A few weeks ago, this wonderful teacher I work with gave me a monarch caterpillar for my classroom so my kiddos & I could watch the process. She brought milkweed & everything for me! I really knew nothing about butterflies except they were once a caterpillar. I have a TON of wonderful children’s literature on caterpillars in my classroom. But it’s actually very embarrassing as a teacher (and human being) my lack of knowledge. Especially since I thought long & hard on the title of this blog. More on that later-one whole post in itself:) So, eventually the chrysalis formed & we waited for a while to see what happens next…
Last Friday, we’re sitting in the classroom & I’m conferring with a student on his independent reading book. All of a sudden 5 of my students are “Book Shopping.” We DO NOT do this during independent reading time! 🙂 So of course, I start reprimanding them & send them back to their desk. Only to realize the butterfly was emerging from the chrysalis! I would never tell them this, but… I would have totally jumped up too!!!!!!
One of the most amazing acts of nature I’ve ever seen! I took a video & sent it to Ryan:). The science geek was super excited & wanted me to bring the butterfly home so we could let it go together:) I was torn because I thought I should let it go with my students, but the wings weren’t dry in time. So that afternoon, we released it in our “backyard” (the patio).
The next week she brings me a whole milkweed plant because we were so excited & she has them in her yard, which is where she got the caterpillars in the first place. We put the milkweed plant in our backyard 🙂 & didn’t really know what to do next. So we did nothing. THEN…
Thursday we were sitting in our chairs (matching patio recliners…just like my grandparents with the double Lazyboys!) & I repositioned so the sun wouldn’t be in my face & looked up to see a caterpillar hiding under a leaf!!!:):):)
Amazing! What’s even more amazing is when I noticed monarch muncher#2!
Hard to see, but the little guys are there! We put them in a container, which saves them from wasps, lizards, & other predators! We’ve fed & fed them. TONS of milkweed- hence monarch muncher. Maybe Milkweed Muncher would be better?? Either way, tonight it looks like they are starting to form a chrysalis:)
Back to my ineptitude at life science…(I truly do love Science, I just lack the content knowledge because I read too many fiction novels unless its children’s nonfiction literature:)
With two weeks of school left, my 3rd graders are researching & writing about a topic of interest. My example topic? You guessed it! Monarch Butterflies:)
Side Note:
The funniest thing I’ve heard a kid say in a long time?
We were walking down the stairs & one of my little girls stumbled. Everyone asked if she was okay,etc. Then a clever little young man in my class quipped, “I wish I was Tarzan. I would have jumped down to save you.”
So adorable! Kids crack me up!:) I guess the daydreams I was having this Monday morning about being a secretary (my dream job…seriously.) don’t really compare when you have moments like that:)
