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The students will be able to:
1.orally share what they have learned in their classrooms about butterflies. 2.explain in their own words what research is.
3.explain in their own words how they can do research in the library.
4.explain in their own words what an encyclopedia is.
5.identify a picture of a butterfly with an identical picture in an encyclopedia. 6.write the name of a butterfly and what country it is from on a research worksheet.
7.orally share what they have written on the research worksheet.
8.tape their butterfly to a large world map.
1. WORLD BOOK STUDENT DISCOVERY ENCYCLOPEDIA (or similar encyclopedia for young children)
***Note: The WORLD BOOK STUDENT DISCOVERY ENCYCLOPEDIA 2002 has several pictures of different butterflies with names and it tells what continent the butterflies are from. (see PowerPoint) If you don't have this particular set, look for the same type of information in another set or use a non-fiction book. If the continents are not given , you will have to slightly modify this lesson and omit the activity using the world map.
*** 2. a display of non-fiction books, magazines, and videos about butterflies. 3. 2 questions with answers about butterflies written on the board or on large chart paper (see procedures and PowerPoint slide #5)
4. 2 identical butterfly cutouts for each pair of students -a different set of butterflies for each group (scan )
*Note * This lesson was designed to be integrated into a unit on butterflies. Prior to this lesson, the students will have listened and responded to a read aloud of any (or all) of the following fiction picture books either in the classroom or the library media center. Ask the classroom teacher to write down a couple of questions that the students have about butterflies. Before the students come to the library for this lesson, find the answers to their questions in an encyclopedia or non-fiction book. write the questions on the board or on chart paper. During the lesson you will tell them the answers and show them where you found the answers. THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE by Eve Bunting WHERE BUTTERFLIES GROW by Joanne Ryder THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle WAITING FOR WINGS by Lois Ehlert
1. Ask the class to share or brainstorm what they have been learning about butterflies in their classroom. Tell the students that you know that they are curious to learn more about butterflies because their classroom teacher told you that they had some questions about butterflies. Explain that they will be doing research to learn more about butterflies.
2. Explain that during this class they are going to learn the answers to these 3 questions and then they will research butterflies: What is research ? How can I do research in the library? What is an encyclopedia?
3. Discuss the following:
a) What is research? Ask the students if they have ever gone home from school and asked their Mom or Dad " what's for dinner?" If they have, then they have already done research. Research is finding answers to their questions.
b)How can I do research in the library? One way to do research is to ask someone a question (another way is to find information in books (non-fiction), magazines, videos and computers) show students the display of these resources. Show the students their questions (which you previously wrote on the board or chart paper) and ask them to read the questions aloud. Show the students the books where you found the answers and read the answers aloud. c)What is an encyclopedia? Show the students the set of encyclopedias. Explain that encyclopedias are books, or sets of books, on many different subjects that are arranged in alphabetical order. Explain that when using an encyclopedia for research that they you do not have to read the whole book. Show how the volumes are labeled with numbers and letters. Show and briefly explain the guide words, bold headings, and the index. Model how to locate the section on butterflies.
4. Before moving on to the next step, briefly review what they have learned so far in this lesson.
5. Tell the students that they are ready to begin research and will be working in pairs. Ask the classroom teacher to assign partners. Explain that there are over 20,000 different kinds of butterflies and that they will learn the names of some of the butterflies and where they live. Explain the following procedure and model with the classroom teacher: They will be given 2 matching butterflies; a copy of the encyclopedia article, a research page, a glue stick, and a pencil. Ask the students to work with their partner to find the butterfly on the copies of the encyclopedia pages, which matches their butterfly. One student will write the name of the butterfly and where it is from on the research page and the other student will glue one of the butterflies to the research page. Both students will write their names on the paper. When everyone in the class has finished, each group of students will come to the front of the class, one group at a time. One student will read their sentence aloud and tape their paper on board or wall. The other student will tape their butterfly to the map on the country where it is from. (assist as necessary) When all butterflies are on the map, ask the students to count how many butterflies are from each country or continent. Which country has the most butterflies? the least? etc.
6. Close the lesson by asking the students what they have learned during the lesson. Ask them if they had fun- because research can be fun ! Tell the students that you will make a booklet out of their research pages and give it to them later to share in their classroom.
