Study The Butterfly

Find more butterflies to print.

       The  butterfly  is  one  of  the '' Lepidoptera ''  or  scale-winged  insects.  Besides butterflies,  of  which  it  is  reckoned  that  there  are  10,000  different  kinds,  this order  includes  the  moths,  of  which  it  is  estimated  that  there  are  40,000  species. In  the  British  Isles,  of  2000  different  kinds  of  Lepidoptera,  only  65  are  butterflies  and  the  rest  moths.  The  body  is  almost  completely  covered  with  hair  or scales,  and  the  insects  feed  on  the  honey  of  flowers,  honey-dew,  the  sap  of trees,  over-ripe  fruit,  &e.  Their  senses  are  very  keen.  Some  varieties  owe their  safety  to  an  odor  which  they  emit,  and  which  repels  their  enemies. These  are  numerous.  In  many  cases  the  butterfly  imitates  so  completely  the objects  about  it,  leaf  or  twig,  that  it  escapes  the  notice  of  its  foes.

 

Require for Observation: The  chrysalides  exhibited  in  the  last  lesson should  be  preserved  till  the  butterflies  appear.  These  may  then  be employed  for  the illustration  of  the  present  lesson.  If  possible,  the children  should  watch  the  perfect  insect  emerging  from  the  pupacase.

Method of Student Observation of The Butterfly:

• Point  out  that  this  division  is not  so  apparent  in  the  caterpillar.
• Compare  with  the  head  of  the caterpillar.  Note  differences.
• Show  that  this  corresponds  with the  leg-bearing  segments  of  the  caterpillar. 
• Point  out  that  the  claspers  of the  caterpillar  have  disappeared.
• Compare  with  the  short  legs  of the  caterpillar.
• Explain  that  the  wings  are  imperfectly  formed  in  the  chrysalis, but develop  when the  perfect  insect emerges.
• Contrast  with  the  flight  of  birds.
• Compare  with  feeding  of  the caterpillar,  which  bites  solid  food.
• Recapitulate  briefly  the  whole life-history - from  egg  to  perfect  insect.

How to Grade Study Notes For Student Journals: Every student will need a journal to write in weekly for this online nature study series. Teacher will assign the weekly content in advance.

• Make sure the facts are: written in complete sentences, the first word of each sentence capitalized, and a period should be included at the end of each sentence.
• Spell check your vocabulary and write the words correctly.
• Dress up your journal entries with student clip art, drawings of your own in color or in black and white.
• Student may also include photographs of their own taking for extra credit.

Look for the following facts about butterflies inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Body - In  three  parts - head, thorax,  and  abdomen.
• Head - With  two  feelers  (antennae),  usually  thickened  into  a  knot at  the  end,  two large  compound  eyes, and  a  sucking-tube  (proboscis ).
• Thorax - Bears  three  pairs  of legs  and  two  pairs  of  wings.
• Abdomen - Covered  with  fine hairs.  No  limbs.
• Legs - Six  in  number.  Of  several  parts,  jointed  together,  and terminating  in  two hooked  claws.
• Wings - Four.  Large.  Membrane,  supported  by  rigid  -  veins -or  rays,  and  covered with  minute scales. 
• Flight - Rapid  but  jerky.
  Feeding - Sucks  the  sweet  juices from  flowers  by  means  of  the  proboscis, which  can  be  extended,  and  when  not in  use  is  coiled  up.
  
• Egg-laying - Eggs  laid  by  butterfly  on  the  food-plants  of  the  caterpillar.

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

• The life cycle of the butterfly by ClickView
• Watch a breathtaking Monarch butterfly swarm by Nature on PBS
• Beautiful Butterfly Moments by BBC Earth

Life cycle of a Butterfly.

The Life Cycle of The Butterfly: Students will need writing and drawing tools, two white paper plates, scissors, white school glue and one brass-plated fastener. The teacher should supply the two paper plates and fastener per student.

      Divide the bottom paper plate using a pencil into 4, pie shaped wedges. Draw a picture of each stage of the butterfly's life cycle into these five spaces. Color them in using pencils or crayons.

4 Stages of The Butterfly

1. The butterfly lays it's eggs on a leaf.
2. The baby caterpillars hatch from the eggs and start to eat and grow.
3. The mature caterpillar makes a chrysalis to change in.
4. The butterfly hatches and unfolds it's wings.

       Next, cut just one pie shaped window from the top plate so that when the two paper plates are joined at the center with a brass-brad fastener, the window will reveal only one life stage at a time. On the top plate write ''Describe the order and stage of a butterfly's life.'' Now students may then share what they have learned by showing off their life cycle project with siblings, friends, parents and teachers. Save this lesson to talk about at a parent-teacher conference or open house for the student.

The Butterfly Arts and Crafts Lessons From Our Blogs:

• Cut, color and paste together a butterfly kite! for young students kindergarten -2nd Grade
• Craft a Simple Butterfly Mask - using paper plates, kindergarten - 2nd grade
• Create a Butterfly Yarn Picture - for older students 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders
• "Handy" little butterflies - preschool through 1rst Grade
• Drawing Butterflies Through Five Progressive Steps - 2nd and 3rd Grade
• Craft Doily Butterflies - any age for decorative ornaments
• Repeating Line Butterfly Design- 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders
• The Living Butterfly - a vintage paper toy for crafting fun

Extended Learning Content: 

• Insect Guests in Our Gardens - article
• How to make butterfly clothespin dolls...

Free Student Clip Art: Clip art may be printed from a home computer, a classroom computer or from a computer at a library and/or a local printing service provider. This may be done from multiple locations as needed because our education blog is online and available to the general public.

The Butterfly clip art illustrates the anatomy of the butterfly: feelers, proboscis, thorax,
wings with veins, abdomen, scales, eyes and legs.