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Life Cycle of a Butterfly

butterfly

Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Subject: Science
Duration: 60 Minutes

Objective:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify and describe the four main stages of a butterfly’s life cycle—egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult butterfly—using descriptive language and illustrations to demonstrate their understanding.

Materials:

  • Whiteboard or chart paper and markers

  • Visual aid (e.g., printed or drawn diagram of butterfly life cycle – can be drawn in class)

  • Index cards (optional but not required)

  • Students' journals or notebook paper

  • Pencils, crayons, or colored pencils

Lesson Plan Outline

1. Engagement Activity: Butterfly Brainstorm (10 Minutes)

Ask: “What do you know about butterflies? Have you ever seen one up close?”

Do: “Write their answers on the board under the heading, “What We Know.”

Say: “Butterflies go through big changes in their lives. Just like people grow up from babies to adults, butterflies grow in a very special way that we’re going to explore today.”

Optional activity: Ask students to close their eyes and imagine being a tiny caterpillar. “How would the world look? What would you eat? What might you become?”

2. Instruction and Demonstration: The Four Stages (15 Minutes)

Say: “Butterflies don’t stay the same from birth to adulthood. They go through four stages in a cycle called metamorphosis. Let’s learn what happens at each stage.”

Do: Draw a simple circle on the board to represent the life cycle. As you label each stage (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly), describe it in simple, engaging language. Use hand gestures or movement to act out each stage. For example:

  • Egg: “The butterfly lays a tiny egg on a leaf.”

  • Caterpillar (larva): “Out hatches a hungry caterpillar that eats, and eats, and eats!”

  • Chrysalis (pupa): “The caterpillar wraps itself in a cozy little case called a chrysalis.”

  • Butterfly: “Then—surprise!—out comes a beautiful butterfly ready to fly.”

Ask: “Can anyone remember the first stage? What happens next?”

Say: “This cycle repeats again and again. That’s why we call it a life cycle.”

Visual aid tip: If there’s no printed chart, draw a simple picture of each stage on the board as you go. Let students help with ideas for how to draw them.

3. Guided Practice: Act It Out & Discuss (15 Minutes)

Do: Act out the butterfly life cycle as a class. Ask for volunteers or do a whole-class movement activity. Say:

  • Curl up in a ball like an egg.

  • Wiggle around like a caterpillar.

  • Stand still with arms crossed like a chrysalis.

  • Stretch and flap arms like butterfly wings!

Ask:

  • “What do you think the caterpillar eats?”

  • “Why do you think the butterfly lays its eggs on a leaf?”
     

Say: “Let’s review the stages together. I’ll say the name of a stage, and you show me what it looks like!”

4. Independent Practice: Create a Life Cycle Diagram (20 Minutes)

Do: Ask students to fold a blank sheet into four sections or draw a large circle divided into four parts.

Say: “In each section, draw and label one stage of the butterfly’s life cycle. You can add arrows to show how it moves from one stage to the next.”

Option for differentiation:

  • For emerging writers, allow them to focus only on drawing and verbally explaining the stages.

  • Advanced learners should be encouraged to write 1–2 descriptive sentences per stage.
     

Encourage creativity: Students can add color and detail to their drawings. “Think about what the butterfly might see or feel. What colors might you use for the wings?”

5. Reflection and Wrap-Up: Share & Show What You Know (5 Minutes)

Do: Invite 2–3 students to share their life cycle drawings with the class or a partner.

Ask:

  • “What was your favorite stage and why?”

  • “Why do you think it’s important to understand how butterflies grow?”
     

Say: “You did a great job today! Now you know how a butterfly grows, changes, and starts the cycle all over again.”

Assessment

  • Observe student participation during the acting-out activity and group discussion.

  • Review life cycle diagrams for the inclusion of all four stages and correct sequencing.

  • Listen to students' verbal explanations and responses for understanding of vocabulary (e.g., egg, larva, chrysalis, metamorphosis).
     

Differentiation Strategies

  • For ELL or struggling readers: Use visual support (board drawings), gestures, and simplified language. Pair them with a buddy for the drawing activity.

  • For advanced students: Ask them to imagine what would happen if a stage were skipped and explain the importance of each part of the cycle.

  • For kinesthetic learners: Emphasize movement through the acting activity and drawing process.
     

For students with fine motor challenges: Allow digital drawing tools (if available) or let them dictate their ideas to a peer or teacher.

Written by Rachel Jones
Education World Contributor
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