Butterflies

What do you think, see and wonder about caterpillars?

Naming the Sluglie family (Gold Miner, Sleepy, Lazy....)

In early May the butterfly larva arrived in our classroom. At first students thought the larva were little baby slugs because they were tiny little black creatures. The larva quickly grew as they ate all of the food in the containers.  We observed the larva, named the larva and used loose parts to make our own caterpillars.

Re telling The Hungry Caterpillar with loose parts.

We watched a movie about metamorphosis from Discover Education.  We learned that butterflies have complete metamorphosis.  They start from an egg, then larva, then chrysalis, and then adult butterfly. We watched for the signs that the larva was going to form their chrysalis.  One morning when we arrived to school we found that the larva (caterpillars) had climbed up to the top of the containers and made J shapes. We observed and wondered about what was happening  to the larva. The larva stayed really still in the J shape and then a chrysalis formed. After 6 days the butterflies emerged from the chrysalis. We have been watching, thinking and wondering about the butterflies. We have even named them. Next week we will have a butterfly release party.

Butterfly Exploration Centres

The task was using the materials on the table to make a 3D butterfly.

Float and Sink

It started with a provocation on how to make sound with different sized vases and water. My plan was to have the students try to make sounds using the water and the vases but a pencil dropped into one of the vases and a new inquiry started. A learner kept trying to push down the pencil and it kept springing back up to the surface. The learners on the table all wondered why the pencil kept floating and didn't sink. Some thought it was because the pencil was too heavy and that heavy things float. Others thought that light things float. The theories started coming. One theory was that objects that are hollow float. Another theory was that solid objects sink and objects with air float. Then the investigating began. Right now we are at the investigation stage trying to prove or disprove our theories. 

Balance Exploration Centres

We are really interested in balance and have been exploring balance. We have been wondering about balance and have created our own balance theories.

Egg Colouring

On Wednesday we coloured eggs. We first coloured them with crayons and then we dipped the eggs in food colouring.  Happy Easter! 

More book love

Exploration Centres

Three mornings a week we start our day with Exploration Centres. During this time we wonder, connect and investigate. We create theories and investigate these theories.