Subject
Objective
Description/What to do in the classroom
Things to consider/science behind it
Number of TryScience.org features used
Titles of TryScience.org features
Materials Used
Results of student feedback and teacher assessment of activity
Attachments

Subject
Special Education Teacher - Elementary Level, all subjects

Objective
To design an interactive game type activity about butterflies as pollinators for our annual Butterfly Festival.

Science Standards: (List as applicable)
New York State Math, Science and Technology: Standard 4
Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Life Science
#4 The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development

Performance indicator: Students will describe the major stages in the life cycles of selected plants and animals

#6 Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment

Performance indicator: Students will describe how plants and animals, including humans, depend upon each other and the non-living environment.

New York State Math, Science and Technology Standard 2: Information Systems: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

#1 Information technology is used to retrieve, process, display and communicate information in different forms including text, tables, pictures and sound.

Performance indicator: Students will use a variety of equipment and software packages to enter, process, display and communicate information in different forms using text, tables, pictures and sound.

Description/What to do in the classroom
* Students will research the basic needs of caterpillars and butterflies by raising monarchs, painted ladies and swallowtails in the classroom.
* Students will use the TryScience.org website to understand how flowers and butterflies depend on each other.
* Students will raise nectar plants from seed in our GrowLab
* Students will work in pairs to brainstorm ideas for a game show activity for our annual Butterfly Festival
* Design and present the activity at the Butterfly Festival

Note: These students are 3rd and 4th students with learning challenges. Each year we put together an annual Butterfly Festival for all students in Grades 1, 2 and 3 in our building.

Things to consider/science behind it
To successfully complete this activity, students will need to consider these questions:
* What are the stages in the life cycle of plants?
* What attracts bees and butterflies to certain flowers?
* What is the same/different about the needs of a caterpillar and the needs of a butterfly?

Students will gain knowledge in various ways: electronically through the website, through hands/on minds/on activities of raising caterpillars and growing plants. They will apply the knowledge by developing their own activity.

Curriculum topics
This activity engages students in an inquiry to develop understanding about the relationships found in the living environment.

Science: The Living Environment
Technology: Information Systems

Integration of TryScience.org features
This activity utilizes 3 features of the TryScience.org website to facilitate student inquiry into how flowers can attract different pollinators, view pollinators in live action and gain an understanding of how our senses can affect us.

Number of TryScience.org features used
0-5

Titles of TryScience.org features
Title of TryScience.org experiment:
Animal Attraction: This experiment will help students develop understanding of which types of flower characteristics attract different kinds of pollinators. It helps them to recognize that bees are not the only pollinators. They will learn that there are many different things for a pollinator to consider in flowers.
Titles of TryScience.org fieldtrips:
Orlando Science Center: Students can investigate the Cypress Swamp. They will look for pollinators among the animals. There are also many plants visible on the live camera and students can manipulate the camera to look for pollinators on plants.
Be Sense-Sational@Bristol: This field trip will allow students the opportunity to find out how they are affected by different sounds and imagery. They will find out how they respond to different challenges and get a sense for themselves.

Materials Used
* Computer with Internet access
* TryScience.org website
* Butterfly larva and enclosure
* Flower seeds, pots and potting soil
* Microsoft PowerPoint, eZedia or Hot Potatoes software to develop their own interactive activity on butterflies as pollinators for our Butterfly Festival

Results of student feedback and teacher assessment of activity
Please see our website for examples of the work we have done for previous Butterfly Festivals: http://www.dcboces.org/sufsd/nassau/vitek/butterfly/index.html