Introduction
Welcome Butterfly adventurers,
Lesson 1: We are going on a discovery adventure, fellow scientists we need to know:
- What are butterflies?
- Where do we find them?
- How many different types of butterflies are there?
- Why are butterflies so important?
- My favourite butterfly: The Ulysses, what makes this butterfly so special?
First things first, we shall share a story: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. My goodness, what happened to the very hungry caterpillar?
The story takes us through the Lifecycle of the Butterfly.
Task
Lesson 2:
Task 1: The Four Stages of the Butterfly's Lifecycle
As we saw in story, the caterpillar turns into a butterfly: We have a special word: Metamorphosis.
My dear students, my mind has missed me, I cannot remember what that means:
- Task a: Look it up in a Dictionary or Google it to define it for me, please.
- Task b: Then can you draw the image you see and tell me what they are? http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/coloringpages
Task 2: Activity: http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle/lesson
The students will use their bodies to demonstrate what metamorphosis looks like.
First,you need to become an egg. Have them sit on the floor, grasp their knees, and tuck their head under.
- Demonstrate the position. Next, tell the students they will change into caterpillars by stretching out on the floor and wriggling.
- After that, they will stand very still and cross their arms tightly across their chest to look like the chrysalis.
- Finally, demonstrate how a butterfly gently stretches its wings and begins to flutter.
- Allow the students to fly around the room as butterflies in the rain forest.
Gee, look at all the butterflies, fluttering on by!
Lesson 3:
Task 3: Where do we find them?
Butterflies are found all over the world and in all types of environments: hot and cold, dry and moist, at sea level and high in the mountains. Most butterfly species, however, are found in tropical areas, especially tropical rainforests. www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/allabout/
For our task we are looking at the butterflies of Tropical North Queensland, Can you name any? https://australianbutterflies.com/butterflies/
According to the Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary;
What do they eat? (Remember the butterfly has 4 stages in its lifestyle, What did The Very Hungry Caterpillar eat??
What does the Cairns Birdwing look like? Can you describe some features of this beautiful butterfly?
My little explorers: we shall answer these questions together as we examine this Youtube.
- How many different types of butterflies are there?
- Why are butterflies so important?
- My favourite butterfly: The Ulysses, what makes this butterfly so special?
Lesson 4:
Task 4: Today, we have a special guest coming from our local Indigenous community, to help us create Butterfly Dot Paintings. Remember all the features of the butterflies.
Instructions:
At the beginning of the class, I will give you each a paddlepop stick with a number and you will go and get your image out of the corresponding box.We have 28 children, and 4 stages of Metamorphosis, which means 7 children will stage 1, 7 will do stage 2, 7 will do stage 3 and 7 will do stage 4.
Our guest is here to help and inspire you!