Exploring the Life Cycle of Butterflies in 1st Grade

At GUS, the first grade theme ‘Who Am I?’ is an exploration of self, including the human body, life cycles, culture and tradition - and learning to find your own voice through music and languages.

One of the first units of the year is an exploration into the lifecycle of the butterfly. First grade teachers Jess Duryea and Lisa Sandouk-Romanelli began this year’s study with a simple question: what do you wonder about butterflies? Throughout the course of the unit, they aim to answer all their questions, like:

• Do all caterpillars make cocoons?

• What do caterpillars eat?

• Do most butterflies survive on their way to Mexico and back?

• Do caterpillars have stomach aches?

• Do butterflies play?

Students get to see the life cycle of the butterfly first-hand as they raise monarch butterflies in the classroom, and get to see a variety of butterfly species - and hone their skills at differentiating between butterflies and moths - on a trip to The Butterfly Place.