LIFE CYCLES & POLLINATION

Transcription

1 LIFE CYCLES & POLLINATION Teacher s Guide 2nd & 3rd Grade Science Unit EarthsBirthday.org BUTTERFLY LAB

2 CONTENTS Overview: Before, During, After Butterflies 3 Song: For All the Butterflies 5 Song: Butterflies, Yes, I Like Butterflies 6 Changing Butterfly Dance 7 Growing Seeds Dance 8 How to Care for Painted Lady Butterflies 9 Background: Metamorphosis, Anatomy & Plants What Is It Today? Bar Graph Caterpillar & Chrysalis Flipbooks Butterfly Life Cycle Flipbook Butterfly Life Cycle Model What Is Pollination? Background: Parts of a Flower 31 Make a Butterfly Finger Puppet 32 Parts of a Flower Handout 33 Make a Model of a Flower 34 Fluttering Pollination Game 35 How Do Plants & Butterflies Interact? Teacher Feedback 38 Life Cycle & Pollination Word Wall Earth s Birthday Project cultivates hope for the future by inspiring wonder, learning & care of the natural world in children, teachers & parents. Since 1989, more than 15 million children have delighted in raising butterflies, learning about the natural world & supporting conservation. Our work empowers students to initiate environmentally responsible actions in school & at home EarthsBirthday.org

3 BUTTERFLY LAB Overview INTRO In spring, classrooms thoroughout New Mexico bring their learning to life with Painted Lady caterpillars! Having live caterpillars is a wonderful opportunity to encourage the children to observe closely and ask lots and lots of questions. Over approximately 21 days the 5-6 live caterpillars will eat prepared food in the bottom of the cup, and when ready they will form chrysalises attached to paper that covers the top of the cup. After they emerge as adult butteflies, it is delightful to observe them for a few days and then release them into the wild on a sunny day. Butterflies are solar-powered. They will find flowers for nectar, pollinate the flowers as they go from one to another and lay eggs on their preferred host plants. Choose the activities that are best for your classroom. Or adapt an activity in a way that works for your students. Whatever activities you choose, delight in the wonder of nature with your students! GOAL BEFORE Students will understand that butterflies have a unique life cycle and that reproduction is essential to the continued existence of every kind of organism. Plants depend on animals for pollination. Based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Before the Caterpillars Arrive If your students have not experienced the wonder of caterpillars changing into butterflies, you may want to wait on some activities to keep it a surprise. Make copies of all the handouts in advance. Start learning about butterflies with 2 songs and 2 imaginative dances. The songs are simple, using familiar tunes with a call and response structure. The songs are about insect body parts and the butterfly life cycle. LIFE CYCLE The Caterpillars Are Here The live caterpillars will arrive on a Thursday. They come with care instructions, a butterfly cottage & life cycle poster. Begin using the What Is It Today? Bar Graph & the Caterpillar See, Predict & Learn Flipbook right away. These activities introduce your students to thinking & acting like scientists looking closely, recording information, making predictions and learning from results. Each day, write a 1-2 sentence class observation on the whiteboard. Continue observing the caterpillars each day, recording what you see on the What Is It Today? Bar Graph. Sing the songs to have fun and get the wiggles out as often as you like. When they all become chrysalises, transfer them into the Butterfly Cottage. 3

4 BUTTERFLY LAB Overview BUTTERFLIES Butterflies Emerge When the butterflies emerge from the chrysalises, the students can observe them for a few days. Study the Butterfly Life Cycle Flipbook, now that you have seen the caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. Review the butterfly life cycle by making a model using different pasta shapes. To sustain the butterflies while you are observing them, feed them with sugar water wick or with cut fruit like oranges and melons. More information is in the Care Instructions. If a butterfly emerges incompletely or is deformed, there is sadly nothing you can do to help. Explain to the children that this happens sometimes. Place it in a bush to be eaten by another animal. Remember: caterpillars and butterflies are important parts of your local food web. POLLINATION CELEBRATION Plant and Butterfly Interaction Learn about pollination by making a model of a flower and playing a fun game fluttering from flower-to-flower. Finally, study the handout How Plants and Butterflies Interact? Release and Celebrate Plan a day of celebration when you release the butterflies! You can sing songs to thank the butterflies for all that you have learned about them. Outside temperature should reach at least 55 F during the day. Open your butterfly house and allow a butterfly to crawl onto a hand. The butterfly will borrow heat from your body to warm itself up to 68 F, so that it can fly away. Be gentle and patient. Encourage the children to care for the Earth and all her creatures. Altogether, take a pledge to care for the Earth. No job is too big, No action too small. For the care of the Earth is the task of us all! 4

5 BUTTERFLY LAB For All The Butterflies Sing to the tune of Frère Jacques I m a flower I m a flower Roots below Roots below Soil, rain and sunshine Soil, rain and sunshine Watch me grow! Watch me grow! I m an egg I m an egg On a leaf On a leaf Soon I ll be a caterpillar Soon I ll be a caterpillar Watch me eat! Watch me eat! I m a caterpillar I m a caterpillar You re one too You re one too Soon we ll both be butterflies Soon we ll both be butterflies Something new! Something new! I m a chrysalis I m a chrysalis Warm and dry Warm and dry Changing from the inside Changing from the inside Into a butterfly! Into a butterfly! I m a butterfly I m a butterfly Flying around Flying around Looking for a flower Looking for a flower Searching up and down Searching up and down I m a flower I m a flower Open to the sky Open to the sky I have lots of nectar I have lots of nectar For all the butterflies For all the butterflies 5

6 BUTTERFLY LAB Butterflies, Yes, I Like Butterflies Call and response to the tune of Alouette, also known as Ravioli Butterflies, yes. I like butterflies. Butterflies, yes. They re the bugs for me. Do I see one butterfly? Yes, I see one butterfly. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! Butterflies, yes. I like butterfli-ies. Butterflies, yes. They re the bugs for me. Do I see two antennae? Yes, I see two antennae. Two antennae. Two antennae. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! CHORUS Do I see three body parts? Yes, I see three body parts. Three body parts. Three body parts. Two antennae. Two antennae. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! CHORUS Do I see four pretty wings? Yes, I see four pretty wings. Four pretty wings. Four pretty wings. Three body parts. Three body parts. Two antennae. Two antennae. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! CHORUS Do I see five caterpillars? Yes, I see five caterpillars. Five caterpillars. Five caterpillars. Four pretty wings. Four pretty wings. Three body parts. Three body parts. Two antennae. Two antennae. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! CHORUS Do I see six skinny legs? Yes, I see six skinny legs. Six skinny legs. Six skinny legs. Five caterpillars. Five caterpillars. Four pretty wings. Four pretty wings. Three body parts. Three body parts. Two antennae. Two antennae. One butterfly. One butterfly. Ohhhhhhhh! CHORUS 6

7 BUTTERFLY LAB Changing Butterfly Dance Materials: Instrumental music and audio system Simple Instructions: Guide students through an improvisational dance. Have students sit on the floor in a circle and ask them to imagine changing into butterflies how eggs hatch caterpillars, caterpillars crawl, eat and grow, then become a chrysalis and finally emerge as a butterfly with wings. Show them how to curl up as eggs, then push out of the egg and wiggle like a growing caterpillar, then wrap themselves tight into a chrysalis and then spread arms and open hands as butterflies emerge. Fly as gently as a butterfly. Lead them through the process several times. Then let them try it on their own with music. Use your dance often as a wake-up exercise or a break from study, allowing students to move and get the wiggles out. 7

8 BUTTERFLY LAB Growing Seed Dance Materials: Instrumental music and audio system Simple Instructions: Guide students through an improvisational dance. Have students sit on the floor in a circle and ask them to imagine growing plants how roots appear, then stems and leaves, then flowers. Show them how to curl up as seeds, then uncurl and stand like a growing shoot, and then spread arms and open hands as their flowers bloom. Lead them through the process several times. Then let them try it on their own with music. After dancers have mastered the basic motions, ask if one or two would like to be gardeners. Show them how to cover seeds with soil, using imaginary shovels, and sprinkle them with water, using imaginary watering cans. Ask another child to dance the part of the sun, rising in the morning, moving slowly across the sky, beaming (smiling) and sending light to the growing seeds (moving arms in circles). A few others could be rain, coming suddenly to moisten the soil with imaginary drops shaken from their fingertips, moving slowly away as sprouts begin to grow, and lingering on the distant horizon (at the boundary of your dance area). Use your dance often as a wake-up exercise or a break from study, allowing students to rotate through the different parts. 8

9 How to Care for Painted Lady Butterflies 1. Getting Started Always handle the cup of caterpillars gently. Remove the cup from its plastic bag. There should be 4-6 caterpillars in the cup, ¼ to 1 inch long. At least 3 should become healthy butterflies. Do not remove the lid. The food on the bottom of the cup is all the caterpillars need. Allow caterpillars at least 24 hours to become active. They should start growing quickly within a few days. Stand the cup upright at all times; place it in a warm spot, out of direct sunlight. Caterpillars may suspend themselves in gray-white webbing. This is good! Troubleshooting: If food has shifted from the bottom to the side of the cup (which may happen when caterpillars are delivered in hot weather), turn the cup on its side, food down, and wait 2 to 3 days to see if at least 3 caterpillars are alive. Call if you need a replacement. 2. Caterpillar to Chrysalis When caterpillars crawl to the top of the cup they are ready to pupate. Caterpillars will attach to the paper under the lid and hang from their tail ends. They will shed their final caterpillar exoskeleton and form a pupal exoskeleton: the chrysalis. Within 3-5 days after all the chrysalises form, remove the lid from the cup, lift the paper gently, and transfer it to the butterfly house. Tape, paper clip or pin the paper securely to an inside wall (chrysalises hanging down and facing in). Troubleshooting: If a chrysalis detaches from the paper, roll it gently out of the cup onto a small piece of paper towel on the floor of its house. 3. Butterflies! Butterflies, under normal conditions, will emerge from chrysalises in approximately 7-10 days. It will take them an hour or two to dry off and stretch their wings. After wings harden, butterflies are ready to fly. Release them now or feed them. Nectar: 1 teaspoon sugar dissolved with ½ cup tepid water in a small cup. Roll a 5 x 7 piece of paper towel to make a wick long enough to hang over the edge of the cup. You may also feed with fresh fruit. Slices of orange or watermelon are best. It s best to release the butterflies within a week. Troubleshooting: If a butterfly doesn t emerge completely from its chrysalis or wings are deformed, there is sadly nothing you can do to help. Carry the insect outside and place it in a bush or other plant. The insect will die a natural death and will probably be eaten by another animal. Remember: butterflies are important parts of your local food web. 4. Release Outdoors Celebrate! Share a snack during your afternoon recess and release butterflies as a special gift to the Earth. Outside temperature should be at least 55ºF. Open your butterfly house and allow a butterfly to crawl onto your hand (or a student s). The butterfly will borrow heat from your body to warm itself up to 68ºF. It must be at least this warm to fly. If your butterfly is reluctant to fly away, help it by gently pushing it onto a bush or other plant. Repeat with remaining butterflies. 9

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11 BUTTERFLY LAB Background: The Butterfly Life Cycle There are four stages in the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly. The Egg (3-5 days) Female butterflies lay their eggs on plants that Painted Lady caterpillars like to eat, like thistle or hollyhock. The eggs are the size of a pin head, each one containing a caterpillar beginning to grow. The Larva or Caterpillar Comes Out! (5-10 days) The hungry caterpillar uses its strong jaws to munch through leaves, eating constantly and growing quickly. As it eats, the caterpillar s skin gets tighter. Soon it sheds this tight skin, emerging with new skin underneath. Each caterpillar changes skin four times before it s fully grown. When this hairy, black and yellow caterpillar stops growing, it s almost 2 inches long! The Chrysalis Metamorphosis Begins (7-10 days) The caterpillar finds a safe place to rest. With a silk thread that comes out of a hole just below its mouth (spinneret), the caterpillar spins a silk pad to attach to. The caterpillar hangs from this pad. Soon, the caterpillars skin splits open, from head to abdomen, revealing a dull, brownish case underneath the chrysalis or pupa. What is happening in the chrysalis? Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar is becoming completely liquid and reforming itself into a butterfly. The butterfly pushes from inside until the case splits open, and it slowly struggles out. The Butterfly Emerges! (2 weeks) When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, its wings are soft and crumpled. The tired butterfly rests, and then slowly unfolds its wings to dry. After a few hours, the butterfly will be ready to fly. The Painted Lady will be a butterfly for approximately 2 weeks. During that time, its main goal is to reproduce and lay eggs so the cycle can begin again! 11

12 BUTTERFLY LAB Background: Caterpillar Body Parts A Caterpillar or Larva Larva the second stage of metamorphosis, another term for caterpillar Head the head includes the brain, a mouth, antennae and 12 eyes called ocelli Thorax the midsection is called the thorax where the legs and wings are attached Abdomen the abdomen contains its heart, digestive system and other organs True Legs all insects have 6 true legs attached to the thorax Pro-legs on the abdomen, pro-legs have microscopic hooks that help the caterpillar move and climb 12

13 BUTTERFLY LAB Background: Butterfly Body Parts Abdomen the hind part of the butterfly includes the stomach, heart and other organs Antennae on the butterfly s head, used to taste the air and help with balance Compound eyes thousands of tiny lenses help the butterfly see in all directions Head the head includes the brain, the proboscis, 2 antennae and 2 compound eyes Leg the butterfly has 3 pairs of legs attached to its thorax Proboscis the butterfly tongue, which works like a drinking straw Thorax the midsection of the butterfly with 3 pairs of legs & 2 pairs of wings Spiracles tiny openings on the abdomen that let the butterfly breathe Wings 2 pairs of wings on the thorax allow the butterfly to fly 13

14 BUTTERFLY LAB Background: What Do Caterpillars Eat? Explain the important relationship of caterpillars and plants when the students are observing the caterpillars. In the cup of live caterpillars, at the bottom of the cup, is a mixture of leaves that has been ground up for the caterpillars to eat. There is enough food for them to grow until they pupate. Caterpillars are made to eat, eat, eat! And some caterpillars are picky eaters. When a female butterfly is ready to lay eggs, she searches for a host plant. The host plant is the preferred food of the caterpillar. Different kinds of caterpillars prefer different host plants. For example, a monarch caterpillar prefers the common milkweed. Its eggs are laid on milkweed plants, so that when the caterpillar hatches it can start eating the leaves. Monarch butterflies live in areas where the milkweed grows abundantly. The painted lady caterpillar prefers many different kinds of host plants. Its eggs are laid on thistles, sunflowers, hollyhocks, mallows, yarrows, burdocks and sagebrush. A female painted lady butterfly can lay her eggs on common plants that are found all over the world. In fact, the painted lady butterfly lives all over the world. This is one of the ways that plants and animals are interconnected and depend on each other for survival.

15 BUTTERFLY LAB Making a Bar Graph, Plus See, Predict & Learn Flipbooks Bar Graph Begin using the What Is It Today? Graph when the caterpillars arrive. Recording the life cycle stage on the graph will build a bar graph day-by-day and record the number of days for each stage. Depending on your students skills, you may want to do this as a whole class activity on the whiteboard, working together in pairs or individually. Each day, paste a symbol of a caterpillar, chrysalis or butterfly on the bar graph. On the day that you release your butterflies, write the word FLY in the rectangle. Count and compare the number of days the organism was a caterpillar, chrysalis or butterfly. The graph will be used in the final step with the flipbooks to compare the prediction with what was learned about the actual number of days in each life stage. Flipbooks The following flipbooks help the students begin to understand a scientific way of thinking observing closely, making a prediction and comparing the prediction with what actually happened. Make copies of the Caterpillar Flipbook, Chrysalis Flipbook and Life Cycle Flipbook in advance. They are 2-sided handouts. For the Caterpillar and Chrysalis Flipbooks, fold the handout in half lengthwise, then cut the paper halfway through on the two dotted lines. This makes 3 flaps that can be opened in sequence like a flipbook. Begin using the Caterpillar Flipbook when the caterpillars arrive. Gather a small group of students around the cup of caterpillars with the Caterpillar Flipbook and colored pencils/crayons. As a group, read aloud the 3 statements on the cover I SEE, I PREDICT, I LEARN discuss what they mean and how they work together step-by-step. Read the first statement I SEE open the flap and read the A CATERPILLAR. Ask the students to look closely at the caterpillars and describe aloud all the details that they can see. Then ask the students to accurately draw a caterpillar on the right side. Remind them to make the drawing just like the caterpillars they see and to include the details that were mentioned. Close the flap when the drawings are finished. Read the second statement I PREDICT open the flap and read the what is inside. Discuss with your students what it means to make a prediction. A prediction is a statement about what will happen based on experience and facts. How many days will the insects live as caterpillars? 15

16 Flipbooks continued Then ask the students to draw a prediction of how big the caterpillar will grow on the right side. Close the flap when the drawings are finished. Read the third statement I LEARN open the flap and read what is inside. Explain that the class is using the What Is It Today? Graph to record and learn the number of days that the caterpillars stay caterpillars. The class will wait and complete the flipbook when you have learned more. Continue to look closely at the caterpillars as they grow. Can you see more details when they are bigger? When the first caterpillar becomes a chrysalis, work together to complete the last part of the flipbook. Use the What Is It Today? Graph to count how many days the caterpillars stayed as caterpillars. Write the actual number of days in the flipbook. Then ask the students to draw how big the caterpillar actually grew on the right. When the drawing is finished, open the three flaps and go through the sequence of what was observed, what was predicted and what you learned. Compare the three drawings and what was learned about the details of a caterpillar s body. Each day, as a class, ask the students what they observe about the caterpillars, their behavior and their environment. Write 1-2 sentence class observation on the whiteboard. Begin using the Chrysalis Flipbook when most of the caterpillars become chrysalises. Gather a small group of students around the cup of caterpillars with the Chrysalis Flipbook and colored pencils/crayons. As a group, read aloud the 3 statements on the cover I SEE, I PREDICT, I LEARN explain that you will be observing the chrysalis closely like you did with the caterpillars. Read the first statement I SEE open the flap and read the A CHRYSALIS. Follow the three parts of the sequence reading and drawing each part inside. Continue to look closely at the chrysalises. What is happening inside? When all the caterpillars pupate, transfer the paper and chrysalises into the butterfly cottage. When butterflies emerge, work together to complete the last part of the flipbook. Use the What Is It Today? Graph to count how many days were the insects chrysalises. Write the actual number of days in the flipbook. Then ask the students to draw how the butterflies look. When the drawing is finished, open the three flaps and go through the sequence of what was observed, what was predicted and what was learned. Compare the three drawings and what was learned about the details of a chrysalis and butterfly. Use the Life Cycle Flipbook after butterflies have emerged. The Life Cycle Flipbook is a good review of the complete life cycle. It has two folds and two cuts. Read the sequnce on the cover and help the students understand that it is a cycle that keeps going round and round. Then one at a time, lift a flap and read what is inside. Read the four stages. Cut out the four pictures. Have the students glue the pictures in the correct places. You could do this as a class or individually as an assessment. 16

17 What Is It Today? Graph Name Date Did you observe a caterpillar, chrysalis or butterfly today? Paste a symbol every day on the bar graph. On the day that you release your butterflies, write the word FLY in the rectangle day Caterpillar Chrysalis Butterfly 1 day

18 What Is It Today? Graph Symbol Cut Outs 18

19 Caterpillar Flipbook A CATERPILLAR I SEE I PREDICT I LEARN Name Date

20 A CATERPILLAR. I predict that the caterpillar will stay a caterpillar for days. I learned that the caterpillar stayed a caterpillar for days. This is how the tiny caterpillar looks. I predict the bigger caterpillar will look like this. I learned the biggest caterpillar looks like this.

21 Chrysalis Flipbook B CHRYSALIS I SEE I PREDICT I LEARN Name Date

22 Chrysalis Flipbook B A CHRYSALIS. This is how the chrysalis looks. I predict that a butterfly will emerge in days. I imagine the butterfly will look like this. I learned that in days a butterfly emerged. I learned the butterfly looks like this.

23 A CHRYSALIS CHANGES A CATERPILLAR GROWS Name Date A BUTTERFLY FLUTTERS AN EGG HATCHES

24 A butterfly flutters & lays eggs for days. An egg hatches in 3-5 days. A chrysalis changes for 7-10 days. A caterpillar grows for 5-10 days.

25 BUTTERFLY LAB Butterfly Life Cycle Cut out the four pictures. Paste the pictures inside the Life Cycle Flipbook.

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27 BUTTERFLY LAB Butterfly Life Cycle Model Learn the four stages of a butterfly s life cycle. Materials Paper plates, one per student Construction paper, green, blue & brown Markers Scissors Glue Dry rice Rotini or fusilli pasta Small shell pasta Bowtie pasta Directions 1. Have each student draw two perpendicular lines using a marker across the plate, dividing it into four sections. 2. Next cut two small leaf shapes out of the green construction paper. On one leaf, cut the edge as if the caterpillar is eating it. Glue the whole leaf in the top-left section and the eaten one in the top-right of the paper plate. 3. Then cut a branch shape out of the brown construction paper. Glue it in the bottom-right section of the paper plate. 4. For the bottom-left section, cut a blue wedge for the sky and a white cloud. Glue them in place. 5. Have your students glue a few grains of rice on the top-left leaf, one rotini pasta on the top-right leaf, one small shell pasta attached to the branch in the bottom-right, and one bowtie pasta in the bottom-left. Set the plates aside so the glue can dry completely. 6. Use markers or paints to add color and details to the pasta. Be gentle with the pasta. 7. Once glue is dry, have your students label each section with the stages of a butterfly: Egg - Caterpillar - Chrysalis - Butterfly. 8. Have your students draw arrows from one stage to the next. Discuss how the cycle is a circle that keeps going around. 27

28 BUTTERFLY LAB Butterfly Life Cycle Labels Egg Egg Egg Egg Egg Chrysalis Chrysalis Chrysalis Chrysalis Chrysalis Caterpillar Caterpillar Caterpillar Caterpillar Caterpillar Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly 28

29 BUTTERFLY LAB What Is Pollination? Objectives - to learn the process of pollination - to demonstrate an understanding of the parts of a flower - to understand how butterflies and other pollinators interact with plants to feed on them and to fertilize them - to be aware of how interconnected life on earth is This introduction to pollination has 5 components: - an explanation of the parts of a flower and the process of pollination by the teacher - a handout for labeling the parts of a flower - making a model of a flower using construction paper - playing a Fluttering Pollination Game - a handout on How Plants & Butterflies Interact Extension Bring a flower that has prominent stamens and pistil like a tulip, iris or lily into your classroom. Or perhaps a small branch of a flowering tree like a crabapple. Invite the students to look closely at the parts of the flower in their free time. It would be great to take apart the flower or dissect it when the flower begins to fade. Pass around the parts for the children to see and touch. 29

30 BUTTERFLY LAB What Is Pollination? 1. In advance, make a butterfly finger puppet (template on page 30). 2. Draw 2 large flowers with stamens and pistil on opposite sides of the whiteboard (see page 31). 3. Explain to the students. A flower makes seeds. Flowers and butterflies are very important to each other. Without butterflies or other pollinators, the flower cannot make seeds and without flowers, butterflies would not have food. And we would not have any food either. How does pollination work? Label the parts on one flower as you talk about them. Let s look at the parts of a flower first. On the drawing, there are petals and a stem. In the center of the flower is the pistil, the female part. Around the pistil there are stamens, the male parts. On top of the stamens there is a yellow powder called pollen. Draw a red line from the stamen of one flower to the pistil of the other. What is pollination? Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of one flower to the female parts of another flower. When a grain of pollen lands on top of the pistil, it travels down inside and fertilizes the flower. Seeds develop in the pistil. Who are the pollinators? A pollinator is usually an animal that carries pollen from one flower to another. pollinators include butterflies, bees, wasps, moths, birds, flies and bats. Some plants are pollinated by the wind. Flowers attract pollinators. The things that make a flower beautiful to us attact pollinators to visit the flower colors, fragrances, nectar and invisible markings on the petals. The teacher demonstrates with the butterfly finger puppet, sipping nectar and flying from one flower to the other. A butterfly visits a flower to sip its nectar. Pollen sticks to tiny hairs on the butterfly s legs and body. When the butterfly flutters to another flower, some of the pollen is brushed off and lands on the pistil. And the flower is fertilized. 30

31 BUTTERFLY LAB Background: Parts of a Flower pollen petal stamen pistil sepal stem fertilize to make a flower able to produce seeds; to make an egg able to grow and develop fragrance a pleasnt smell organ a part of the body that has a particular function petal one of the colorful parts of a flower surrounding the pistil and stamens pistil seed-bearing female organ of a flower pollen a fine yellow powder releaseed from the male part of a flower sepal green leaf-like parts that surround and protect the flower bud stamen the pollen-producing male organ of a flower stem the main stalk of a plant 31

32 BUTTERFLY LAB Make a Butterfly Finger Puppet 1. Make copies of this template on construction paper. 2. Have the students fold the paper in half along the solid line. 3. Cut out around the dotted line. 4. Make two cuts along the dotted lines in the middle. This makes a strap for your finger. 5. Open the butterfly and slip your finger into the strap. 6. You can color your butterfly with crayons or paints. Be symmetrical like a butterfly! 32

33 BUTTERFLY LAB Parts of a Flower Name Date Can you match the words on this page to the correct parts of the flower? 1. Write the correct letter inside each circle. 2. Draw a line from a stamen on one flower to the pistil on the other. P PISTIL. S STAMEN. O POLLEN. E PETAL. 33

34 BUTTERFLY LAB Make a Flower Model PETAL PISTIL LEAF 1. Each student will make their own model of a flower. Have the students work together in groups of Make templates for each group on tagboard or used file folders. 3. Using construction paper, have each student cut out 3 petals, 2 leaves and 1 pistil in colors they choose. 4. Have your students cut some ground for the plant to grow in and a tall stem. Glue the ground and stem to a background. 5. Glue your leaves on the stem. Glue the petals at the top of the stem. 6. Cut 4-5 strips for stamens and 4-5 circles for the top of the stamens. Glue a circle at the top of each strip. Glue the bottom of each strip at the center of the petals. 7. Glue the pistil at the center of the petals. 8. With markers add details like roots, viens on leaves & petals, etc. 34

35 BUTTERFLY LAB Fluttering Pollination Game Materials For each student Butterfly Finger Puppet (page 30) For the class 8-10 lunch bags, cut to 1/2 size 8-10 flower models, glued to the front of the bag Large bag of Cheetos or similar snack Directions In advance, ask the students to volunteer their flower to be used in a game that the class will be playing. Glue it to the 1/2 size paper bags. Put a handful of Cheetos in each bag. HAVE EVERYONE WASH THEIR HANDS. As a class, practice fluttering with your Butterfly Finger Puppets. Butterflies circle around and slowly float from place to place. Bring in the four flowers and place each one in a different part of the room. Let the students flutter with their finger puppets over to the flower and take a few Cheetos. They can eat them. Remind them NOT to lick or wipe their fingers off! And flutter over to a different flower and take a few Cheetos to eat. Keep reminding them NOT to lick their fingers!! Then flutter to another flower and take a few Cheetos to eat. Keep fluttering until all the snacks are gone. Keep reminding them NOT to lick their fingers!! Take a look at your fingers covered with orange-yellow Cheetos dust. Like flower pollen. Suggest that the students rub their fingers on the center of the flower models. They can all see how some pollen is left behind on the flower! You have successfully pollinated a flower!!! HAVE EVERYONE WASH THEIR HANDS AGAIN. 35

36 BUTTERFLY LAB How Do Plants & Butterflies Interact? Suggested Time Materials Plants and Butterflies One 30-minute session handout for each child (page 35) Step One Guide the children in the Growing Seed Dance and Changing Butterfly Dance (pages 7 & 8). This will help remind children of the different parts of the plant and butterfly life cycle. Step Two Ask the students to describe the interactions of plants and butterflies that they may have seen in the summer. Butterflies flying from flower to flower. A caterpillar crawling on a plant. Do the children know what is happening? Where do butterflies lay their eggs? What do caterpillars eat? What are butterflies doing when they land on flowers? Do butterflies carry something from flower to flower? How do seeds begin? Step Three Once they know the interactions, have them draw pictures of the interactions. Or in small groups, act out the interactions with movements from their dances. There are four interactions that the students should know: 1) Butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves of a host plant. 2) Caterpillars eat the leaves of a host plant. 3) Flowers give nectar to butterflies for energy. 4) Butterflies carry pollen from one flower to another. Step Four Complete the handout. Writing Extension Have the students write poem or creative story about a single interaction between the plants and the butterflies. 36

37 BUTTERFLY LAB How Do Plants & Butterflies Interact? Name Draw an arrow from the description on the left to the correct picture on the right. Caterpillars eat the leaves of plants. Date Butterflies lay their eggs on plants. Flowers make nectar that give butterflies energy. Butterflies flutter from flower to flower sipping nectar and carrying pollen from one flower to another. 37

38 FEEDBACK Tell Us What You Think Name School Grade Please send your feedback to: Earth s Birthday Project, PO Box 1536, Santa Fe, NM : info@earthsbirthday.org Fax :: Thank You! 38

39 WORD WALL Life Cycle & Pollination EarthsBirthday.org

40 Butterfly EarthsBirthday.org

41 Chrysalis EarthsBirthday.org

42 Crawling Caterpillar EarthsBirthday.org

43 Eat EarthsBirthday.org

44 Eggs EarthsBirthday.org

45 Emerge EarthsBirthday.org

46 FertilizeEarthsBirthday.org

47 FlowerEarthsBirthday.org

48 Flutter EarthsBirthday.org

49 Fly EarthsBirthday.org

50 EarthsBirthday.org

51 Hatch EarthsBirthday.org

52 Life Cycle EarthsBirthday.org

53 Metamorphosis EarthsBirthday.org

54 Pistil EarthsBirthday.org

55 Pollen EarthsBirthday.org

56 Pollination EarthsBirthday.org

57 Stamen EarthsBirthday.org