Garden Lessons: The Life Cycle of a Cabbage Worm (3rd Grade)

 
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Grade(s): 3rd

Lesson Objective(s): Students learn about the life cycle of a cabbage worm.

Ohio Curriculum Standard: Plants & animals have life cycles

Supplies Needed

  • Book: “the very impatient caterpillar” by Ross Burach

  • A clear, close-able container for trapping cabbage worms

    • little Ramekin with water

    • Cabbage leaves

    • Soil in bottom of jar

    • a paper taped on that reads “Ms. _____’s Class Cabbage Worm Habitat”

  • Cabbage Worm Life Cycle Worksheet

  • Tables in high tunnel & colored pencils/pencils for worksheet

  • Watering cans (in high tunnel, filled)

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Cabbage cole slaw & serving spoon (for snack)

  • Spit bucket by high tunnel door

  • Ramekin containers, & soapy water bin (for serving snack)

  • Harmonica


Introduction (5 mins):

  • In Grape Arbor: Welcome everyone to garden: introduce self & grown-up helpers

  • We really need everyone’s help! Our cabbage worms have taken over our cabbage.

  • Line up on East wall of High Tunnel & Explain instructions:

    • in high tunnel, pick one cabbage worm and put in “Ms. _____’s class cabbage worms" jar/container.

    • Once you pick one cabbage worm and put it in your class jar, you can water the crops inside the high tunnel

Activity (20 mins)

Find 1 cabbage worm to put in your class jar

  • Use a watering can on the north end of High tunnel to water garden. Once everyone’s had a chance to water, line watering cans back up where you found them, and gather at table.

  • Once at tables: Everyone gets a Cabbage Worm Life Cycle Worksheet

  • Give students some time to complete their sheet. Ask students to share what they did on their worksheet

  • Clean up

Transition: Everyone line up on East end of high tunnel

Wrap up (5 mins)

  • Teacher gets container with cabbage worms

  • Ask group: What did you notice about our leaves? What do you think will happen to the cabbage worms in your classroom?

  • Line up at back door of high tunnel, get hand sanitizer and cabbage cole slaw snack

Classroom Extensions:

Before: Read “The Very Impatient Caterpillar” or watch the Youtube reading here (it’s a super fun one!)

After: Do a daily observation with students of the cabbage worm home. What do you notice? Has anything changed since yesterday?


Garden LessonsTeresa Woodard