Name: Ashley Callan

Class: ELED 3221

Date: March 19, 2015
edTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template
Life Cycles
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Central Focus/Big Idea: Structure & Functions of Living Organisms
Subject of this lesson: Life Cycles
Grade Level: 2nd Grade
NC Essential Standard(s):
2.L.1.2: Summarize the life cycles of animals.
Birth
Developing into an adult
Reproducing
Aging and Death
2.L.1.2: Look at life cycles of different animals such as, but not limited to, mealworms,
ladybugs, crickets, guppies or frogs.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): 3-LS1-1: Develop models to describe that organisms
have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and
death.
21st Century Skills:
Communication- Outcome for 4th grade addresses the importance of students being able to
prepare and interpret a variety of methods for demonstrating understanding and explaining the
results of investigations including charts, graphs, diagrams and illustrations, photographic
images, and informational and procedural text
Collaboration- Outcome for 4th grade shows the importance of students working collaboratively
with others in small and large groups, in their classroom.
Information and Communications Technology Literacy- Outcome for 8th grade talks about how
students can articulate how technology is essential to science for such purposes as sample
collection and treatment, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and
communication of information.

Academic Language Demand

Language Function: Students are learning about the life cycles of butterflies and frogs
and by using diagrams, putting their life cycles in order. Students will then explain and
describe what is happening in each life cycle.
Analyze
Interpret

Argue
Predict

Categorize
Question

Compare/contrast Describe
Retell
Summarize

Explain

Scientific Vocabulary: larva, pupa, chrysalis, metamorphosis, life cycle, tadpole,

reproduction.

Instructional Objective: Students will understand the life cycles of butterflies and frogs by
watching videos and looking at diagrams. Students will work collaboratively in small groups to
put the life cycles in order. Students will describe and explain what is happening in each life
cycle and record using complete sentences.
Prior Knowledge (student):
How animals/ insects are different
All animals have a cycle of life (like a human)
Caterpillar
Frog
Content Knowledge (teacher): Teacher will have all materials prepared ahead of time and will
have tried putting the life cycles together already. Teacher will have already watched the video
and made sure it is appropriate. Teacher will know vocabulary to explain the life cycles more in
depth (larva, chrysalis, metamorphosis, etc).
Accommodations for special needs: Students with special needs in my classroom would be put
with peers in groups for assistance. The teacher would also check on them more often. Students
who struggle more with content will be in groups for peer assistance and would also get more
help from the teacher.
Materials and Technology requirements:
Book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1 for teacher)
1 set of butterfly life cycle pictures (teacher)
Whiteboard/ marker (teacher)
BrainPop video on frog lifecycle- www.brainpop.com
6 life cycle worksheets (1 per table, 6 tables)
1 set of frog life cycle pictures per table (6 sets of 6 pictures each)
Glue for each group (6)
Daybook/ pencil for each student
Total Estimated Time: 1 class period- 30-45 min

Source of lesson: Google images (pictures)

Safety considerations:
Make sure students know how to handle resources.
No hitting peers with equipment.
Teacher does activities first.
Glue only goes on paper.

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be
detailed enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube
video), describe your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to
teach from your plan. Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include
possible questions you could ask for each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.
Engage:
Students will come to the carpet with their daybooks and a pencil
Begin by saying: Today we are going to learn about the life cycles of two different living
organisms. Ask students, Does anyone know what a life cycle is?
A life cycle: How living things grow and change.
Read the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to introduce the life cycle of a
butterfly.
Before beginning the book ask students, Who has ever read this book before? Does
anyone know what this book could be about?
Explore:
After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar teacher and students will discuss the content in the
book and teacher will begin modeling a life cycle of a caterpillar, with the help of students.
Teacher will have the four pictures of the life cycle taped on the board for all students to see
Teacher first asks, Who can tell me what they think is the first thing that happens in the life
cycle of a butterfly? (By looking at the pictures as a reference).
Egg- Teacher picks a student to place the egg picture on the whiteboard at the top and
starts to create the life cycle.
Next, teacher asks, Who can tell what happens next?
Egg hatches and a caterpillar/larve come out- Have a student come up and place the
caterpillar picture on the board to continue the cycle.
Next, teacher asks, Who can tell me the third step to the butterfly life cycle?
Caterpillar goes into a pupa/chrysalis- Have another student come up and place the
pupa picture on the board to continue the cycle.
There is metamorphosis in this stage.
Lastly, teacher asks students, Who can tell me the last step in the butterfly life cycle?
A Caterpillar turn into a butterfly- Last student comes up and places the butterfly
picture on the board to complete the cycle.

Explanation:
After the class talks about the life cycle of a butterfly and gets it up on the board in the correct
order, as a class we will discuss each stage and the correct vocabulary to go along with each
stage of the life cycle.
As we can see from the cycle, a female lays an egg to begin the life cycle of a butterfly. The
female lays the very small eggs on leaves where their babies will eventually get their food. Ask,
Can anyone tell me another animal that hatches from an egg?
Next, we see that the egg hatches into a caterpillar, also known as a larve. The larve begin to eat
leaves and flowers to begin growth.
Larve: immature form of an insect that differs greatly from an adult.
Third, we read about the caterpillar forming a cocoon, also known as a pupa or a chrysalis.
Does anyone have an idea of what the word pupa means?
Pupa/ Chrysalis: This stage happens once the caterpillar is done growing. Its pupa is the
same colors as the tings around it, Why do you think this is the case?
o Because other animals cannot see it and it protects them from getting hurt.
o Ask: Why do you think this stage is important?
Because this is the resting stage and it is where the caterpillar turns into a
butterfly
Metamorphosis: When an organism turns into an adult. This stage can take a month up
to a year depending on the type of butterfly.
Lastly, We see that through metamorphosis the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. The butterfly first
rests after coming out of the chrysalis because it is tired from working so hard. After rested the
butterflies wings can work and they will fly. The butterfly continues to reproduce, keeping the
life cycle going.
Who can tell me what it means to reproduce?
o Create more butterflies
Teacher will model explaining and describing what is going on in the life cycle in complete
sentences. Students will record information in their daybooks as practice for the next activity.
Elaborate:
Watch BrainPop video about frog life cycles before starting new activity. Students will need to
pay close attention to the content in the video because it will give the information they need for
the next activity.
Frog cycle stages
Eggs
Tadpole
Tadpole grows legs

 Tadpole grows arms

Tadpole starts breathing through lungs and loses its tale (Froglet)
Becomes adult frog
Reproduce
Frog life cycle activity:
Students will work with the other students at their tables.
Each table (6) will have a life cycle sheet and 6 pieces of the frog life cycle.
Students put all the names of the people at their table on the worksheet.
Students will work together to put the pictures in the correct place on the life cycle sheet.
Students will make sure to check with teacher when they believe they have the correct
order.
If they are correct, students will glue the pictures in the correct spot on the worksheet.
Students will then explain and describe what is happening in the life cycle of the frog,
using complete sentences.
Questions to ask students:
How does the life cycle of the frog begin? How do you know?
What is going on in the second stage?
What would happen if the frog didnt go through stage three?
Why is it important for the frogs to reproduce after they become an adult?
Describe to be what is happening in the life cycle all together.
Once students have completed their work, they can do independent reading + writing.
Evaluate:
Summative: Students must complete frog life cycle activity as a group, with all pictures in the
correct order. Then, students must describe and explain what is happening in the life cycle by
writing complete sentences in their daybooks.
3= completed worksheet and description in complete sentences.
2= worksheet completed, description not in complete sentences.
1= worksheet not turned in, no description.
Formative: I will walk around and ask questions to the students during the elaborate activity,
making sure they are understanding the content and have the lifecycles in the correct order.
To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:
Reflection on lesson:
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________

Teacher

Student Group Work

Names:_______________________________________________________
Date:_____________________________

Frog Life Cycle