In late August, Lisa brought in a caterpillar from her mother’s garden for the preschool 2 children to observe. They placed it in a container, and provided it food and a safe home. Within two weeks it turned into a Chrysalis/Pupa and hopefully it will soon turn into a Black Swallowtail butterfly. The preschoolers have been very curious to learn all about the chrysalis/Pupa in our room. To add to their exploration and interests we added a few books about Caterpillar to Butterfly, Insect life and The Very Hungry Caterpillar for everyone to look at and also had a story time too. We also have printed off a few pictures all about Black Swallowtail Butterflies. There is one particular picture that shows the difference between female and male Black Swallowtail Butterflies. During our exploration together we learned that the females are bigger and have bluer and the males are smaller and have more yellow. We also learned that after the caterpillar comes out of the egg the caterpillar first thing it does is to eat the shell of the egg. We also learned that caterpillars spin Chrysalis’s/Pupa which takes about 2-3 weeks and Moths spin Cocoons. Learning about the life cycle of a butterfly creates and fosters a beginning love of science and curiosity for nature and the environment. The preschoolers use their observation skills each day to watch and learn about the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis/pupa, and hopefully soon a butterfly. This type of hands-on learning helps children understand concepts like transformation, growth, and creates engaging experiences.
