Science Unit N° 1 – Butterflies

Type of School: Bilingual Student’s Age: 7 years old (2nd grade)Time: 40 min each lessonBook: Science booklet – Material collected from varied sources.

Communicative Goal: to talk about butterfly’s life cycle Grammar Focus: present simple tenseVocabulary Focus: butterfly’s life cycle stages Recycled Vocabulary: fruit and numbers

Lesson 1

The teacher introduces the topic on butterfly’s life cycle and key vocabulary.

ActivationThe Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carl)The teacher reads the story to the students. She stops from time to time to ask students for predictions and to check comprehension by asking them questions.

Comprehension and ClarificationThe teacher explains that butterflies have to undergo a complete process of “metamorphosis” to develop. To explain the meaning of that word to the students, she starts asking them questions so as to retell the story. She writes the word on the board as a title. At the same time students recall the events, she sticks flashcards of the different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle on the board. Once they get to the end of the story she goes back to the initial question of “What does metamorphosis mean?” trying to elicit from students the word transformation/change.

AplicationStudents are given a handout (matching exercise) in which they are asked to use the words from a box to label the key elements of each stage. Key vocabulary: egg, larva (or caterpillar), chrysalis (or cocoon), adult butterfly.

ReflextionStudents will work in pairs to do a matching exercise (JMATCH) connecting the sentences on the left column (which describe the process of metamorphosis) to the correct pictures on the right column.

Communicative Goal: to describe a butterfly’s body Grammar Focus: present simple tenseVocabulary Focus: parts of the body Recycled Vocabulary: parts of the body in common with other animals (legs, wings, head, etc)

Lesson 2

The teacher introduces new vocabulary on butterfly’s parts of the body.

ActivationThe teacher sticks the flashcard of a butterfly on the board and asks students which parts of the body they can name/identify. Then the teacher puts a question mark next to the new/specific parts of a butterfly’s body.

Comprehension and ClarificationStudents get into small groups. Each group is given an information book (from the school’s library) and a new part of the body. They are asked to look for the word in the book trying to identify which part of the body they have. Finally, each group will write the word they have on the board labeling the parts of the body which were left stranding and complete the picture.

AplicationActivity N°1: Students are given a handout in which they are asked to unscramble the words and match them with the correct part of the body.

Activity N°2: Students are asked to choose a butterfly from the information book to draw it and describe it. The teacher provides students with the handout for them to draw and write the description.

ReflextionStudents will work in pairs to complete a crossword (JCROSS) using the vocabulary on parts of the body to answer each of the clues.

Communicative Goal: to describe a butterfly’s life facts Grammar Focus: present simple tenseVocabulary Focus: parts of the body Recycled Vocabulary: life cycle stages

Lesson 3

ActivationFlight to The South (listening)The teacher plays the cd for students to listen to the story of Mona (The story of a monarch butterfly which migrates to the south. During her journey she has to dodge a bird which tries to eat her.)

Comprehension and ClarificationIn pairs, students answer a True or False exercise about the story. Then in small groups, students are asked to read an information text about butterflies’ facts and answer comprehension questions about the text. Aplication

Activity N°1: In pairs, students are asked to work out a cloze activity (JCLOZE) using the key vocabulary learnt during the 3 lessons.

Activity N°2: In pairs, students are asked to unscramble sentences (JMIX) about butterflies’ life facts in the present simple tense.

ReflextionStudents will work in pairs to answer questions about butterflies’ life facts (JQUIZ) using the all the information learnt during the 3 lessons.