Village Butterfly Mural
Every fall, Mrs. Webster's second-grade classroom transforms into a living science lab as students explore the life cycle of butterflies. To support their learning, students are given the unique opportunity to care for live caterpillars housed in an enclosure that is kept in the classroom.
In this controlled environment, they observe the caterpillars up close as they grow, transform, and eventually emerge as beautiful butterflies.
This hands-on unit is a beloved tradition in Mrs. Webster’s class, culminating in a special butterfly release celebration that brings the learning experience to life in a memorable way.
In this controlled environment, they observe the caterpillars up close as they grow, transform, and eventually emerge as beautiful butterflies.This hands-on unit is a beloved tradition in Mrs. Webster’s class, culminating in a special butterfly release celebration that brings the learning experience to life in a memorable way.
Learn About Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies are found in open meadows and fields that usually contain a variety of wildflowers, including milkweed, coastal beaches with dunes, and man-made butterfly gardens.Their wings look like stained glass, with reddish-orange coloration and conspicuous black veins bordered in black and speckled with white dots. Males have thinner veins with a black dot on the inside of the hind wings; females have thicker veins and lack the dot. Monarch butterflies have a 3-5 inch wingspan
Did You Know?
Monarchs, like all other butterflies and moths, go through egg, larval (caterpillar), chrysalis (pupa), and adult stages.
Monarch caterpillars ingest milkweed that contains a toxic compound. The presence of this toxin is used by the monarch butterfly as a defense against predators.
Other butterflies, such as the Viceroy, mimic the Monarch's colors to pretend that they are also toxic to predators.
In late August, masses of monarch butterflies begin an epic migration stretching thousands of miles from areas across the United States and as far north as Canada (east of the Rocky Mountains) to overwinter in mountaintops of Central Mexico.
