Standards Alignment... 5 Safe Science... 9 Scientific Inquiry... 11 Assembling Rubber Band Books... 15 Organisms and Environments Plants Are Producers... 17 Producing a Producer... 19 The Part Plants Play... 29 The Critter Connection: Food Chains... 31 Chain Games... 33 Catch Me if You Can... 41 Survival Rivalry... 47 Web Work... 63 Sea Food... 71 Assessment... 203 Meter Tape... 207 Family Letter... 209 Materials List... 211 The AIMS Program... 213 Model of Learning... 214 Chinese Proverb... 216 The Inside Story: Adaptations... 87 Bird Beaks and Fowl Feet... 89 Egg Drop Scoop... 105 Deep Divers... 113 Cactus... 121 Seed Scavenger Hunt... 129 Look Alikes... 137 Tracking Down the Family... 149 Tracking Traits and Behaviors... 159 Plant and Animal Life Cycles... 173 Pasta, Pie Graphs, and Painted Ladies... 175 Raising Radishes... 185 Comparing Cycles... 195 Core Curriculum/Texas 3 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
TM Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Life Science Fourth Grade 112.15. Science, Grade 4. (b) Knowledge and skills. (1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations, following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices. The student is expected to: (A) demonstrate safe practices and the use of safety equipment as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations; and Safe Science (3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to: (C) represent the natural world using models such as rivers, stream tables, or fossils and identify their limitations, including accuracy and size Catch Me if You Can Sea Food Deep Divers Seed Scavenger Hunt Pasta, Pie Graphs, and Painted Ladies (D) connect grade-level appropriate science concepts with the history of science, science careers, and contributions of scientists Deep Divers (4) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows how to use a variety of tools, materials, equipment, and models to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to: (A) collect, record, and analyze information using tools, including calculators, microscopes, cameras, computers, hand lenses, metric rulers, Celsius thermometers, mirrors, spring scales, pan balances, triple beam balances, graduated cylinders, beakers, hot plates, meter sticks, compasses, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices, including clocks and stopwatches; and materials to support observation of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums Producing a Producer Egg Drop Scoop Cactus Seed Scavenger Hunt Look Alikes Raising Radishes (B) use safety equipment as appropriate, including safety goggles and gloves Producing a Producer (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows and understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with one another and with their environment. The student is expected to: (A) investigate that most producers need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food, while consumers are dependent on other organisms for food Plants Are Producers Producing a Producer The Part Plants Play The Critter Connection: Food Chains Chain Games Catch Me if You Can Survival Rivalry Core Curriculum/Texas 5 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
(B) describe the flow of energy through food webs, beginning with the Sun, and predict how changes in the ecosystem affect the food web such as a fire in a forest The Critter Connection: Food Chains Chain Games Catch Me if You Can Survival Rivalry Web Work Sea Food (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environment. The student is expected to: (A) explore how adaptations enable organisms to survive in their environment such as comparing birds beaks and leaves on plants The Inside Story: Adaptations Bird Beaks and Fowl Feet Egg Drop Scoop Deep Divers Cactus Seed Scavenger Hunt (B) demonstrate that some likenesses between parents and offspring are inherited, passed from generation to generation such as eye color in humans or shapes of leaves in plants. Other likenesses are learned such as table manners or reading a book and seals balancing balls on their noses Look Alikes Tracking Down the Family Tracking Traits and Behaviors (C) explore, illustrate, and compare life cycles in living organisms such as butterflies, beetles, radishes, or lima beans Plant and Animal Life Cycles Pasta, Pie Graphs, and Painted Ladies Raising Radishes Comparing Cycles Core Curriculum/Texas 6 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
At a Glance: TEKS Alignment Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science, Grade 4 1 3 4 9 10 AIMS Activity Safe Science Plants Are Producers Producing a Producer The Part Plants Play The Critter Connection: Food Chains Chain Games Catch Me if You Can Survival Rivalry Web Work Sea Food The Inside Story: Adaptations Bird Beaks and Fowl Feet Egg Drop Scoop Deep Divers Cactus Seed Scavenger Hunt Look Alikes Tracking Down the Family Tracking Traits and Behaviors Plant and Animal Life Cycles Pasta, Pie Graphs, and Painted Ladies Raising Radishes Comparing Cycles A C D A B A B A B C Core Curriculum/Texas 7 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Topic Life cycle of butterflies Key Question How can you use a model to better understand the life cycle of a Painted Lady butterfly? Learning Goals Students will: make a model of the Painted Lady butterfly s life cycle, create a graph that shows the time span of each part of the cycle, and read and decode information about the life cycle. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science 4.10C Explore, illustrate, and compare life cycles in living organisms such as butterflies, beetles, radishes, or lima beans 4.3C Represent the natural world using models such as rivers, stream tables, or fossils and identify their limitations, including accuracy and size Math Graphing bar graph circle graph Science Life science animals life cycles Integrated Processes Observing Comparing and contrasting Identifying Relating Materials For each student: Stage Time rubber band book #19 rubber band life cycle wheel activity pages For each group of students: pasta (see Management 1) 4 cups, 3-oz white glue Unifix cubes in four colors (see Management 2) crayons tape Background Information A Painted Lady butterfly goes through a complete metamorphosis. The four stages are the egg, the caterpillar (larva), the chrysalis (pupa), and the adult butterfly. The focus of this activity is to give students the opportunity to make a model and create a graph that will show the relative time spent in each of the four phases. Data were used to create a cycle of 50 days; however, Painted Lady butterflies may have a cycle more or less than this length of time. Management 1. You will need to purchase small boxes of orzo, large shell, spiral, and bowtie pasta. Place the pasta in the cups for each group of students to use. 2. The color of the Unifix cubes does not matter. Each group will need four different colors. Give each group about 25 of each color. Not all Unifix cubes will be used. Unifix cubes (item number 1919 or 1928) are available from AIMS. Procedure 1. Ask the Key Question and state the Learning Goals. 2. Distribute the Stage Time rubber band book and direct the reading of the book. 3. Discuss the information in the book. Have students identify the four stages of the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly. 4. Distribute the strip page. 5. Direct a discussion on each of the four stages. Have the students construct a bar graph with the Unifix cubes. 6. When the students have constructed all four Unifix cube trains, have them cut out and tape together the strips. Direct them to color the strips to match their trains. Core Curriculum/Texas 175 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
7. Distribute the Life Cycle Wheel page. Have students wrap the strip into a circle and place it on the circle graph. Show the students how to divide the wheel into the sector parts indicated by the colored strips. Make a circle graph showing the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly. Life Cycle Wheel e y. Connecting Learning 1. What did you learn about the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly? 2. How many stages are in a complete metamorphosis? What are they? 3. What did the bar graph show you about the life cycle? 4. What did the circle graph show you about the life cycle? 5. Which stage was the longest? the shortest? 6. Why do you think it is important to use models in science? 7. What other animal life cycles are there? 8. What are you wondering now? Egg Caterpillar Chrysalis Adult 8. Tell the students to label each section and use the information in Stage Time to identify each type of pasta they need and to glue it to the section that represents that stage. Core Curriculum/Texas 176 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Key Question How can you use a model to better understand the life cycle of a Painted Lady butterfly? Learning Goals Students will: make a model of the Painted Lady butterfly s life cycle, create a graph that shows the time span of each part of the cycle, and read and decode information about the life cycle. Core Curriculum/Texas 177 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Painted Lady butterflies are some of the most common butterflies in the world. Their favorite spots to live are near meadows with flowers. They also like mountaintops. Inside the chrysalis, a complete change takes place. The caterpillar changes into a butterfly. This change is called a complete metamorphosis. 2 7 The Painted Lady butterfly pushes itself out of the chrysalis. Its wings are soft and folded. The tired butterfly rests. It unfolds its wings to dry. In a few short hours, it will fly off. It will look for a place to lay eggs to begin the cycle again. 8 7 Core Curriculum/Texas 178 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
The Painted Lady butterfly begins life as an egg. Adult females lay eggs on plants. Each egg is about the size of the head of a pin. The butterflies know the types of plants that the baby Painted Lady caterpillars will want to eat. Thistle plants are some of their favorites. The eggs hatch and come out Painted Lady caterpillars. The Painted Lady caterpillar eats and eats and eats. It spends almost its entire time during this stage of its life eating. As it eats, its skin gets tight. When this happens, the caterpillar sheds its skin. A Painted Lady caterpillar sheds its skin four times before it stops growing. 4 5 The third stage is where the biggest change happens to the Painted Lady. The caterpillar finds a safe place on a plant. It attaches itself so that it can hang down. Then the caterpillar s skin splits from its head to its abdomen. The green case that comes out is called a chrysalis. The Painted Lady butterfly goes through a four-stage life cycle. You will be reading about the changes the Painted Lady goes through. Pasta on a graph will model each of the four stages. This graph will help you learn more about the Painted Lady s life cycle. 6 3 Core Curriculum/Texas 179 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
The Painted Lady butterfly goes through a four-stage life cycle. You will construct a bar graph that shows the amount of time spent in each stage. You will then use pasta to represent what the Painted Lady butterfly looks like in each stage. Egg An adult Painted Lady lays her eggs on a plant. The eggs will take about four days to hatch. Use four Unifix cubes to show this stage. You will use orzo pasta to model this stage. Caterpillar (larva) A Painted Lady caterpillar spends more than two weeks of its life cycle eating. Use 16 Unifix cubes to show this stage. You will be using spiral pasta to model this stage. Chrysalis (pupa) A Painted Lady stays more than a week in this stage. Use nine Unifix cubes to show this stage. You will use large shell pasta to model this stage. Adult Butterfly An adult Painted Lady spends the next three weeks finding a place to lay eggs so that the cycle can begin again. Use 21 Unifix cubes to show this stage. You will use bowtie pasta to model this stage. Core Curriculum/Texas 180 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Cut out the strips. Tape them together to make one long strip. (Be sure you put the tape on the back.) Color the strips to match your Unifix cubes. Go in order from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to adult butterfly. Cut out the strips. Tape them together to make one long strip. (Be sure you put the tape on the back.) Color the strips to match your Unifix cubes. Go in order from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to adult butterfly. Core Curriculum/Texas 181 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Life Cycle Wheel Make a circle graph showing the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly. Egg Caterpillar Chrysalis Adult Core Curriculum/Texas 182 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning CONNECTING CONNECTING LEARNING LEARNING 1. What did you learn about the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly? 2. How many stages are in a complete metamorphosis? What are they? 3. What did the bar graph show you about the life cycle? 4. What did the circle graph show you about the life cycle? 5. Which stage was the longest? the shortest? Core Curriculum/Texas 183 2011 AIMS Education Foundation
Connecting Learning CONNECTING CONNECTING LEARNING LEARNING 6. Why do you think it is important to use models in science? 7. What other animal life cycles are there? 8. What are you wondering now? Core Curriculum/Texas 184 2011 AIMS Education Foundation