P5+Instructional+Strategies

I will create a KWL Chart that we will fill out together as a class during a discussion about what they know about spring, what they would like to know about spring, and then throughout the unit; what they learned about spring. "How many people like to go outside, now that it is warm?" As a class, we will discuss the things we see outside in Spring. We will create a circle map with the theme "Sights of Spring" as the main idea. I will list student responses on the circle map. After the map is completed, I will review the map and post for the students to see. Students will use KidPix to complete a sentence about one of the ideas that is posted on the circle map, the starter sentence "In the Spring, I see.." will be provided for students. Help will be provided as needed. Students will also create a picture to go with their sentence. We will also be completing a weather graph to keep track of the weather for a month. Students will make observations about the weather conditions and how they changed as the month progressed.

KWL chart sample completed chart

Survey

Images: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/

The following day I will start the discussion by introducing the unit with the story The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I will use the book to get the students thinking about butterflies and what they might know about them and what interests them. We will have live caterpillars in the classroom to observe the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly. Before we can begin to learn about butterflies, as a class we need to create a KWL chart to see how much we already know about butterflies. At the end of the activities, we will come back to the KWL chart and write new facts we have learned about butterflies. We will also be completing a butterfly journal to record our observations.