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An overview of a project about the lifecycle of butterflies together with suggestions and ideas for cross-curriculum activities |
Compiled by Catherine Carabott |
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The Life Cycle
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THE LIFE CYCLE A set of questions which will help the teacher and the children to structure the work.
Phase 1: The egg Explain how the female butterfly after mating lays an egg which hatches into a caterpillar.
Phase 2: The larva - the caterpillar grows and grows. What kind of food does it need to grow? What amount of food does it eat? Why does it change its skin? How fast does it grow? Identify its body parts. Field work: In its natural habitat, what does it feed on? Do farmers like caterpillars? Find out about different species of caterpillars.
Phase 3: The pupa - the caterpillar transforms itself into a cocoon. Does it need food any more? How long does this phase last? Observe its shape when it is ready to change.
Phase 4: the adult - the butterfly emerges. Observe the colouring process. Identify its body parts. How does it drink? Find out the name of the species of the butterfly that emerged. Discover other different species of Maltese butterflies. Find out about other species found in other countries. Pollination: How is it done? Do butterflies like cold weather? - Migration You can use the following sites and resources to find the answers:Click here for diagrams of all the stages of the life cycle: http://butterflywebsite.com/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ID=61Click here to watch live web cam transmissions of daily butterfly observations, more activities, online games and resources. http://yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/projects/butterflies/index.htmlThis site offers more information on the life cycle and the anatomy of butterflies, printouts, illustrated dictionary, list of butterfly species and online class activities. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/Butterflies of Other Countries. http://butterflywebsite.com/gallery/index.cfm |
