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1. Butterfly Thematic Unit1st Grade By: Hilary Barber, Karibeth Gentry, and Rachel Moshman
2. Unit Summary
3. Major Concepts Science
Biology-life cycle of a butterfly
Basic needs of living things: air, water, food, and space
Preserving butterflys habitat
Social Studies
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
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 with a 100% accuracy.
Through observing their group's caterpillar, students will discover and provide the basic needs of living things: air, water, and food for their caterpillars with 100% accuracy.
Using their group caterpillars/butterflies as subjects, students will observe the changes butterflies go through during metamorphosis using their five senses
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 groups 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
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 willwrite 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 willparticipate in writing simple stories, poems, rhymes, or song lyrics.
10. Grade Level Expectations Science
Social Studies
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
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
14. Social Studies Lesson Plan Overview
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 butterflys 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 schools 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 students observations for participation as well as accuracy.
Each day the students will be given an opportunity to observe their groups 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
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.