BUTTERFLIES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

BUTTERFLIES:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

MASTER TEACHER Jennifer Krnavek

GRADES 2-4

OVERVIEW
This lesson will provide students with an opportunity to learn about some of the earth’s most beautiful insects: butterflies! They will be able to spend a day in the life of a butterfly to learn what they eat, how they mate, and ways they protect themselves from predators. In addition, students will also create a recipe for butterfly nectar and make their very own proboscis to sample their recipe. Finally, students will determine what is needed to attract butterflies.

ETV SERIES
Science Quest – #101 Caterpillars to Butterflies
Science Quest – #105 A Day in the Life of a Butterfly

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The student be able to will:
* name and describe the four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly
* identify how and what butterflies eat
* simulate the eating action of a butterfly
* create a recipe for “Butterfly Nectar”
* measure using liters, milliliters, and grams
* determine the best unit to measure (ml/l, g/kg)
* state how to tell the difference between male and female
butterflies and understand how they mate
* list three predators of butterflies
* describe and draw three of the four ways butterflies protect
themselves from predators

MATERIALS
Per teacher
Copy of See How They Grow, Butterflies by Kim Taylor or other similar trade book from the school library
electric skillet
metric liquid measuring cup
metric measuring spoons

Per student
1 paper plate
1- 3/4 cut paper plate
paper fastener
popsicle stick
copy of “4 stages in the Life Cycle of a Butterfly” worksheet
3 drinking straws
copy of “4 Little Butterflies” worksheet

Per 22 students
2 liters of water
approximately 1 cup sugar

Per 4 students
3 brightly colored sponges
1 paper plate

VOCABULARY
List these words on the overhead or chalkboard:
Egg – the first stage in the life cycle of a butterfly
Life cycle – a series of stages through which an organisme passes through in its lifetime
Larvae – wingless form of an insect; the second stage in the life cycle of a butterfly
Pupa – stage in the life cycle between the larvae and adult, enclosed in a cocoon or case
Chrysalis – the pupa of a butterfly
Adult – final stage in the life cycle of a butterfly
Metamorphosis – a change in the form of an animal
Nectar – the sweet liquid of a plant
Predator – an animal that eats other animals
Prey – an animal taken by a predator as food
Adaptations - ways insects protect themselves from predators
Thorax – part of the butterfly’s body where the legs and wings are attached
Proboscis – the long tube a butterfly sucks food with

PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Obtain a copy of See How They Grow, Butterflies by Kim Taylor or other similar trade book from the school library and read to the students. Pass out one full paper plate and one ¾ cut paper plate along with the hand out of “4 Stages in the Life Cycle of a Butterfly” at the end of this lesson, and a paper fastener. Students will color and cut out the four stages and glue them in order on the full paper plate. Under each picture, students will label the correct stage of metamorphosis. Then students will attach the ¾ cut paper plate upside down to the top of the full plate using a paper fastener. On the top plate students will title their project “The Life Cycle of a Butterfly” by ___________. Attach a popsicle stick to the back of the project using scotch tape. Tell students now they know about the four stages in a butterfly’s life, but there is much more to a butterfly’s life than just these four areas.

FOCUS FOR VIEWING
To give learners a specific responsibility for viewing say, “Now we’re going to watch two videos that describe an adult butterfly, what butterflies eat, how they mate, and how they protect themselves from predators. As you watch, I want you to listen for these vocabulary words that I have written on the overhead. When you hear one of these vocabulary words, I want you to hold up your “Life Cycle of a Butterfly” project using your handle (popsicle stick).

VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin Science Quest program “Caterpillars to Butterflies” video when Kate Brown says, “Tell us a little bit about the basic anatomy of a butterfly.” The visual is the yellow, black, and green butterflies being shown in the display case. Because the speaker is giving very detailed information about the anatomy of the butterfly, Mute the sound, continue watching the video, and say, “There are three basic parts of an adult butterfly: the head, the thorax (or middle section), and the abdomen. The eye is on the head of the butterfly along with this curled tube called the proboscis, which the butterfly uses to eat. Next are the antennas that act like the butterfly’s nose to help it smell. Here is the proboscis in action. When the butterfly is eating, the proboscis is stretched out much like a straw. When the butterfly is not eating it is curled up like we saw at the beginning. On this Sulphur Butterfly you can really see how the legs and wings are attached to the thorax section of the butterfly. Stop video when the pictures of the butterfly and moth appear. Ask students what butterflies eat with and how it is used (eat with the proboscis, when eating it is stretched out, when not eating it is curled up close to the head). Insert video “A Day in the Life of a Butterfly”. Begin video when Dr. Nancy Grieg is introduced and her name appears on screen. Pause the video when Kate says, “We also learned that caterpillars spend much of their time eating. Are butterflies the same way, or do they do other things?” Ask students: What are some of the things butterflies eat? (flower nectar, fruit juices, artificial nectar, mud from mud banks or mud puddles, animal dung or urine.) Remind students to be listening for the vocabulary words to hold up their “Life Cycle of a Butterfly” project. Resume video. Pause when Kate says, “It sounds like they are pretty busy doing a lot of eating and a lot of mating.” Teacher says: You can tell the difference between a male and a female butterfly because a male has this on the bottom of it’s wing. What is it? (a scent pouch) When a male butterfly wants to mate with a female butterfly, what does he do? (flies over her, releasing his scent.) After mating, what does the female start to do? (look for a place to lay her eggs.) Now we know what butterflies eat. Let’s see what eats them. Fastforward through the astronomy section. Resume when Dr. Grieg and Kate appear back on screen. Pause when Dr. Grieg says, “They have to be. There are a lot of things that are after them.” Ask students: What are some of the predators of butterflies? (lizards, spiders, other insects such as dragonflies, and birds.) How do butterflies protect themselves from these predators? [use camouflage (Dead Leaf Butterfly), bright colors, mimicry, eye spots] Fastforward until you see the man dressed as a butterfly and the words “Dr. Howie Do-It”. Resume video. Stop the video when the screen shows “Please call us with your questions
1-800-552-7126”

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Say, “Now that we know about the life cycle of a butterfly, what and how butterflies eat, what eats them, and how they protect themselves, we are going to make our own butterfly food. What is the main thing they eat in the wild? (nectar) Dr. Howie Do-It told us how to make nectar to attract butterflies. What did he say we would need? (brightly colored sponges, boiling water, sugar, and a paper plate) Remind students that liters are used to measure large amounts of liquid and milliliters are used to measure small amounts of liquid, kilograms are used to measure large masses and grams are used to measure small masses. Have students decide if the water should be measured in liters or milliliters (liters), and if the sugar should be measured in grams or kilograms (grams). Let two students measure one liter of water each and pour into an electric skillet. Then let other students measure 5 grams of sugar each. Let water come to a boil. For safety reasons, teacher should pour one student’s sugar into boiling mixture. When no more sugar dissolves, stop adding sugar. Students should keep track of how much sugar was added to the mixture in order to write down the recipe for Butterfly Nectar. While mixture is cooling, pass out 3 drinking straws per student. Have student assemble them end to end by pushing one end of 1 straw into the other straw and so on. After mixture has cooled, pour a small amount of nectar over the sponges on a paper plate. Gather students in groups of 4. Student should suck nectar through the newly made proboscis just as a butterfly would. Students complete “4 Little Butterflies” worksheet.

ACTION PLAN
Order butterfly kits from an educational supply store so students can see first-hand all four stages of the butterfly life cycle. Invite a member of Texas Monarch Watch or a park ranger from Texas Parks and Wildlife to speak about raising butterflies and tagging them for release.

EXTENSIONS
Social Studies/Science
Students research the type of butterflies found in their geographic area and what type of plant the caterpillar likes best. Then organize a fundraiser to purchase the plants and develop a caterpillar/butterfly garden.
Language Arts/Drama
Read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and let students act it out using caterpillar and butterfly puppets.
Music
Students sing the song “Look! I’m a Butterfly!” then choose another favorite nursery rhyme song to create their own song about a butterfly.
Math/Geography/LanguageArts/SocialStudies
After researching monarch butterflies, students can find points of interest along the migration route to stop and visit. Also, students can determine latitude and longitude of these places, miles traveled from one place to the next, etc.
Art
Using several grains of white rice for the egg stage, two pipe cleaners intertwined for the larva stage, a cotton ball stretched out for the pupa stage, and two colors of tissue paper and another pipe cleaner for the adult stage, have students create a 3-D version of the butterfly’s life cycle.
Science
Set up an experiment for this question: Do butterflies prefer one color over another when choosing flowers for nectar? You could use 3 different colored sponges with the nectar recipe poured over them and see if the butterflies go to one color more often than the others.
Internet
http://www.ex.ac.uk/bugclub/
http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/butterfly/butterfly.html
http://www.butterflyfarm.co.cr/