The Anise Swallowtail Butterfly Life Cycle
Kindergarten and First Grade, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School, San Francisco
Curriculum developed and implemented by Claire Bain
This project is appropriate for all grade levels. Older students will complete it in less time, and can be encouraged to work in more detail and with greater accuracy.
Sponsored by Leap...Imagination in Learning
Thanks to Deirdre Elmansoumi for teaching me about butterflies and the importance of urban ecology.
Using drawing, painting, clay, and paper sculpture, the students made the life cycle of the Anise Swallowtail butterfly, learning of its importance as a native pollinator. They made butterflies using re-purposed manila file folders as wings, and bodies of wire covered with self-hardening clay. They colored the wings with oil pastel and tempera paint, and painted the bodies with tempera. They made caterpillars and eggs out of self hardening clay, and colored them with markers. They also drew murals of fennel and pelletory, host plants for the Anise Swallowtail and Red Admiral butterflies, respectively. The murals included the eggs, caterpillars, butterflies, and chrysalises. The students made pencil diagrams and incorporated writing into them in the form of labels, indicating all of the parts of the butterflies such as head, thorax, abdomen, wings, veins, legs, antennas, proboscis, and other relevant terms relating to the life cycle. They created other written works such as small books, letters, and stories. Finally, they made large paper “cocoons” in which to carry their butterflies home. Some classes also did brief theater pieces with improvised singing and dancing about the butterflies.
Curriculum Connection:
Directly integrates K & 1 Science (small animals and plant biology & interdependence, liquids and solids). Math (symmetry, pairs, addition), and language arts to a lesser extent. The teachers augmented the program by reading and having the kids read books about butterflies.
Art Practice Skills:
Building a 2- and 3-dimensional work of art, drawing from observation, recognizing pattern and shape, clay building techniques using coil and and ball construction, group skills on mural drawings. Development of fine-motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
Building a 2- and 3-dimensional work of art, drawing from observation, recognizing pattern and shape, clay building techniques using coil and and ball construction, group skills on mural drawings. Development of fine-motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
Whether I am teaching visual art or writing, the fundamental job is to empower the inner wisdom and creativity of the student. They can feel and learn a lot by completing a complex project over several weeks. They learn perseverance, and that some things require a process and several steps to complete. In addition, projects like this instill an appreciation and valuing of animals and their habitats, and prepare students for stewardship of their environment.
