Butterfly Life Cycle Adventure!
Lesson Description
Video Resource
Key Concepts
- Life cycle
- Metamorphosis
- Habitat
Learning Objectives
- Students will be able to identify the four stages of the Monarch butterfly life cycle.
- Students will be able to describe the changes that occur during each stage of metamorphosis.
- Students will be able to understand the importance of the butterfly's habitat.
Educator Instructions
- Introduction (5 mins)
Engage students with a question: 'Have you ever seen a butterfly? What makes them special?' Show a picture of a Monarch butterfly and briefly introduce the topic of the lesson: the butterfly's life cycle. - Video Viewing (7 mins)
Play the "Butterfly: A Life | National Geographic" video. Ask students to pay close attention to the different stages the butterfly goes through. - Discussion (8 mins)
After the video, facilitate a discussion about what the students observed. Use guiding questions to elicit information about the four stages and the changes that occur. - Activity: Butterfly Life Cycle Sequencing (10 mins)
Students will work individually or in small groups to sequence pictures representing the four stages of the butterfly life cycle (egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, adult butterfly). Provide pre-cut images or have them draw their own. - Wrap-up (5 mins)
Review the four stages of the butterfly life cycle. Emphasize the importance of each stage. Mention the butterfly's need for a specific habitat, such as milkweed.
Interactive Exercises
- Butterfly Garden Design
Students will draw or build a model of a butterfly garden, including plants that butterflies need to survive. Discuss the importance of providing food and shelter.
Discussion Questions
- What are the four stages of a butterfly's life?
- What does a caterpillar eat?
- What does the chrysalis do?
- How is a butterfly different from a caterpillar?
Skills Developed
- Observation
- Sequencing
- Critical Thinking
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1:
What is the FIRST stage of a butterfly's life?
Correct Answer: Egg
Question 2:
What does a caterpillar turn into inside the chrysalis?
Correct Answer: A butterfly
Question 3:
What is the caterpillar also called?
Correct Answer: Larva
Question 4:
Which of these is the last stage of the butterfly's life cycle?
Correct Answer: Butterfly
Question 5:
What is the hard shell called that the caterpillar turns into?
Correct Answer: Chrysalis
Question 6:
The process of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly is called...
Correct Answer: Metamorphosis
Question 7:
Which plant does the Monarch caterpillar like to eat?
Correct Answer: Milkweed
Question 8:
How many legs does a butterfly have?
Correct Answer: Six
Question 9:
What does a butterfly use to drink nectar from flowers?
Correct Answer: A proboscis
Question 10:
Where do butterflies live?
Correct Answer: Habitat
Fill in the Blank Questions
Question 1:
The butterfly starts its life as an ____.
Correct Answer: egg
Question 2:
A caterpillar likes to eat _________ leaves.
Correct Answer: milkweed
Question 3:
The stage after the caterpillar is called a _________.
Correct Answer: chrysalis
Question 4:
A butterfly's home is called its _________.
Correct Answer: habitat
Question 5:
Butterflies drink nectar from _________.
Correct Answer: flowers
Question 6:
The change from caterpillar to butterfly is called _________.
Correct Answer: metamorphosis
Question 7:
The caterpillar is also known as a _________.
Correct Answer: larva
Question 8:
The chrysalis is a hard _________.
Correct Answer: shell
Question 9:
Butterflies use their _________ to fly.
Correct Answer: wings
Question 10:
After the chrysalis, a beautiful _________ comes out.
Correct Answer: butterfly
Educational Standards
Teaching Materials
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