TitleIII Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

LU Title: Life Cycle and Migration of the Monarch Butterfly	Author(s): Pamela D. Smith
Grade Level: Kindergarten	School: St. Mary’s School
Topic/Subject Area: Language Arts/Science	Address: 45 Lawrence Avenue
Email: justin@slic.com	Phone/Fax: (315)265-1146

OVERVIEW

Children are naturally entranced watching a tiny microscopic caterpillar eat and eat the milkweed plant, becoming a very fat caterpillar in approximately one (1) month. During that period of time, the Monarch caterpillar multiplies its weight 2,500 times. The Monarch than undergoes her most dramatic change. She climbs to the top of the aquarium (in nature a milkweed plant or sturdy hay stem). Holding fast she spins a line of silk around herself to become a light-green chrysalis (pupa stage). For about 15 days she hangs, head down, to emerge or "metamorphosis" into a beautifully butterfly. Following her full development, the students free the butterfly to begin the long, almost magical "migration" to Mexico for the winter.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
Concept that we can learn by observing nature	Articulate, using learned terminology, the four stages of the butterfly
Observe the four stages of growth and development of the monarch caterpillar	Record observations of the four states in a journal of drawings, colorings, sequencing
Role of the life-cycle in perpetuating the living environment	Using information, draw conclusions and make generalizations
Identify a butterfly as male or female	Observe clues and make predictions
	Follow simple, verbal directions

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Why is it important to stop, look, and observe clues in my world?
What can we learn from close observation of the natural world?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

NYS LEARNING STANDARDS BEING ASSESSED

Standard 1 Language for Information and Understanding

Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

Key Idea 1

Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas: discovering relationships, concepts and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written and electronic sources.

Performance Indicators

Students will listen in order to acquire information from non-fiction and fiction books
Students will follow directions involving a few steps
Students will engage in pre-reading and reading readiness activities in order to make connection between personal experiences and stories read
Students will be able to identify characters, settings, events and sequences in a story
Students will be able to interpret information represented in pictures, illustrations, and simple charts

Standard 2 Mathematics, Science and Technology

Key Idea

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Performance Indicators

Students will ask why questions in attempts to seek greater understanding concerning objects and events they have observed
Students will question or refine the explanations they hear from others and read about, seeking clarification and comparing them with their own understandings and observations
Students will explore phenomena through direct observations
Organize observations of events through classification and the preparation of simple charts on the designated bulletin board in the classroom

INITIATING ACTIVITY

The "Launch" for this unit begins on the first day of school in early September. When the students come to school, I have an aquarium in the classroom with monarch larvae and caterpillars at various stages of development. During that first day, I read the story, The Very Hungry Catepillar, by Eric Carle. After the teacher reads the book, she rereads the book and encourages the students to join in and read along with her

At St. Mary’s School, the kindergartners share many science and reading experiences with a fifth grade buddy. Following the reading of Eric Carle’s book, the kindergartners are introduced to a buddy. The fifth grader introduces the kindergartner to a monarch caterpillar that they will both care for. Together they name the caterpillar, observe its size, colorings and plan for the care of their monarch(s). The fifth grader explains the process of "metamorphosis". During this one and one-half month unit the buddies will share readings, artworks, songs, games and observations of their "pet".

LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order including acquisition experiences and extending/refining
experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.

Experience #1: By observing their own caterpillar, (in a proper habitat) children can witness first-hand how caterpillars "metamorphosis" into butterflies. In order to provide a total learning environment, the teacher should prepare a bulletin board display to set a mood in the classroom. This display can work into your daily calendar activities. The teacher should also gather all fiction and non-fiction books, and pictures in a special place in the classroom. I have a monarch butterfly tent set up, where newly emerged butterflies gather their strength. One or two students at a time can enter the tent to read or just watch the butterflies.

Experience #2: Slowly continue to share the goal and focus of the Monarch Butterfly unit. Discuss the 4 stages of the Monarch using all visual sources available. |Read more stories about the monarch, as there are many available. Guide student through the KWL chart and list everything they already know and what they want to learn.

Experience #3: The students will be introduced to the observation process. The teacher should display the aquarium in the classroom and explain everything in the aquarium; including any larvae, small caterpillars, larger caterpillars, the milkweed plants, water, and any chrysalis one the top of the aquarium.

Experience #4: The students will participate in an art project. The students will make tissue paper collages of a monarch butterfly, using the art method, that Eric Carle uses all of his books, including The Very Hurgry Caterpillar.

Experience #5: The students will be responsible for the care and nutrition of their caterpillar

Experience #6: The Kindergartner’s will begin their journals. As this unit begins in the fall, the kindergartners draw pictures in their journals approximately every five days; pictures to reflect what they are witnessing. Their fifth grade buddies label their pictures or write a short narrative.

Rubrics

Writing Rubric
	Excellent 4	Satisfactory 3	Progressing 2	Not Progressing 1
To color a worksheet "The Monarch Connection"	Able to color all 4 stages in the picture within the lines and use the correct colors	Colors the 4 stages of the worksheet correctly	Attempts to color the 4 of the worksheet	Cannot color in lines of use correct coloration of the worksheet
To explain in detail their drawing and what is happening at that stage.	Able to explain in detail each stage of the life cycle	Able to explain each stage of the life cycle	Attempts to explain each stage of the life cycle	Cannot explain the stages of the life cycle
Draws detailed pictures of the 4 stages of the Monarch butterfly	Draws in detail all the life stages	Draws the life stages	Attempts to draw the life stages	Cannot draw the life stages

Listening and Speaking Rubric
	Excellent 4	Satisfactory 3	Progressing 2	Not Progressing 1
Listening	Listens to others while waiting for turn to talk and stays on the topic	Listens to others most of the time while waiting for turn to talk and stays on topic	Difficulty in listening to others; difficulty waiting for turn to talk and staying on topic	Cannot listen to others and cannot wait for turn to talk and cannot stay on the topic
Asks appropriate questions	Asks insightful age appropriate questions regarding the topic at hand	Asks questions about the topic	Attempts to ask questions about the topic	Asks inappropriate questions and makes inappropriate comments
Speaks clearly	Articulates well and is easily understood	Articulates fairly well able to understand	Articulates some of the time, difficult to understand	Does not articulate, cannot make self understood
Volume	Speaks loudly, clearly, easily heard	Good volume, able to hear	Difficult to hear	Cannot hear
Shares ideas and feelings in a sequence	Ideas and feelings expressed were in a sequence	Expressed ideas and feelings	Difficulty expressing ideas and feelings	Cannot express ideas or feelings
Body posture	No fidgeting, standing tall	Little fidgeting, standing tall some of the time	Fidgeting and slouching	Fidgeting, slouching and inattention to detail

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE

The release of the monarchs is truly the culminating event of this unit. By this time each kindergartner has now had the experience of watching each stage of development. Before release of the monarchs, the fifth grader demonstrates the proper tagging of the butterfly for release and possible tracking by the "Monarch Watch" program.

Together the kindergartners and fifth grade buddies celebrate the release of the monarchs. In the past we have held all the monarchs in a butterfly tent so that they could be released at the same time. This works well when butterflies emerge at approximately the same time. These celebrations are enhanced by following the butterfly into the field behind the school. The fifth graders demonstrate the use of a compass to determine the direction of the butterfly. Following their release, both classes share cookies and a drink during a short poetry reading.

MODIFICATIONS

The modifications that have to be made to this unit are related to some of the activities completed with the fifth grade buddies. While much of the unit is completed within the context of the kindergarten classroom, the buddies enhance the unit by showing the kindergartners how to use a weight scale, write or label pictures in journals drawn by the kindergartner’s (this could be accomplished if teacher’s aids were available), tagging the matured butterflies for flight and use of the compass to follow direction. While these activities are fun, and give the kindergartner experience using the tools, they are not essential to the unit.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

This learning unit is introduced on the first day of school in September. The time frame for this entire unit is 6 to 7 weeks. We watch the four stages of development. Once the butterflies emerge we allow one to two days for their wings to dry and their antennas to develop and allow the Monarch’s to take flight. As this is a kindergarten class, it must be introduced slowly and consistently. It is a wonderful theme as I am able to integrate with the Reading Readiness curriculum.

As the days and weeks progress the integration of science, art and technology are slowly introduced; but the children’s enthusiasm continues. Each morning, as they enter the classroom, they check their monarch at whatever stage of development.

During the first month of school, everything I read is in some way tied to the learning unit. Once a week, I plan time for meeting/sharing with fifth grade buddies (1/2 – 1 hour).

TECHNOLOGY USE

Internet use to follow the fall monarch migration at http://www.learner.org/jnorth. There are a large number of Internet sites that focus on butterflies, and many of these include information about Monarchs as well. To join Monarch watch, to purchase larvae or the unit, to purchase tags for tagging your butterflies log on to www.MONARCHWATCH.org.

Another medium I use is the many videocassettes, which make available at any time the visual transformations of the monarch, as well as travel logs of the monarch butterflies flying routes and destination.

WORKS CITED

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Philomel Books, 1987.: Carle, Eric. My Own VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR Coloring Book. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 1998.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Stories. Videocassete. Eric Carle, Disney Home Video, 1995. (MLA) 30 min.

Getzoff, Melissa. Butterfly Magic. Troll Associates. 1996.

Gibbons, Gail. Monarch Butterfly. New York: Holiday House, 1989.

Heiligman, Deborah. From Caterpillar To Butterfly. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

Howe, James. I Wish I Were A Butterfly. New York: Gulliver Books, 1987.

Journey North. "A Global Study of Wildlife Migration." URL: http://www.learner.org/jnorth. 2000.

Lasky, Kathryn. Monarchs. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Co., 1993.

Monarch Watch. Univ.of Kansas.

Moncure, Jane B. Butterfly Express. Elgin, Illinois: The Child’s World, Inc., 1988.

Pringle, Laurence. An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly. New York: Orchard Books, 1997.

Ryder, Joanne. Where Butterflies Grow. New York: Lodestar Books, 1989.

Sandved, Kjell B. The Butterfly Alphabet. New York: Scholastic, Inc. 1996.

Schaffer, Frank. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". Literature Notes. Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc. 1992.

Sterling, Mary Ellen. "Butterflies". A Thematic Unit. Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 1999.

Wild America: "The Beauty of Butterflies." Videocassette. Dir. Marty Stouffer, King World Direct, Inc., 1995 (MLA) 30 min.