Lesson
Students create butterflies out of non traditional materials.
Project Ideas
Compassion, Science, Intra-personal, Theatre, Body Kinesthetic.
Recommended Ages
Preschool
Vocabulary
Insects: animal with six legs and typically one or two pairs of wings
Metamorphosis: process where an insect goes into its adult form
Wings: part of some animals’ bodies that allow them to fly
Antennae: part of an insect that allows them to sense their surroundings
Materials
Liquid water colors
Tin bowls/containers to put watercolors in
Small plastic droppers
Coffee filters
Pipe cleaners
Directions
1. Give each student a coffee filter.
2. Demonstrate how to use the plastic droppers (squeeze very gently so that watercolor doesn’t spray everywhere).
3. Once the butterflies have dried, pinch the center and wrap a pipe cleaner around it.
4. Have the student curl the antennae.
5. Students act out stages of a caterpillar pretending to be a caterpillar, then hug themselves in a cocoon, then break free then flying around room looking for flowers.
Discussion
1. In the classroom, we have discussed migration and travel based upon the life of monarch butterflies.
2. We have discussed the important role butterflies have as pollinators and their habitat needs.
3. Life cycle of butterfly discussion and comparison to the stages and challenges of kids growing up themselves.
Reflection
This is a great project for younger students to practice flying around classroom. We have followed this project with older and more advanced students making origami butterflies. We have stapled butterflies to string to make mobiles and installations. Tissue paper flowers are a good follow up project after habitat discussion. Symmetry paper butterfly painting (folding a paper in half and putting paint on one side students refold paper and then rub transferring paint for wings to other side of paper.
To go along with this project you could also create paper flowers! Visit https://artsphere.flywheelsites.com/creating-legacies-through-art/ to download our free book of lesson plans, including instructions for creating paper flowers.
References
Monarch Butterfly Migration and Overwintering – USDA Forest Service
Monarch Butterfly Migrations – Learn About Nature
As Dwindling Monarch Butterflies Make Their Migration, Feds Try to Save Them – National Geographic