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Butterfly Life Cycle

Elementary

Description

This resource consists of a series of lessons designed to teach students about the life cycle of a butterfly as well as the range of current threats facing this creature. 

Students will:

  • create a butterfly craft.
  • match colors in nature to specific color swatches.
  • observe and sketch in nature journals.
  • develop higher level questioning skills.
  • conduct a personal inquiry relating to butterflies.
  • map migratory routes of butterflies.
  • create personal butterfly garden proposal.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • This resource explicitly teaches students how to observe nature. 

Strengths

  • Many of the activities take place out of doors in local environments.
  • Students take part in authentic action experiences.
  • Students are provided with opportunities to choose areas of interest and develop their own methods for solving problems.
  • Students take part in discovery learning.
  • Lessons are locally focused.
  • There is an abundance of background information and related resources for students and teachers. 

Weaknesses

  • Teachers will have to ensure the social and economic dimensions of conservation are addressed.
  • Assessment tools are not included.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Kindergarten
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      • Science
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        • Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.
    • Grade 2
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions
  • British Columbia
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        • Science: Daily and seasonal changes affect all living things.
        • Science: Plants and animals have observable features
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      • Science
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        • Science 1: Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment
    • Grade 2
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      • Science
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        • Science 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment
  • Manitoba
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      • Science
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        • Colours
        • Life Science
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        • Characteristics and Needs of Living Things
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        • Habitat and Communities
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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      • Health Education
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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      • Health Education
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Explore Your World: Diversity and Social Responsibility
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        • Our Local Environment : Learning and Living Sustainably
        • Our Local Environment : Scientific Literacy
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        • Exploring Our World: STSE and Knowledge
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        • Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
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        • Plant Growth & Changes
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        • Habitats
  • Northwest Territories
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    • Kindergarten
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        • Science: Daily and seasonal changes affect all living things.
        • Science: Plants and animals have observable features
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        • Life Science: Growth and Changes in Animals
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        • Science 1: Needs of Living Things
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        • Science 4: Habitats
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        • Exploring the World Using Our Senses
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        • Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
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        • Animal Growth and Changes:Investigating the Needs and Life Cycles of an Organism
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        • Plant Growth & Changes
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        • Habitats
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  • Saskatchewan
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      • Science
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        • Needs & Characteristics of Living Things
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      • Science
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        • Air and Water in the Environment
        • Animal Growth and Changes
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Plant Growth and Changes
    • Grade 4
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      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Habitats and Communities
  • Yukon Territory
    • Step 2Select a grade level
    • Kindergarten
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science: Daily and seasonal changes affect all living things.
        • Science: Plants and animals have observable features
    • Grade 1
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 1: Living things have features and behaviours that help them survive in their environment
    • Grade 2
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Science
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Science 2: Living things have life cycles adapted to their environment

Themes Addressed

Citizenship (1)

  • General Guide to Taking Action

Ecosystems (3)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Habitat Loss
  • Wildlife Protection

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory
  • This resource adequately addresses the environmental dimensions related to the issues, but does not explicitly examine  the economic or social dimensions. 
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good
Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good
Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory
Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Satisfactory
  • Students are encouraged to work in groups cooperatively, but are not directly taught about the diversity of humans. 
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Very Good
  • Many of the lessons focus on observing nature with a hands-on approach.
  • Experiences with nature are authentic.
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good
  • Students study natural species in their own school yard.
  • Students make proposals for developing butterfly gardens in their own community.
Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Good
Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Very Good
Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good
  • As students have opportunities to work towards their own learning goals.  Opportunities for differentiation are countless.
  • This resource does not explicitly address methods of differentiation.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Very Good
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
  • Students work in groups.
  • Cooperative learning strategies are not explicitly taught.
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory
  • The resource suggests creating rubrics with students to identify learning targets. 
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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