Spring is the perfect time to learn about butterflies. Our butterfly lesson plans include research and writing, vocabulary, art projects, snacks and more!
For our butterfly lesson plans, we use our Butterflies Research Project.
Butterfly Lesson Plans: Very Hungry Caterpillar
We start our butterfly unit with the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book is great for learning about how butterflies change and is a great way to get kids excited about butterflies. After reading the story, we sequence the story, which prepares us to learn about the butterfly life cycle!
Butterfly Lesson Plans: Research
All of our research projects kick off with a schema map. We share our schema or what we know about butterflies. As we learn about butterflies, we add new learning and address any misconceptions.
Of course, we get caterpillars and watch them go through metamorphosis!
As we learn about butterflies, we use graphic organizers to record what we learn.
Vocabulary instruction is included throughout our research projects, but we use the labeling to reinforce the vocabulary and build language. Students have to identify the parts of the butterfly, how the part is used, and any adaptations we’ve learned about. If possible, we also decode the words to pull in a bit of phonics!
Our vocabulary instruction is explicit. When we come to a new word in a book, I immediately and briefly define the word and keep reading. After the read-aloud, we revisit the words. The students come up with a definition and a picture, and we add those to our vocabulary chart! This helps students remember the word so they can use it when discussing or writing about butterflies.
Butterfly Ideas For The Classroom: Art Projects
Our first butterfly art project is a directed drawing. After we draw the butterflies, the kids color their butterflies, and they all turn out so unique and beautiful!
We love a torn paper project in our classroom so of course we do torn paper butterflies!
We also learn that butterflies are symmetrical so we learn about symmetry and use paint to paint our own symmetrical butterflies!
Another fun and messy butterfly art project is a shaving cream butterfly!
Butterfly Lesson Plans: Snack
Of course, we have a butterfly snack! Graham crackers, bananas, chocolate chips, Twizzlers, and M&Ms!
Butterfly Lesson Plans: Green Screen Picture
We love creating green screen pictures and this butterfly picture is one of our favorites!
Butterfly Lesson Plans: Butterfly Sensory Bin
We made a butterfly sensory bin using glittery balls from Dollar Tree! We added cards from our butterfly center resource!
Butterfly Lesson Plans FREE FILE!
For more ideas and resources, check out these posts:
