Goals:  Students nurture caterpillars and watch them change into butterflies and moths in order to understand their life cycle.

Learning Objectives:  Students will:
describe the life cycle of a butterfly.
design and maintain an insect habitat.        

NJ Science Standards:  Standard 5.7: All Students Will Investigate The Diversity Of Life
Indicator 1 Recognize the diversity of plants and animals on earth.
Indicator 3 Recognize that individuals vary within every species.
Indicator 4 Identify and describe external features of plants and animals that help them survive in varied habitats.

Materials/Resources:
Internet access
Gallon jar or small aquarium
Screened lid
Fresh leaves daily
Twigs and soil
Caterpillars

Peterson’s Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies
http://www.mesc.nbs.gov/butterfly/Butterfly.html
http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/projects/butterflies/main.html  - a movie!

Procedure:
Introduction:
The day prior to introducing the caterpillar the teacher will have the students go on a nature walk to see what they observe. 
The teacher will explain that the most exciting way to learn about metamorphosis is to watch an insect as it develops.  The caterpillar has a very interesting development process. 
To further evaluate student's prior knowledge, will go to the website dedicated to butterflies.
The teacher then begins by explaining that today we are going to learn about caterpillars and their life cycle. The learning activity will take place for several months.  The project will not be able to be completed immediately.

Exploration:
To raise caterpillars indoors, each group will need to make a home for it in a gallon jar or small aquarium.  The students will need to fill the bottom of the cage with soil and add a few twigs to it.  Then next step requires the students to cover the cage with a screened lid for good ventilation.

It is important to stress that each child be careful not only with each other, but also while encountering the caterpillar.  It is a very gentle animal that needs to be treated carefully.  The children will then need to refer to their field guides to identify what kinds of caterpillar they have captured.

Growing caterpillars need a lot of food.  They will need a lot of fresh, green leaves everyday.  But not all caterpillars are the same.  Some eat different leaves than others.  It is important to identify the caterpillar and also notice what type of plant that particular caterpillar eats.  Each group is responsible for taking care of the caterpillars.  Each group member could alternate taking turns bringing in food for the caterpillar.

      When it comes time to pupate, some caterpillars will attach themselves to a twig and others will burrow into the soil.  In areas of the country that freezing temperatures in winter, the pupae that normally overwinter will need to be exposed to the cold. If you are in areas of the country that get cold in the winter, place your cage or jar outside.  The cold triggers chemical reactions that cause the insects to change into adults.  If you leave the cocoon or chrysalis outside, the adults will emerge when the temperature gets warmer.  Some moths and butterflies crawl out in spring, others in summer or early fall.

     When the moth or butterfly emerges, the students will need to observe it for a day or two.  Then let it go.  Once the butterfly is released, it will probably mate and produce a new generation in the wild and the life cycle will repeat itself.

Student Product: Along with the group activity, students will also work together to create a caterpillar made out of egg carton paper.  The egg carton caterpillar will be a great activity for the students to learn how to work together.  They will also display their caterpillar while explaining to the class what they learned about from the entire project.  While exploring websites linked to the assignment students are encouraged to search through the entire website to learn things about butterflies by themselves.

Assessment:
Make a poster that shows the butterfly's life cycle.
Label the poster.
Put facts about the butterfly on the poster.  Be creative.
Draw a detailed picture of the life cycle of a butterfly and explain each part.
Explain to the class what learning was done and present their egg carton caterpillar.  

Reflections:
I did not get a chance to perform this lesson plan, but I did suggest it to my sister.  She teaches a fourth grade class and I think that this lesson is well suited for a fourth grade class.  The fact that this lesson cannot be completed within a day or a few days was the main reason that I was unable to perform it myself, but I thought I was a really important lesson. Also because children love butterflies and the activities provided within the lesson would really peak their interest and allow them to maintain interest. It is important that we do not order butterflies from a company that may send species that are not native to one’s geographical area. Finding caterpillars and raising them ensures that no foreign species are introduced into the area.