
Students will complete the pasta worksheet and if time the life cycle worksheet. By
completing these worksheets, we will assess if they have met the goals.

Groups:
Peyton- Tessa
Tobey- Jacob, Clay
Kat- Mason
Frankie- Cooper, Aubri
Madison- Isabelle, Chad
Jacob- Jesse
Collin- Matthew, Keira
Olivia- Hunter, Jessica
Anna- Ty, Luke
Aiden- Carter, Blake