Study Insects and Flowers

Soldier beetle pollinating a flower.

       The  vast  majority  of  flowering  plants  are  arranged  by  botanists  into  two classes,  wind-fertilized (anemophilous), and insect-fertilized  (entomopkilous), that  is,  plants  whose pollen  is  brought  to  their  stigmas  by  the  wind,  and  plants  for which  insects  perform  this  duty.  One  striking  feature  of  wind-fertilized  plants is  the  absence  of  bright-colored  leaves  and  of  scent.  The  interior  of  these flowers,  too,  contains  no  honey;  the  visits  of  insects  would  be  of  no  use  to them,  so  they  do  not  offer  any  inducements  to  these  animals  to  come  to  them.

       Insects  are  induced  to  visit  flowers  in  some  cases  to  get  shelter  from  storms ; in  others  to  deposit  their  eggs,  but  most  commonly  of  all  to  procure  food. Honey  and  pollen  are  the  principal  foods  which  they  seek  for  in  flowers; but  pollen  is  ordinarily  produced  in  such  abundance  that  much  of  it  can  be spared.  The  brilliant  colors  of  the  corolla  enable  the  flower to  be  seen  at  a distance,  and  the  various  parts  of  the  flower  are,  as  a  rule,  so  shaped  as  to admit  only  into  the  interior  the  insects  that  are  serviceable.  The  honey  which the  flower  secretes,  and  the  sweet  smells  do  not,  as  far  as  is  known,  serve  any other  purpose  save  that  of  attracting  insects.

       The  modes  in  which  the  flower  adapts  itself  to  the  visits  of  special  insects, the  appliances  by  which  it  covers  these  with  pollen,  to  be  transferred  to stigma  of  another  flower,  are  wonderfully  various,  and  seem  mostly intended  to  favor  cross-fertilization.

Required for Observation in The Classroom: This  lesson  should  be  illustrated  by means  of a  variety  of  flowers,  including  species  that  are  small  and  inconspicuous,  and  others  brightly  colored,  flowers  that  sleep  by  day (evening  primroses,  tobacco,  &c.),  flowers  that  sleep  by  night  (daisy, dandelion,  pimpernel,  &c.),  and  odorless  and  sweet-scented  flowers. Diagrams  showing  the  sucking-tubes  of  insects.

Method of Student Observation:

• Various  flowers  should  be  examined  in  order  to  see  and  taste  the sweet  nectar  produced  by  them. 
• Diagrams  showing  the  sucking-tubes  of  insects  should  be  shown, and  the  insects  themselves  should  be observed  as  they  visit  the  flowers  in a  garden.
  This  information  should  be  acquired,  if  possible,  by  the  observation of  insects  at  large,  and  not  given  by the  teacher  in  the  school-room. 
• Examples  of  flowers  (primrose, canterbury  bell,  carnation, etc.) illustrating  the  accompanying  notes may  be  found  in  most  flower-gardens, or  in  hedgerows  and  banks. 
• These  facts  should  be  verified  by the  actual  observation  of  flowers  and insects  at  different  periods  of  the day  and  evening,  and  the  children should  be  encouraged  to  make  notes of  their  own  independent  observations,  carried  on  at  any  time.  
  

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 insects and flowers inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Why  Insects  visit  Flowers. - Many  flowers  produce  sweet  fluids on  which  certain  insects  (bees,  butterflies, etc.)  delight  to  feed.  Such insects  are  provided  with  long sucking-tubes,  which  can  be  thrust down  the  cups  and  tubes  of  flowers for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  these fluids,  and  some  (bees)  are  also  provided  with  jaws  by  which  they  can bite  through  the  lower  parts  of  the flowers  when  their  sucking-tubes  are not  long  enough  to  reach  the  sweet juices  from  above.
• Some  insects  (bees,  &c.)  feed  on the  pollen,  or  else  collect  the  pollen to  feed  their  young.
• How  Insects  help  Flowers. - When  an  insect  visits  flowers,  some of  the  pollen  adheres  to  its  body. Then,  as  it  flies  from  flower  to flower  in  quest  of  food,  the  pollen  it carries  is  transferred  to  the  stigmas, thus  assisting  in  the  work  of  fertilization.
• Insects  generally  fly  from  flower to  flower  of  the  same  species,  thus adding  to  their  usefulness,  for  the ovule  of  one  species  can  only  be fertilized  by  pollen  from  the  same species  or  from  one  closely  allied.
• Some  flowers  cannot  possibly  fertilize  themselves,  either  because  their anthers  and  their  stigmas  are  so situated,  relatively,  that  pollen  cannot  be  transferred  from  one  to  the other  (e.g.  the  primrose);  or  because the  anthers  and  the  stigmas  are never  mature  at  the  same  period. Such  flowers  must  have  their  pollen  transferred,  and  this  work  is carried  on  by  insects  or  by  the  wind. 
• How  Flowers  attract  Insects. - Those  flowers  which  are  fertilized  by the  wind  are,  as  a  rule,  very  inconspicuous,  and  have  no  scent ;  but those  which  require  the  aid  of  insects generally  have  brilliant corollas,  or  emit sweet  odors  to  attract  them.
• Again,  some  flowers  seem  to  prefer the  aid  of  particular  species  of insects,  and  remain  closed  except  at the  hours  during  which  those  insects are  on  the  wing.  Hence  we  find some  flowers  sleeping  during  the  day, and  others  during  the  night.
• The  flowers  which  require  the  aid of  day -flying  insects  usually  have  corollas  to  attract  them.  Those which  prefer  the  visits  of  night-fliers often  remain  closed  till  the  evening, and  attract  the  insects  either  by  their sweet  perfume,  or  by  their  large white  or  pale-yellow  corollas,  which are  readily  distinguished  at  a  distance after  dark. 

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch + articles to read:

1. Pollen and Nectar Carriers - article
2. Insect Mimicry and Protective Coloration - article
3. Video Attracting Beneficial Insects by Gardener Scott
4. Video Building A Host Environment for Beneficial Insects by Paul Zimmerman

The Insect and Flower Anchor Chart and Classroom Discussion: Direct discussions, develop vocabulary and demonstrate correct sentence writing. Anchor charts are used in many different grades the following example below may be used in 2nd through 4th grade during a group discussion.

• The  insect  visits  flowers  to  seek  for  honey.
• The  honey  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  flower-cup.
• The  insect  sucks  up  the  honey  from  the  bottom  of  the  flower with  its  long  sucking  tube.
• The  insect  visits  flowers  to  seek  for  honey,  which  lies  at  the bottom  of  the  flower-cup.
• The  yellow  dust  inside  the  flower  is  called  pollen.
• The  insects  gather  the  pollen  and  make  it  into  a  kind  of  bread for  their  young.
• The  pollen  sticks  to  the  insect  when  it  is  seeking  for  honey in  the  flower.
• The  yellow  dust  inside  flowers  is  called  pollen,  and  sticks to  the  insect,  when  it  is  seeking  for  honey  in  the  flower.
• When  the  insect  leaves  a  flower  its  body  is  covered  with pollen.
• The  insect  carries  the  pollen  to  the  next  flower.
• This  helps  the  flower  to  produce  seed.
• When  the  insect  leaves  a  flower  its  body  is  covered  with pollen ,  which  it  carries  to  the  next  flower ,  and  so  helps the  flower  to  produce  seed.  

Insect and Flower Frame Printables: Print, color and write your favorite nature poem inside the boarder printable. For student use, not for resale.

Click to download the largest available size before dragging to your desktop.

 Poems to Copy, Credit the Author Please:

• Creation by Edward P. Butler
• Flower Fairies by Philip Bourke Marston
• Waking To Life by Hannah Kohaus
• The Hollyhock Fairy by M. D. Cole
• Caterpillar On The Wall by Marion Ryan
• Spring by Betty Alsterlund

Extended Learning Content: 

• Flower with insects drawing for kids by Piyanki Khushi
• Start drawing of a ladybug and scenery by stART DrawinG
• Acrylic painting of beautiful flower with lady bug by V art World

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.

1.  Section  of  Flower,  showing  honey  secreted  at  bottom  of  tube ; 
2.  Insect-fertilized Flower;  3.  Insect  at  work,  sucking  honey;
  4. Sucking-tube  of  insect  enlarged,
and  section  of  same ;  5.  Wind-fertilized  Flowers.

Study The Caterpillar

The monarch caterpillars.

       The  eggs  of  butterflies  are  interesting  microscopic  objects,  as  they  are usually  covered  with  a  hard  shell,  and  are  of  various  shapes  and  colors. The  majority  of  insects  pass  through  a  regular  series  of  changes.  The ''young''  on  escaping  from  the  egg  is  known  as  the  larva.  The ''larvae''  are  soft  creatures,  with  the  body  in  segments,  not  unlike  earthworms.  When  they  have  no  distinct  head  and  no  limbs  they  are  called maggots;  when  they  have  a  horny  head  and  no  limbs,  or  only  jointed  legs, they  are  known  as  grubs;  and  when  they  are  furnished  with  head,  joined legs,  and  pro-legs,  they  are  called  caterpillars.  After  the  final  moult  the larva  passes  into  the  ''pupa''  state,  and  is  sometimes  known  as  a  chrysalis. Before  taking  this  form  the  larva  usually  selects  some  shelter,  and  very  often also  makes  for  itself  a  protective  case  or   ''cocoon.''  After  a  period  of  quiet it  issues  from  the  shelter  as  the  ''imago‚''  or  adult  insect,  furnished  with wings.

Required for Observation In The Classroom: A  diagram,  illustrating  the  metamorphoses  of a  caterpillar,  will  be  necessary  while  giving  this  lesson;  but  the changes  should  be  studied  from  the  insects  themselves.
       The  eggs  and  the  young  caterpillars  of  the  common  cabbage-butterfly  may  be found  in  any  vegetable  garden,  on  the  leaves  of cabbages,  during  April  and  May,  and  again  about  two  months  later (the  second  brood).  The  caterpillars  may  be  fed  on  cabbage  leaves, and  observed  from  day  to  day. 
       If you cannot locate one of these in your garden at home there are companies that sell chrysalis for students to observe a butterfly transformation all over the web!

Method of Student Observation: 

• Exhibit  a  cluster  of  the  eggs,  and also  a  picture  of  the  egg  as  seen through  a  microscope.
• The  structure  of  a  caterpillar should  be  illustrated  by  diagram or video;  but  live  caterpillars  should  also  be  exhibited.
•  If  the  caterpillar  of  the  cabbage- butterfly  cannot  be  obtained,  any other  will  do,  for  all  are  similar  in their  general  characteristics,  except that  the  number  of  claspers  varies from  two  to  five  pairs.
• The  process  of  molting  should be  observed  if  possible.  The  approach of  molting-time  may  be  known  by the  temporary  fasting  of  the  insect.
  
• A  chrysalis  should  be  exhibited, and,  if  possible,  the  final  molting watched  at  intervals.
  

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 caterpillars inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Eggs - Laid  by  butterflies  on  the  proper food-plants.  Attached  by  a  gummy substance.
  
• Structure - Body  made  up  of several  segments,  the  number  usually given  as thirteen,  counting  the  head as  the  first.
  
• Head -  Covered  with  a  hard skin.  A  pair  of  jaws.  Twelve  very small  eyes.
  
• Limbs - Six  legs one  pair  on each  of  the  2nd,  3rd,  and  4th  segments.  In  addition to  these  legs, the  caterpillar  has  five  pairs  of  pro- legs,  each  one  provided  with  a circlet of  little  hooks.  The  pro-legs  are often  spoken  of  as  the  claspers.
  
• Moulting - A  caterpillar  casts its  skin  several  times  during  its growth.  The  old  skin splits,  and reveals  a  new  one  beneath.
  
• Final  Moult - This  occurs  when the  caterpillar  is  full  grown,  and  the insect  then appears  as  a  chrysalis. 
  

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

1. Watch a Monarch Caterpillar Change into A Chrysalis by The Jefferson Lab
2. What's inside a caterpillar ''cocoon? ''

Make Graphic Illustration of Caterpillar Metamorphosis: Draw from real-life observation or from a video or the photograph below.

       ''This caterpillar of the monarch butterfly-hanging head downward-is ready for the metamorphosis. It hatched from a minute egg in late summer and has grown for two weeks. It stopped eating and wandered restlessly about and has now chosen a secure spot on which it has spun a small thick carpet of silk. It walked over this until the hind feet with their many minute hooks were entangled in the silk, then letting go its hold with the other pairs of feet, it hung head downward, motionless. The skin now loosens, and after twenty-four hours splits over the head. At this stage the caterpillar becomes active: by muscular contraction it works the skin off upward into a small shriveled mass; then during the few seconds longer that it still remains attached to the skin, it reaches out its slender end (which also is supplied with hooks) and with great effort and force pushes it up into the silk carpet. the whole process has taken but three or four minutes by the watch. The creature now rests. Slowly the shape changes, the segments above contracting, the form rounding out; and behold an emerald-green chrysalis studded with gold spots! In this form the insect is wholly immovable-although wonderful changes are taking place within, absorption of structures useful to the caterpillar and perfecting of others necessary for the new life of the butterfly. In two weeks the pattern of the butterfly's brown and orange wings begins to show through, finally the chrysalis skin, in its turn, splits over the head, and the butterfly crawls out. Such is one of the simplest and best-known stories of insect metamorphosis.''

Arts/Crafts Projects:

• Make my caterpillar stick puppet... - 4th, 5th, and 6th Graders
• Craft a pom-pom caterpillar SWAPS for girl scouts here - 1rst -5th Grade
• Make a very hungry caterpillar... - kindergarten through 2nd grade

Extended Learning Content: 

• The Cocoon - Bible Lesson based upon the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.
  
• Caterpillar On The Wall - illustrated poem

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.

Illustrations of Caterpillars, their eggs on a leaf, their chrysalis,
and anatomy like: head, legs and claspers.

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.

20 Facts About The Caterpillar/Butterfly

       Caterpillar. Mrs. Sigourney has written a child's poem about a butterfly, in which the beautiful insect sings as it flies through the sunny air, "I was a worm till I won my wings." Truly the ancients never conceived a myth more beautiful and wonderful than this familiar story of nature - the life history of the butterfly. 

Stages of the caterpillar and butterfly.

1. The lovely, winged creature is the fourth and last step in the development of the insect, and the caterpillar is the second, for it is the larva, or worm, that hatches from the egg. 
2. A study of the origin of the word caterpillar shows that it means, literally, hairy cat. 
3. Everyone is familiar with the woolly kinds, and the name, so far as they are concerned, is not inappropriate. 
4. There are, however, hairless kinds, the skin of which is often beautifully marked lengthwise or crosswise, or covered with rings and eye-spots.
5. When the tiny caterpillar first emerges from the egg it proceeds to eat, for this is to be its chief duty during the larva stage. 
6. The eggs are always deposited where plant food can easily be reached. 
7. Before very long the skin of the worm becomes too tight, for it does not increase as the body grows larger.
8. Accordingly the caterpillar soon crawls out through a split which occurs near the front end; that is, it molts (see Molting). 
9. This process is repeated four or five times, and in each case a new skin has formed under the old one.
10. The body of a full-grown worm is usually divided into twelve rings or segments, and each of the first three rings bears a pair of five-jointed legs. 
11. There are also short leg- stumps on the abdomen, which disappear when the last molting takes place.
12. On each side of the head there are six eye-spots; the head also bears a pair of short, three-jointed feelers, besides jaws and other mouth organs. 
13. Glands, some with unpleasantly odorous or stinging secretions, frequently occur on the skin.
14. There comes a time when the caterpillar ceases to eat and begins to prepare for the so-called pupal, or resting, stage. 
15. The caterpillar stage lasts two or three months in temperate regions, but it may be of two or three years' duration in Arctic lands. 
16. The quantity of food eaten is used to nourish the pupa. 
17. Moth caterpillars spin a casing of silk about them, and form cocoons, while the pupal stage of butterflies is passed in a hard skin covering. 
18. Butterfly pupae are called chrysalids. 
19. When the pupa reaches maturity the outside casing splits open, and the butterfly comes out, rather crumpled and weak at first, but soon ready to spread its wings for a happy life in the sunshine. 
20. The same processes of development occur in the life history of moths.

More About The Caterpillar/Butterfly:

• "He Is Risen Indeed!" Butterfly Coloring Page
• Create a Butterfly Yarn Picture
• A butterfly maze puzzle by kathy grimm...
• Craft a Butterfly Mask
• Life Again! and The Cocoon
• The Butterfly Poem
• A Living Butterfly paper craft
• Handy Little Butterflies
• Craft a Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Craft a Pom-pom Caterpillar SWAPS

Caterpillar On The Wall

 

Caterpillar On The Wall
by Marion Ryan

Caterpillar on the wall,
Fuzzy, furry yellow ball!

Don't I wish that I could spy
You turning to a butterfly!

Will you be a yellow one,
Sparkling, golden, in the sun,

Or a dusky tan and brown,
Fluttering lightly up and down,

In and out among the flowers
All the warm sweet summer hours?

Caterpillar, please don't go
Till you've told me how you grow.

The Butterfly

The Butterfly

author unknown

"Don't kill me," caterpillar said,

As Clara raised her heel,

Upon the humble worm to tread,

As though it could not feel.

"Don't kill me- I will crawl away,

And hide me from your site,

And when I come, some other day,

You'll view me with delight."

The caterpillar went and hid

In some dark, quiet place,

Where none could look on what he did,

To change his form and face.

And then, one day, as Clara read

Within a shady nook,

A butterfly, superbly dressed,

Alighted on her book.

His shining wings were dotted o'er

With gold, and blue, and green,

And Clara owned she naught before

So beautiful had seen.

Caterpillar Finger Plays

This nursery finger play comes with pictures, hand motions and piano sheet music for early learning and kindergarten teachers.

 Fuzzy little caterpillar,

Crawling, crawling on the ground!

Fuzzy little caterpillar, 

Nowhere, nowhere to be found

Though we've looked and looked and hunted 

Everywhere around!

 When the little caterpillar 

Found his furry coat too tight,

Then a snug cocoon he made him

Spun of silk so soft and light;

Rolled himself away within it--

Slept there day and night.

See how this cocoon is stirring!

Now a little head we spy--

What! Is this our caterpillar 

Spreading gorgeous wings to dry?

Soon the free and happy creature

Flutters gayly by.

Sheet music to accompany the finger play.

The Caterpillar

The Caterpillar

by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Brown and furry

Caterpillar in a hurry;

Take your walk

To the shady leaf, or stalk.

May no toad spy you,

May the little birds pass by you;

Spin and die,

To live again a butterfly. 

This beautiful child has learned her caterpillar poem!

A Popular Crayon Etching Technique Used in Elementary Schools

 Leona's Art Class. Learn to create fun and easy art projects for kids of all ages. Do try this at home! Please visit leonasartclass.blogspot.com

Child art using the same method demonstrated above.

      Below is a sample of the same coloring technique used to make a picture of a very hungry caterpillar. This little artist was in second grade when she drew this picture. Teachers and/or parents may also use a similar technique replacing the black crayon with black poster paint or tempera paints. You may find that this simplifies the last step and covers the surface of your etching paper more thoroughly. Also, little hands can tire before the prep on this project is finished and the painted surface is a alternative that saves tired arms and fingers! Etch your picture then on the following day.
      You may also use a coloring sheet as a outline to begin your crayon etching. Simply place a coloring sheet on top of the finished, dry, black surface of the paper and press firmly while tracing the outline of your coloring picture with a pencil. Do this on a hard surface, like a wooden table. Then lift the coloring sheet off the etching paper and begin to scratch off areas inside and out of the outline transfer to create a fun design.

More Crayon Etching by Children:

• Scratch Art Whales
• Scratch art butterfly
• Scratch art fish

Links to More Than 100 Apple Crafts!

A worm, crafted from a paper chain, wiggles his way down the face of a vividly colored paper
 apple. With the combination of several ordinary tools plus materials found at any grocery or
drug store, your child can craft fun and easy apple projects for fall displays and school
assignments.

      Above is one of many paper apple crafts posted at Thrifty Scissors. Here I have combined several craft methods used by early learning teachers to develop the small motor skills of their young students. You will need the following supplies to make the apple craft shown above.

• a large white paper plate
• green, red, black and pink markers
• a pale or lime green paper
• goggle eyes
• pinking shears 
• regular scissors also
• brown and green construction paper
• white glue

Directions for the paper chain worm:

1. Students may cut strips of paper using the pinking shears. This will give their worms a ruffled look. The number of strips will determine the length of their worms. Of course, the more links they add to the worm, the more practice students get at manipulating paper. I made the above worm from small half inch wide strips and looped these together into a very tight chain fold because I liked the look. If your classroom glue is not very tacky, teachers may wish to ofter students transparent tape to hold the loops together.
2. Students must loop and paste each link into the previous link in order to craft a continuous linked chain. 
3. When they have completed their worms to the desired length, instruct them to cut out a small round head for each worm and glue on the goggle eyes. 
4. Draw smiles on the worm faces and then paste the paper heads to the last link on each chain. 

Directions for crafting the paper apple: 

1. I suggest cutting apple shapes from a large white paper plates for this particular paper project. I could have used a red paper plates but this would have eliminated the coloring practice that my students needed. Some of you who are working with very young children may opt for this strategy. 
2. Suggest the coloring of the white paper plate either red, green or yellow. Depending upon the personal preferences of each student.
3. Then give each student brown and green scraps of construction paper to cut leaves and a stem for their paper apples. Attach these with school glue.
4. Attach the paper chain worm with glue as well.

      Cutting, pasting, folding, coloring, and even twisting paper are the most popular and inexpensive practices included in this helpful listing for educators. Apple crafts and activities in during the Autumn months are quite common in classrooms all across the United States. 

Crafting paper apples:

1. Back to school apple trees
2. Apple Print Wreath
3. Apple Tree Sewing Cards
   
4. Apple life cycle paper plate project
5. Woven paper apples
6. An apple newsprint banner
7. A paper apple book (bottom of page)
8. Candy apple craft with scripture
9. Phonics apple craft
10. Fall Apples and Johnny Appleseed (Math, Craft, and Literacy Fun by Robin Sellers)
11. Coffee Filter Apples
12. Paint an apple tree on a paper plate
13. Little Apple Yarn Favors
14. Apple tree craft with buttons, tissue paper and a paper towel roll
15. Paper bag apple tree
16. Handprint, footprint apple tree
17. Easy construction paper apple tree craft
18. Craft an Apple Lacing Card from A Paper Plate
19. Baby shower with apple theme, cute craft ideas!
20. String a wormy apple craft
    

Crafting ceramic, clay and plastic apples:

1. A bushel of apples to play with
2. Plastic Bottle Apples
3. Recycle clear, plastic lids into apples
4. A clay and wire apple tree
5. Salt dough apple wreath
6. Attempting to throw an apple shaped pot on a wheel
   

Sewing/Knitting apple crafts:

1. Apple Knitting Pattern Tutorial
2. Apple Hats!
3. Apple Tea Cozy & Coasters
4. Felt wool apple with removable slices
5. Sample photos of felt apples from "Big Little Felt Universe"
6. Japanese peal away felt apple
7. Apple + Watermelon Gift Pouches
8. Felt apple themed tea set for kiddos (pictures only)
9. Pattern for felt apple bean bags
10. Little Apple Yarn Favors
11. How to make an apple pin cushion
12. Apple embroidery hoop picture tutorial
13. Apple Print Tee Shirts
14. Quilted apple picture collage for school children (picture only)
15. Sew the perfect apple pincushion
16. The very complicated apple tree knit scarf
17. Stamping with paint onto knit shirts
18. Bushel of Apples Felt Garland

Decorating with both fresh and dried apples :

1. Apple, Orange, Cinnamon Garland 
2. DIY garland with Hedge Apples
3. Dried Apples & Oranges
4. Floating Candlelit Apples
5. Deck the Doors
6. Decorating with apples and roses
7. Cut a star into an apple
   

Apple games, worksheets and activities:

1. Apple Unit (educational games)
2. Apple games for early learners
3. Free Apple Activities Pack
4. Homeschool Share – Johnny Appleseed
5. Homeschool Creations Apple Read Write Build
6. Confessions of a Homeschooler – A is for Apple
7. All Our Days Apple Packs
8. Spell Out Loud – Apple Pattern Cards
9. 1+1+1=1 – Apple Printables
10. Four Seasons of an Apple Tree 
11. Apple Scented Cloud Dough
12. Apple pie scented play dough
13. Apple roll and pick game

Sweet Apple Deserts and Treats: 

1. Warm Apples and Ice Cream
2. Apple Tree Snack
3. Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream
4. Individual Apple Tarts
5. How to make hot pink candy apples
6. Apple cookies for the teacher and classmates on first day of school
7. How to make perfect candy apples
8. Tasty Apple Smiles by Pirate Lifestyle
9. Spiced Apple Waffles
10. Homemade Applesauce

An Apple for The Teacher:

1. Surprise your teacher with an edible chalkboard
2. Teacher Appreciation - printable apple tags by Paula Biggs
3. Printable thank you teacher gift tags with A+ apples - (pdf.)
4. Printable Teacher Thank You Notes - from tip junkie
5. Apple Tree Magnet Board - for cute little framed photos for her students...
6. Draw a back to school stack of books and apple - for your teacher by Art for Kids Hub
7. Give your teacher a wooden basket craft  - with chalk work apples and strawberries!
8. Apple Gift Basket - idea by 30DAYS
9. How to make a book page apple for your favorite teacher's desk...

The Apple in Literature:

1. "The Giving Tree'' - read aloud by Keith Carradine
2. "Ten Red Apples," by Pat Hutchins
3. ''Apple Trouble'' - read aloud by Ms. Michelle's Storytime
4. "Oats and Wild Apples," by Frank Asch
5. "Bad Apple'' a tale of friendship read aloud by KidTimeStoryTime and puppet friends 
6. Who as Johnny Appleseed?

Apple Facts:

1. Apples: History & Nutrition
2. The history of apples by Homeschool Arcade who, when, what, how...