Hi boys and girls! It's Miss Jess, and today we're going to learn all about butterflies!
Butterflies are insects.
A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.
Butterflies attach their eggs to the leaves with a special glue.
Most caterpillars are plant eaters (herbivores).
Fully grown caterpillars attach themselves to a suitable twig or leaf before shedding their outside layer of skin to reveal a hard skin underneath known as a chrysalis.
An adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time.
Butterflies can live in the adult stage from anywhere between a week and a year, depending on the species.
Butterflies have four wings.
Butterflies often have brightly colored wings with unique patterns made up of tiny scales.
Most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers.
Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet.
Scientists estimate that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 different species of butterfly.
Monarch butterflies are known for their long migration. Every year monarch butterflies will travel a great distance.
Pictures of some of the many butterflies:
The Butterfly Life Cycle:
Stage 1: Egg
Stage 2: Caterpillar
Stage 3: Chrysalis (Cocoon)
Stage 4: Butterfly
Video about the life cycle of a butterfly:
Monarch Butterflies:
Story: Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar
Short animated film based off of The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle:
Craft: #1 - The Butterfly Life Cycle
This is a really fun activity we usually make in our classroom!
What you'll need is:
Paper plate
Green paper (for the leaves if you want)
Beans or rice - eggs
Different types of noodles for the caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.
Glue
This activity represents the life cycle of a butterfly!
1. Egg
2. Caterpillar
3. Chrysalis
4. Butterfly
Craft: #2 - Paper Plate Butterfly
What you'll need:
Paper plate
Glue
Popsicle stick
Pipe cleaner
Crayons, paint, or markers
*Cut the plate into two wings. Decorate the wings however you'd like! Then decorate the popsicle stick if you want and a face for the butterfly. Glue the antenna (pipe cleaner) on. Next you'll glue the wings onto the popsicle stick. Let it dry lying down!
Craft: #3-Clip Butterfly
What you'll need:
Coffee filter
Clothes-pin
Pipe cleaner
Crayons, paint, or markers
*Decorate the coffee filter however you like. Then decorate the clip. Scrunch the filter together and use the clothes-pin in the middle of the filter to hold it in place as well as the antenna.
If you make one of these art projects or your own creation, please bring it to your small group Zoom session on Friday or next week to share! Also, we love seeing pictures in the forum!
Song: Butterfly, Butterfly
We hope you enjoyed learning about butterflies. If you would like to do the butterfly experiment at home by seeing the life cycle, you can go to this link for more information: Insect Lore
Have a wonderful day friends!
Comments