Butterflies and Moths

Taylor W. and Megan K.

Questions for Research• What is the scientific name of your butterfly or

moth?• Where do you find the butterfly or moth? • Why did you choose your butterfly or moth? • Do you prefer butterflies or moths? • What was your favorite information that you

found? • What is the life cycle of your butterfly or moth? • What does it do for survival? (ex. colors, eating…)

Standards• STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological

design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems. 11.A.2d Use data to produce reasonable explanations.

• 11.A.2c Construct charts and visualizations to display data.• 11.A.2e Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.

• STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. 12.A.2a Describe simple life cycles of plants and animals and the similarities and differences in their offspring.

• 12.A.2a Describe simple life cycles of plants and animals and the similarities and differences in their offspring.

• 12.A.2b Categorize features as either inherited or learned (e.g., flower color or eye color is inherited; language is learned).

Resources• http://www.enature.com/guides/select_Butte

rflies.asp?curGroup=Butterflies• http://www.cirrusimage.com/moths.htm• http://www.squarewheels.com/jokes/factoids

2.html• www.kidsbutterfly.org• www.library.thinkquest.org/J002124/moths.ht

ml• www.butterflies-moths.com

Introduction

• Today kids we are going to take a virtual field trip to a Butterfly and Moth Conservatory! So get ready, get set, LET’S GO!!!

• http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/4/butterflies-and-moth-from-one-extreme-to-another-710647.html

Task to be Accomplished• Choose your subject from the list below!• Butterflies: Monarch, Pipevine Swallowtail, Giant

Swallowtail, Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur, California Dogface, Lange’s Metalmark, California Sister, Gulf Fritillary

• Moths: Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Celery Looper Moth, Atlas Moth, Hieroglyphic Moth, Reversed Haploa Moth, Virginia Creeper Clearwing, Common Eupithecia Moth, Milkweed Tussock Moth

Process and Roles• After you have been broken up into your groups, as a group you will select

a butterfly or moth to research.• Each member of the group will be assigned a special “job” by the teacher.• These jobs will include: the “Scientist”, the “Specimen”, and the two

“Research Assistants”. • The “Scientist” and “Specimen” will be conducting the research portion of

the activity.• The two “Research Assistants” will be collecting the research from the

Scientist and Specimen and putting it in presentation format. • After the assignment of jobs, you will begin research using the list of

resources given in this presentation for your specimen. • All research and work done of this project will be done in class, so that the

teacher can oversee each groups progress.

Conclusion• WELCOME BACK! I hope you had a great time on your trip,

learning about butterflies and moths!• The class accepted the mission and made the most of this

adventure, I am proud of your efforts! • I can’t wait to see and hear your presentations!• Future Study Ideas:

– Raise our own Monarch Butterflies– Take a real trip to a Conservatory– Write a “Student Guide for Butterflies and Moths”.– Go on a butterfly and moth hunt at a local creek– Through art, design and write about a butterfly or moth of your

creation

Evaluation• You will be required to make a poster containing

the facts you found about your butterfly or moth. • As a group, you will present your poster to the

class with each person speaking equal amount of time. You will have time in class to work on your presentation before the day it is due.

• After your presentation, all of projects will be hung in the hall for everyone to see. Make sure you are proud of your work!

References for Future Study• Butterflies : A Handbook of the Butterflies of the United States, Complete for the

Region North of the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and East of the Dakotas by Ralph W. Macy and Harold H. Shepard

• Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop• Crinkleroot’s Guide to Knowing Butterflies & Moths by Jim Arnosky• An Extraordinary Life : The Story of a Monarch Butterfly by Laurence Pringle• Magic school bus, bugs, bugs, bugs [video recording] written by Brian Meehl, and

George Arthur Bloom• Tiger, the Story of a Swallowtail Butterfly by Robert M. McClung