Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) activities that allow our younger students to explore science in English form an integral part of day-to-day teaching at our school! This time, our 3rd graders explored the life cycle of a butterfly with the help of our 3D-printer as well as with the help of an imaginative crafts activity, whereby they represented the butterfly life cycle using pasta pieces! Our learners thoroughly enjoyed this multifaceted project and were offered the opportunity to hone multiple skills.
As an introduction to the project, the 3D-model of a butterfly was printed in our 3D-printer. This enabled our students to see the strong links that exist between our everyday study of the natural world and the benefits of 3D-printing technology that makes it possible to gain a hands-on experience of natural objects. Emphasizing this link between technology and the study of the natural world is of paramount importance to us, as we are committed to preparing our students for the challenges of a constantly evolving technological landscape! At the second stage of the project we went through the different stages of the butterfly life cycle in English, focusing on the most important scientific terms needed to describe it. The third stage of the project involved our students in a fun crafts activity. They were asked to create their own illustration of the butterfly life cycle and decorate it using pasta pieces, which resembled the different stages of the cycle, such as a caterpillar, a chrysalis and so on.
Science is a fascinating area in its own right and therefore we are determined to continue using it as a source of inspiration for our English language activities!