KATE

Are You Like a Butterfly?

Core Connections

http://pics.tech4learning.com

By: Jaclyn Howard, Jesse Stuart Elementary School
Hopkins County Schools

Everything is more meaningful when it relates to oneself. Butterflies are a fun and interesting way to help children learn life cycles while creating a real-life, meaningful experience. Students can better learn about life cycles when butterflies, for example, can be compared and contrasted with their own life cycle. By saturating the students' learning environment with literature on butterflies, opportunities for dramatic play, websites containing pictures and facts on butterflies, and observations of real butterflies, children can't help but to be motivated to learn. Butterflies provide invaluable opportunities for children to learn not only about the life cycle of insects and butterflies, but a look into their own stages of life.

When beginning instruction, first grab the students' attention by asking them about their own lives. As any parent will agree, kindergarteners are always willing to share! It will provide a great opportunity to discuss the human life cycle concerning; baby, child, teenager, and adult. From there, students can learn the life cycles of the butterfly from egg to caterpillar then cocoon and finally, a butterfly. Next, by incorporating butterfly life cycle puppets with the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, students will be able to use their imaginations and provide an opportunity for the child to play while learning. Children need to associate learning with having fun.

Another essential element to learning about the life cycle of the butterfly is websites that are enriched with facts and pictures of real butterflies that students can utilize. Students can learn about all of the different species of butterflies and where they live. An interactive power point is also a fun way to get students involved in the learning experience. This in turn, can provide a great way to review for an assessment on life cycles, and is, yes, fun! What is a better way to get kindergarteners involved in learning than letting them help you! What six-year-old doesn't want to be the "teacher"? In fact, why not let students help make the power point with all of the facts they know about butterflies? This way, they are making a contribution to their own learning as well as others. It doesn't get much more meaningful than that!

Finally, make the experience complete by having real butterflies emerge from caterpillars in a butterfly garden. Students get a front row seat in observing the life cycle of the butterfly and record their observations in their own butterfly observation journal. Students have a tendency to write better when it means something to them. Provide an unforgettable experience where students can learn and have fun at the same time!

Recommended Popular Reading Titles:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Caterpillar to Butterfly; A Colorful Adventure
Caterpillar Spring: Butterfly Summer
Painted Lady Butterflies (Life cycle series)
Case of the Missing Caterpillar: A First Look at the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Related Links

• Pollination Parties! - Use Discovery Education to create lessons and activities on butterfly and bee lifecycles.
• Insect Lore - This site provides several butterfly gardens to purchase for the classroom as well as accessories. 
• All About Painted Lady Butterflies - This website is from the Earth's Birthday Activity Kit and gives the important information about Painted Lady Butterflies.

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

• The Life Cycle of the Butterfly
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Butterflies
• Butterfly Lesson Plan
• Butterfly Jeopardy
• Butterfly Podcast
• Butterfly Powerpoint