Page 57 - MOVING THROUGH AIR

Science Y2 – Parent Guide
THE LIFE-CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY
Week 3

Truth to Teach (Source)

To study the life-cycle of a butterfly.

Way to Work (Means)

1. Play Barry McGuire's ‘Bullfrogs and Butterflies, we both been born again. ’
Refer to the amazing changes that take place in the little tadpole as it grows into a frog. [An amazing
change takes place in us when we ask Jesus into our hearts, that we say we have been born again.]

Today we are going to look at butterflies1 and we will see same more amazing changes which take place
before a new butterfly can fly off.

2. Use pictures, e.g. from Dorling-Kindersley book on Insects. Note:

- butterflies are insects and like all insects lay eggs.
- eggs are camouflaged, for the mother butterfly cannot protect them.
- butterfly knows the type of plants to lay her eggs on, e.g. nettle plants, or cabbage
leaves - essential to survival of caterpillars.
- caterpillars may eat the shell of its egg and then they eat around leaves, burst their skin,
but a larger looser skin is folded beneath the old one. Repeated several times. Caterpillar hangs
upside down in chrysalis on plants. (Some butterflies may form chrysalises on the ground or under
the ground.)
- the chrysalis does not move or grow any more.
- butterfly hatches - wings need time to dry and stiffen.

3. Amazing changes have taken place between a caterpillar and a butterfly. Tell
me some. [Changes in body shape, colour and patterns, changed way of life - butterfly can fly and drink
nectar through its long tongue which uncoils.]

4. All butterflies go through four different stages in their life cycle in the same order.
(a) egg
(b) caterpillar
(c) chrysalis
(d) butterfly.

The end of each stage is the beginning of a new stage. This is how it is in life for us too. God designed the
life cycle of every living creature. In wisdom he made them all.

5. What new thing have you learnt from today's lesson?

6. Worksheet. I have also left a sample zig-zag book in the file; this may be used for factual writing about
butterflies.

‘Which comes first?’ - Useful book of poems, especially for drawing topic together.

Learning for Life (Fulfilment)

The children will have learnt the stages in the life-cycle of a butterfly. They should also be able to identify changes in us
when we become Christians.

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