Butterfly Unit Study

Spring is in full bloom here – just ask my allergies – so it is a perfect time to do a unit on butterflies! Our local zoo has a beautiful butterfly garden exhibit that should be open and make a great addition to our unit.

Monday

• Introduction video – The Story of the Butterfly (Amazon Prime). We’ve discussed butterflies and their life cycle before but videos are always welcome for breaking into a subject.
• Library Trip – We have books due (and we’re out of milk) so we’ll take a quick trip to the library (and grocery) for our books for the week. (See resource list below.)
• Butterfly Fact Bookmarks (TPT freebie)
• Making Words from “butterflies” (TPT freebie)

Tuesday

• Look at butterfly species cards from the Homeschool Share Butterfly Lapbook (free).
• Explore Butterfly Info app (Android)
• Use library books to research and complete butterfly research report outline  on chosen butterfly species(TPT freebie)

Wednesday

• Probably our field trip day (weather permitting). We’ll see how many butterfly species we can recognize in the butterfly garden.
• Butterfly symmetry worksheet (TPT freebie)

Thursday

• Monarchs and migration – PBS NOVA special  (Amazon Prime video) & Migration library book
• Write reports on chosen butterfly (rough draft & final draft on butterfly lined paper. (Mine is from a book of reproducible papers I picked up a consignment sale. Free versions online here and here.)

Extras to fit in / add

• Music rhythm patterns printable and activity (TPT freebie)
• Watercolor butterfly lesson or tissue paper mosaic/ collage

Book List (with call number – non-fiction – and link to books on Amazon.com if available):

• National Geographic Reader: Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh – 595.789 MARS
• Butterflies by Seymour Simon – 595.789 SIMO
• The Migration of a Butterfly by Tanya Kant – 595.789 KANT
• Easy Animal Origami by Christopher Harbo – 736.982 HARB
• Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle (Monarch migration related)
• The Butterfly Jar by Jeff Moss – 811 MOSS (still poetry  month for a few more days!)
• Butterfly Buddies by Judy Cox