Grade In this STEM lesson plan for preschool and elementary-aged kids, you’ll learn all about butterflies and bugs! Explore the four stages of metamorphosis, read about the life of a world-traveling bug scientist, and make a paper fan that emphasizes one of the coolest things about butterflies – they grow from the inside out!
Resources in This Lesson
Resource 1
Explore the wondrous world of butterflies and the four stages of metamorphosis in this fun and informative Rosie Explores!
Rosie Explores Butterflies and Metamorphosis
https://handsonstem.rosieriveters.com/resources/rosie-explores-butterflies-and-metamorphosis/
Resource 2
We love stories that explore the lives of real women in STEM! Check out Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, the true story of Evelyn Cheesman, the first woman to take charge of the Insect House at the London Zoo.
Rosie Reads Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist
https://handsonstem.rosieriveters.com/resources/rosie-reads-evelyn-the-adventurous-entomologist/
Resource 3
Add some scientific pizzazz to a classic paper fan to reinforce some of the amazing attributes of metamorphosis in this super fun Rosie Makes.
Metamorphosing Caterpillar Fans
https://handsonstem.rosieriveters.com/resources/rosie-makes-metamorphosing-caterpillar-fans/
Resource 4
Continue learning and exploring with some of these tried and tested Rosie Recommends activities from other STEM education resources.
Rosie Recommends Entomology (bug) Activities!
https://handsonstem.rosieriveters.com/resources/rosie-recommends-entomology-bug-activities/
Rosie Recommends Entomology (bug) Activities!
Check out some of these tried and tested bug activities from other STEM education resources!
Recommended Resources
Resource 1
Be a bug hunter and make some insect pit stops! In addition to catching and classifying bugs, this activity includes a tracking document to record your data in true scientific fashion. It’s the perfect way to introduce little ones to the observation and data collection aspects of the scientific method!
Resource 2
Need help classifying all those bugs you find? Download the Seek app from National Geographic! Kids can identify plants, wildlife, and fungi using the app’s camera, and they’ll earn badges as they explore. You can even take your investigations inside by downloading Seek’s parent app, iNaturalist, and joining the Never Home Alone project. This community-sourced endeavor aims to document the often-overlooked bug species that live indoors with humans.
Resource 3
Transform the classic Go Fish card game into Go Bug and learn all about the differences between complete and incomplete metamorphosis! This extremely handy guide includes a set of free pdf playing cards as well as rules for the game (scroll past the teacher instructions), discussion questions, and background info.
Metamorphosing Caterpillar Fans
Thanksgiving TWIST! Swap out butterfly wings for something festive! Check out the original project below and make turkey feathers for your fan instead. Grab some colored construction or printer paper, and you’re all set. Stay cool in a hot kitchen with this fun and funky turkey. Gobble gobble!
Did you know that inside every caterpillar there are a set of tiny butterfly wings? In fact, caterpillars grow from the inside out! Dive into this Rosie Makes activity to create your very own metamorphosing caterpillar fans.
Watch The Video
https://youtu.be/6Ltn5zctjFE
Required Materials
- 5 sheets construction paper
- scissors
- markers
- glue
- 2 jumbo popsicle/craft sticks
- rubber band
- ruler
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1
Fold four pieces of the construction paper in half (bi fold)
Step 2
Draw a uniform pattern on the four sheets of the bi-folded construction paper. Work to create mirror images of your designs on each half of the paper.
Step 3
Fold the fifth sheet of construction paper lengthwise into thirds. Cut along the fold line to make three equally-sized strips of paper.
Step 4
Fold all of your papers using accordion folds, one-inch thick back and forth. You should have four sheets of large paper to fold and the three sheets of smaller paper you made by folding and cutting the sheet of construction paper into thirds. Fold along the longer side of the paper and fold your patterned papers with the patterns facing up!
Step 5
Take the folded strips of paper and fold them in half, gluing the inside folds so the folded strips become a fan. You’ll have four large fans and 3 small ones. If you’ve never folded a paper fan, please see this video.
Step 6
Set aside to dry.
Step 7
Decorate each popsicle stick with a matching caterpillar patterns.
Step 8
Glue a small fan (the fan you made with the 1/3 paper strip) to a large fan. Make sure the folds are facing the same direction. Repeat with another large and small fan.
Step 9
Glue one of the large fans to the large-and-small fan combination you just made. You’ll be gluing a large fan directly onto another large fan, opposite to the side where the small fan was glued. Repeat this step. You will have two fans – each with three pieces (large, large, and small) – when you complete this step. One small fan will remain.
Step 10
Glue each of your fan combos (large-large-small) to a popsicle stick. The portion with the small fan should be glued to the the stick and the fold joints should face the top. Repeat with the other fan combo and popsicle stick.
Step 11
Glue the remaining small fan to each of the large fan combos on the side furthest from the popsicle sticks. You’ll be joining the two fan combos together via the small fan.
Step 12
Secure the large fan you’ve just made with a rubber band and allow to dry.
Step 13
Remove the rubber band and reveal your beautiful butterflies wings!
Rosie Explores Butterflies and Metamorphosis
We’re diving in to all things butterflies and metamorphosis in this episode of Rosie Explores! Join Rosie Girl Veronica as she shares an overview of metamorphosis and some really amazing facts about butterflies. Did you know that they grow from the inside out? And that migrating monarch butterflies travel over 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada?
The four stages of metamorphosis are:
- Egg
- Larva
- Pupa
- Adult
Once you’ve learned all about metamorphosis, check out a couple of fascinating videos from Kids Should See This to see it all in real time! You can watch the process of metamorphosis in detail and see the tiny butterfly wings hiding inside of caterpillars!
Watch The Video
https://youtu.be/6BIEqmpCgrE
Evelyn Cheesman, the first woman to take charge of the Insect House at the London Zoo, is the subject of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter! This charming picture-book biography by Christine Evans and illustrated by Yasmin Imamura (published in 2019), explores Cheesman’s global adventures. It also inspires children and adults to be like Evelyn and “do it anyway”.
When you’re finished reading Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, ask kids these comprehension questions:
- What kinds of insects resided in the Insect House when Evelyn took over, and
- What did she want to be when she grew up? And what career became her passion? How did Evelyn’s career evolve?
For this special book, we have two fun Rosie Reads activities to share!
First, in the spirit of Evelyn’s evolving career, have kids interview a woman in their lives and ask about her career path. What did she want to be when she was a child? Has that dream changed over the years? How did her experiences in school and college impact her journey? If kids need inspiration, be sure to check out our Rosie Talks interviews (click “interview” in “types” when you search). Our program participants interview real women in STEM and serve as awesome examples!
Second, ask kids to think about the messages society and culture send about what girls “should” and “shouldn’t” do or be. Evelyn faced this constantly in her life, and her answer was always to just “do it anyway.” What should girls “do anyway” to challenge today’s stereotypes? Start a list, and make sure you keep it as a source of inspiration!
Watch The Video
https://youtu.be/sfvoWG9DiF0
Items Available to Purchase
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Rosie Reads About Real Women in STEM, set 2
https://www.rosieriveters.com/shop#!/Rosie-Reads-about-Real-Women-in-STEM-II/p/257390117/category=53184730