Sulphur, LA
Calcasieu Parish School Board
Summer Royer, Curriculum Coordinator
Butterfly Release at the Cove
At Cypress Cove, the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly was a dramatic and wonderful science experience for students in grades PreK-5. The Action Team for Partnerships (ATP) and teachers knew that a butterfly project would broaden students’ science skills and create opportunities for family and community engagement with students in science.
In early March, the ATP and teachers ordered butterfly kits and reviewed how to set up caterpillars’ habitats in each classroom. The caterpillars, books, and magnets about butterflies’ development were distributed. In each class, students documented the changes they observed in their caterpillars day by day. Students read books, watched videos, and completed related science activities of observation, labeling, note taking, and more.
Students learned new vocabulary words and applied them in their observations. For example, like every living thing, the caterpillars needed food. Students wrote that the caterpillars ate from their feeding trays —sugar water, sliced fruit. Not a bad diet!
Students monitored each stage of a butterfly’s metamorphosis, from caterpillar (larva), to chrysalis (pupa), and to full adult butterflies. Parents participated by listening to their child’s daily reports and asking questions to spark observation skills.
On the day of the butterflies’ release, parents and family members came to school. Each teacher prepared a spring activity for students and families to do together in their classrooms. Some classes conducted butterfly-related crafts. Others read stories, saw films, reviewed things they had learned, and talked about their favorite steps along the way. Then, each grade level took the habitats outside to sections of the playground for release.
Over 500 students and more than 200 parents, all teachers, staff, administrators, and some community partners participated. Students, parents, and educators evaluated the experience in a new way. They were given a QR code that led them to a few questions. Reactions to the project were very positive. Many children, parents, and teachers posted their own photos and reports on social media. Parents commented on the students’ excitement and how much they learned from the project. A kindergarten teacher noted, “It was rewarding to see the life cycle of a butterfly come to real life right before our eyes.” Another teacher summed it up: “This has to be my overall favorite activity the Cove has ever done!”
Read more about Butterfly Release at the Cove in Promising Partnership Practices 2023.
