Flutter Hop Waddle... Life Cycles

Introduction:

Grade 1 students will create a grid and a slide show using the program Kid Pix to demonstrate their understanding of the lifecycle of the frog, butterfly and duck.  This lesson is intended for use as a culminating activity of a life cycles unit.

Learning Outcomes:

Science
It is expected that students will:

• identify the stages in the life cycle of a plant and of a pet or other animal
• compare the life cycle of an animal hatched from an egg with one born from the mother

Social Studies
It is expected that students will:

• collect information from a variety of sources and experiences
• draw simple interpretations from personal experiences, oral sources, and visual representations
• present information using oral, visual, or written representation

Language Arts
It is expected that students will:

• recount what books, stories, or articles are generally about
• identify the main information provided in illustrations
• demonstrate abilities to follow simple oral instructions
• identify familiar words and images in charts, lists, signs, informational texts, and storybooks
• describe the sequence of the main events in a story orally, in writing, or by using pictures
• create simple charts, webs, or illustrations as a way of organizing information
• identify similarities and differences in simple information from two sources

Process:

1. While exploring  lifecycles in class, students will complete a grid by drawing the 3 to 4 steps in the lifecycle of the frog, butterfly and duck.

Click here to get the grid in Microsoft Word.
Click here to get the grid in Adobe Acrobat.

2. A favorite animal will be chosen to create a slide show using the program Kid Pix. (For more information on creating a Kid Pix slide show please click here.)

Resources:

Offline:

• Library Materials:  Life cycle books at early  primary level e.g. Chickens  by Gail Saunders-Smith, Lifecycle videos

• field trips

• in class duckling incubators, tadpole aquariums, chrysalis terrarium etc...

  Online:

• The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly: muohio.edu/dragonfly/cycle-This site has lots of information about Monarch butterflies in addition to information about their life cycle.

• Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html - Click on Butterflies to learn all that you need to know about butterflies. Click on Animal Printouts and then Amphibians for more information about frogs and other amphibians plus a nice life cycle quiz you can print out. Click on Animals Printouts again and go to Birds to learn about birds and ducks.

• FrogLand All About Frogs: http://allaboutfrogs.org/froglnd.shtml - This site has links to all that you need to know about frogs.
   
   
   
  

Conclusion:

Upon completion of the slide show and grid, students can share their work with their classmates and big buddies.  These slide shows may easily be place on the internet on your school's website for families and Grandparents to enjoy from home!  (Click here to see instuctions in Microsoft Word. Click here to see the instructions in Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Evaluation:

  This assignment can be marked using a checklist. You could chose to have students help you fill out sections of the checklist.

Click here to see the checklist to be printed out for class use.