Lifecycles of Butterflies
Lesson 5
Observing Change: Growth and Molting
Students develop observational and recording skills by watching and recording caterpillars as they move, eat, rest, and molt.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Understand characteristics of living organisms -identify observable characteristics of living organisms. (Systems 1-1.1.6)
Caterpillars have certain characteristics.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
Copies of Activity Sheet 4, My Caterpillar and Me should be run for each student. The class calendar will need to be available for updating.
Procedure:
Again, students will be observing caterpillar growth and activity while being lead with thoughtful teacher questions about what they see. The concept of molting to grow as contrasted with what children do as they grow should be emphasized.
Students observing and discussing.
Figure 5-1 in the Teacher's Guide is available in a larger, clearer font in Appendix F page 119 (Teacher Guide, 2002). It is a good way to show what to look for in the molting process. Sometimes it is hard to see molting occuring, and clearly, this illustration helps.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: This section also gives good information for how to spot when the caterpillar might molt. The caterpillar will stop eating and become very still. The body begins to pulse and seems to shorten and thicken. The splitting of the skin begins at the head. Even if the actual molt is not observed , evidence of the molt will be present in the wrinkled, discarded wad of exoskeleton.
Writing:
Use the vocabulary words "molting" and "exoskeleton" in discussions with students, and encourage students to use and explain those words to enrich their science vocabulary.
Reading:
Books such as Once There Were Giants by Martin Waddell provide good children's literature connections.