Springtime Butterfly Activities | Artshine

Grade 2:

•  Understanding Life Systems - Growth and Changes in Animals

  • Overall Expectations:

    • investigate similarities and differences in the characteristics of various animals;

  • Specific Expectations:

    • investigate the life cycle of a variety of animals (e.g., butterflies, frogs, chickens), using a variety of methods and resources (e.g., observation of live animals in the classroom and in the school- yard; books, videos/DVDs, CD-ROMs, and/or the Internet)

    • observe and compare changes in the appearance and activity of animals as they go through a complete life cycle (e.g., frog, butterfly)

  • Activity Idea:

    • Did you know that all animals have a life cycle? A butterfly, like the one you just created starts off as a caterpillar.

    • Investigate the life cycle of a butterfly and frog. Draw a picture to represent each stage of development, and write one sentence to describe each stage.

    • Share with your family the differences between the life cycle of a frog and butterfly.

Grade 3:​

• Writing

  • Overall Expectations:

    • generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;

    • generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and resources (e.g., formulate and ask ques- tions to identify personal experiences, prior knowledge, and information needs and to guide searches for information; brainstorm and record ideas on the topic)

  • Specific Expectations:

    • identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms (e.g., a poem or song on a social issue for performance by the class; a formal letter to the teacher outlin- ing their opinion on eliminating soft drinks from the school vending machine; an article explaining the water cycle and including a flow chart, for an online student encyclopedia)

  • Activity Idea:

    • The butterfly that you created is the character in your new story.

    • First, brainstorm the setting, plot, and other characters. Once you have come up with those, create and illustrate a short story.

    • Before presenting your story to your family, be sure to read it over and revise it. Remember to add capitals, periods, and commas where your story needs them!​

Grade 4:​

•  Geometry and Spatial Sense

  • Overall Expectations:

    • Identify and describe the location of an object,using a grid map,and reflect two-dimensional shapes.

  • Specific Expectations:

    • draw the lines of symmetry of two- dimensional shapes, through investigation using a variety of tools (e.g., Mira, grid paper) and strategies (e.g., paper folding) (Sample problem: Use paper folding to compare the symmetry of a rectangle with the symmetry of a square.);

  • Activity Idea:

    • Many butterflies have symmetrical wings - that means they are mirror images. Is the butterfly that you created symmetrical?

    • On a butterfly the line of symmetry would be a vertical line through the center of the body. Draw 7 different shapes of your choice and draw the line of symmetry in each.

    • Once you have completed the shapes, your challenge is to draw a symmetrical picture. To begin, draw a line in the center of your page. That will act as your line of symmetry. You can draw whatever you would like, but your goal is to make it symmetrical.