Floating Change Lesson Plan Floating Change
Personal Growth & Mobile Engineering
Grades 2nd – 3rd
Learning Objectives
Identify three specific areas of personal growth since the start of the year.
Connect the biological stages of metamorphosis to their own learning journey.
Apply basic engineering principles to create a balanced, 3D hanging mobile.
Required Materials
Blueprint Templates
12" wooden dowels
Pre-cut yarn/string
Hole punches
Markers/Colors
Clothespins
Pacing Guide
Intro 10 min
Reflect 15 min
Create 30 min
Assemble 25 min
Total: 80 min
Instructional Steps
1
Metamorphosis Hook
Present the slides to explain the life cycle. Connect the chrysalis to "unseen growth"—the quiet practice and effort students have put in since August.
2
Reflective Brainstorm
Students complete the "Growth Garden" worksheet. Help them pick one academic goal and one social-emotional goal they have achieved.
3
Design Phase
Hand out the Blueprint. Students write reflections in Wing 1 and Wing 2 first. Then, they use colors to make the wings symmetrical and vibrant.
4
Mobile Engineering
Attach strings. Students must find the balance point on their dowel. If it leans, slide the main string toward the heavy side until level.
Support & Extension
Supporting Emergent Writers
Provide a "Growth Word Bank" with icons. Students can cut and paste achievement icons (reading, math, sharing) onto their wings instead of writing long sentences.
Extension for Advanced Learners
Challenge students to hang their life-cycle pieces (caterpillar, chrysalis) as "weights" to counter-balance their butterfly wings, creating a more complex physics problem.
Butterfly Breakthrough Slides 🦋
🌿
Butterfly Breakthrough
Metamorphosis & Personal Growth
Metamorphosis
🥚
1. Egg & Larva
The quiet start. Growing every day!
🍂
2. Chrysalis
Hard work happens on the inside.
🦋
3. Butterfly
Showing the world your new self.
🐛
🍂
🦋
How Have YOU Changed?
August was a long time ago. Think about who you were then vs who you are now.
📚
Learning
Reading, Math, Art, or Science!
🤝
Friendship
Being kind and helping others.
🧗
Trying Hard
Not giving up on hard things.
The Balancing Act
Physics is on your team!
If your mobile tips, move your string closer to the heavy side. Slide it slowly until the stick is perfectly level!
🦋
Take Flight!
Let's show everyone how much we've grown.
BRAINSTORM
DESIGN
BUILD
Growth Garden Worksheet Growth Garden
Student Name
Date
🌱
1
Beginning
August: What was one thing you couldn't do yet?
2
Effort
Challenge: What did you work hard to overcome?
3
Emerging
New Skill: What is something you are proud of now?
4
Future
Goal: What is one more thing you want to learn?
Design Your Wings
Draw patterns and colors for your mobile here!
🦋
🎨
Butterfly Blueprint Project Butterfly Blueprint
Part A: The Growth Wings
Punch Hole
My New Skill
Wing 1
Proud Of...
Wing 2
Write FIRST • Color SECOND • Cut LAST
Butterfly Blueprint
Part B: Engineering Pieces
HEAD
BODY
START
EFFORT
NEXT GOAL
Balance Check: Move string until level!
Glue wings to body. Hang pieces from bottom.