The Life Cycle of a Butterfly Day 1 of 2

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SWBAT ask and answer questions to understand key details about an informational text. SWBAT to create and label a diagram using key details.

Big Idea

The cycle of the Monarch Butterfly is a beauty to behold. In today's lesson, students learn about butterflies and apply their understanding of diagrams.


10 minutes

Context and Overview

In a later lesson in this unit, my students will be engaging with a narrative about the transformation of a butterfly and a goose (Farfallina & Marcel by Holler Keller). So, today, I am building content knowledge around butterflies with an informational text. We will also work on content knowledge about geese in an upcoming lesson as well.

Today, the students will view a video and be taking notes to answer key detail questions about butterflies. I will have my students pair share and share with the whole group to build their academic language.

Then, my students will draw a diagram of the cycle of the butterfly. They will write a short explanation of each stage.

Afterwards, my students will write what they have learned to synthesize their understandings. 

Lesson Opening:

After I share the objective, today, I am asking my students what Questions They Have About Butterflies. First, I have them pair share their questions with their carpet partner and then a few share. I am very interested in the type of questions they have, and the questions will provide me with a window into how much they already know.

Video: Complete Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly

30 minutes

Now, my students are watch a video on the life cycle of the butterfly. I have created a template with text dependent questions on The Life Cycle of a Butterfly. I would recommend taking a break after finishing the first two pages. Doing all four pages could be overwhelming.

My students know how to take notes, and they know notes can include words, phrases, and illustrations. Here are some examples:

This process is very interactive. I have the students read the questions out loud to help them focus on what information they need pay attention to. Also, my students tend to have questions of their own:

Here are more examples of their notes:

Pair Share

10 minutes

I give my students plenty of opportunities to practice academic language. They need different types of audiences to practice their academic language. Now my students are pair sharing around the room their knowledge of the cycle of butterflies.

If there is an odd number of students, then I become that student's partner.

Whole Group Sharing

5 minutes

Now I gather the students on the carpet for them to share with the whole group what they have learned about the butterfly life cycle.

Gathering students on the carpet to share their learning allows for deeper learning to occur. It helps to maintain accountability too. Sharing in a whole group gives my students the opportunity to respond to a different audience in a successful way. This is a demand of the CCSS.

Drawing the Diagram of the Butterfly Cycle Using the Notes

15 minutes

Now my students draw a diagram of the life cycle of the butterfly. They use their notes to do so. Therefore, I am asking them to apply their knowledge to draw this text feature. In drawing the diagram, they need to write a sentence about each stage. This task helps to deepen their knowledge of diagrams and consolidates their knowledge of butterflies. (Important note: My students feel comfortable with diagrams. I have given them much practice. The challenge for them here is that they are drawing it and labeling it.)

As students work, I walk around for few minutes. I monitor to see that that they are on task. I give support in making sure they are starting the diagram correctly and they are indeed including a sentence. I ask them to tell me orally what they will write before they write it. This helps their writing.

Here are some of their examples:

Independent Writing: Explaining the Butterfly Cycle

20 minutes

I give my students the time to reflect in writing on what they have learned about the life cycle of a butterfly. Having them write helps them to synthesize their learning. It helps them internalize the academic language they practiced earlier in their conversations. It helps them to make connections too. Here are some examples of their work:

As students write I give them support by:

  • offering spelling support
  • making sure they are on task
  • helping them express their orally before they put it in writing and anything that comes up.