When we returned from spring break, we began a new animal unit in science. We have been learning about the butterfly life cycle. We spent several days learning about the different stages, starting with the caterpillar egg:
*A monarch caterpillar emerges from a soft, creamy white shell
*The monarch caterpillar eats its shell. It's job is to eat, eat, eat!
We continued by learning about the monarch caterpillar:
*Monarch caterpillars are black, yellow, and white striped
*Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed plants
*As they grow, monarch caterpillars shed their skin. They shed their skin five times and eat their skin too!
Then we learned about the chrysalis:
*After the caterpillar eats and sheds it's skin, it hangs from the bottom of a milkweed plant in the shape of a J
*The caterpillar creates a silk button on the underside of the leaf. This silk button provides a secure hold, even through strong winds.
*The caterpillar's skin then begins forming and in about 6 hours, a chrysalis is created!
Last we learned about the butterfly:
*The green chrysalis turns into a dark, almost black color. This is an indication that the butterfly is about to emerge!
*Once the butterfly emerges, it remains in position and spreads out its wings to dry.
*Once the wings are dry, the butterfly takes flight!
*The monarch butterfly no longer eats milkweed, but now seeks nectar from flowers
We have loved learning about the butterfly life cycle! Last week Thursday we traveled to Frederik Meijer Gardens to bring our learning outside of the classroom. Our field trip gave us the opportunity to observe butterflies in different stages of their life cycle. It was a great day of exploration and learning! Below you will find pictures from our special day:
*A monarch caterpillar emerges from a soft, creamy white shell
*The monarch caterpillar eats its shell. It's job is to eat, eat, eat!
We continued by learning about the monarch caterpillar:
*Monarch caterpillars are black, yellow, and white striped
*Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed plants
*As they grow, monarch caterpillars shed their skin. They shed their skin five times and eat their skin too!
Then we learned about the chrysalis:
*After the caterpillar eats and sheds it's skin, it hangs from the bottom of a milkweed plant in the shape of a J
*The caterpillar creates a silk button on the underside of the leaf. This silk button provides a secure hold, even through strong winds.
*The caterpillar's skin then begins forming and in about 6 hours, a chrysalis is created!
Last we learned about the butterfly:
*The green chrysalis turns into a dark, almost black color. This is an indication that the butterfly is about to emerge!
*Once the butterfly emerges, it remains in position and spreads out its wings to dry.
*Once the wings are dry, the butterfly takes flight!
*The monarch butterfly no longer eats milkweed, but now seeks nectar from flowers
We have loved learning about the butterfly life cycle! Last week Thursday we traveled to Frederik Meijer Gardens to bring our learning outside of the classroom. Our field trip gave us the opportunity to observe butterflies in different stages of their life cycle. It was a great day of exploration and learning! Below you will find pictures from our special day:
The Caterpillar Room:
Observing monarch chrysalises
Searching for caterpillars under the leaves of plants
The Classroom Activity:
We learned about metamorphosis (a great word to add to our classroom academic vocabulary wall!).
The students made a pasta craft as they learned more about the four stages of metamorphosis.
Thanks for all of your help, parent volunteers!
Before the students glued down their pieces of pasta (each pasta represented a different stage of the butterfly life cycle), the classroom teacher shared information about that particular stage. I was so proud of how much the first graders already knew and I loved learning more about the butterfly life cycle with them!
The Butterfly Exhibit:
Groups traveled through the butterfly exhibit to explore the different kinds of butterflies. The first graders were fascinated by the different types of butterflies and stood very still to see if one would land on them! :)
This butterfly was a favorite of the first graders! It even landed on
Joely's shoulder!
Joely's shoulder!
The Children's Garden:
After exploring the butterfly exhibit and completing our classroom activity, the first graders enjoyed some exploration time in the children's garden. Students played on the treehouse structure, ran through mazes, played by the fountains, dressed up as different stages of the butterfly life cycle, and saw a large collection of sculptures.
The children's garden was a great place to end our day. These goofy kiddos had a great time on their field trip! :)
The children's garden was a great place to end our day. These goofy kiddos had a great time on their field trip! :)
Thank you parent volunteers for joining us on our field trip! We couldn't have enjoyed this day without you. We had a wonderful time exploring Frederik Meijer Gardens!
Please ask your child about our special field trip and what they learned that day. They are becoming butterfly experts! :)
Please ask your child about our special field trip and what they learned that day. They are becoming butterfly experts! :)