Year 1
Butterflies!
300 years ago, people thought that insects just appeared and were ‘born of mud’.
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 - 1717), was one of the first people to observe, describe and record the metamorphosis of insects. Metamorphosis is the dramatic change in physical form of a creature over time during its lifecycle. Maria was one of the first ‘ecologists’ to study these relationships between plants and animals within an ecosystem. She is also the first woman known to travel the world for her scientific research.
Inspired by Maria, the children, have a butterfly garden in class and they are watching as their caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies. This week, they have also been carrying out experiments demonstrating how materials can change form, they have closely observed the wings of butterflies and carried out simple tests to explore the rigidity of their structure.
Have a look at the amazing work Year 1's have being doing in STEM week!
Smashing Stereotypes!
What does a scientist look like?
The children had ten minutes to draw a quick sketch of what they thought a scientist looked like.
Kinglet - Hudhayfah
"This is me! I am a scientist. I have a lab coat and goggles."
Kinglet - Aminah
"Scientists can be girls. They need lots of things to do their job."
Kinglet - Rohaan
"Hair!"
Kinglet - Cassian
"Scientists mix potions. You can see the orange starts bubbling when they are mixed. Then comes the red and he knows it will explode!"
Kittiwake - Anaya K
"My scientist has like a minion who is crazy!"
Kittiwake - Nefes
"My scientist does experiments where things are exploding all the time!"
Kittiwake - Uswa
"My dad is a scientist!"
Kittiwake - Armela
"My scientist is old and has lots of white hair."
The butterfly Garden EXPERIMENT
Year 1 have a butterfly garden! This educational kit gives children an unforgettable opportunity to watch caterpillars change into chrysalides and then emerge as beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies. Over the next three to five weeks the children will be able to observe the entire transformation from caterpillar to adult butterfly. They will watch as the caterpillars eat, spin silk and grow to TEN times their original size! After seven to ten days they will hang upside down and harden into chrysalides (chrysalides are also known as pupae). When ready, the children will then release their Painted Lady butterflies into the wild.
Kinglet
We looked carefully at our caterpillars and asked lots of questions.
Kinglet
The children tried using magnifying glasses to get a closer view.
Kinglet
We asked, 'How long will it take for the caterpillars to become butterflies?'
Then we made our predictions.
Kinglet
Some thought it would take 1 day, some 10 days and others 100 days (and everything in between!)
We are going to observe them over time and carefully record any changes in our Butterfly Journals, just like Maria Sibylla!
Kinglet
Maria Sibylla Merian kept a detailed record of the butterflies she observed. The children have created their own butterfly books so that they too could keep a record of their work.
Kinglet
They decorated their journals.
Kinglet
Like Maria Sibylla, they tried to show not only the butterfly, but the caterpillar and plant upon which it depended.
Kinglet
Kestrel
The children wrote aboyt their prediction.
Kestrel
The children drew a picture of a butterfly.
Kestrel
The children wrote aboyt their prediction.
Kestrel
The children drew a butterfly.
Kittiwake
Adyan painted red dots on his yellow butterfly wings to ensure they were symmetrical.
Kittiwake
Armela loved researching butterflies with the class and used a mix of colours to create her pattern.
Kittiwake
Kittiwake class focused on creating beautiful butterfly patterns using a range of materials provided. They were super creative and their designs looked just as beautiful as real butterflies!
Kittiwake
Riyaz particularly enjoyed mixing his colour to create his pattern. after carefully observing their caterpillars in class they also got to watch the life cycle of a butterfly.
Metamorphosis
A metamorphosis is a dramatic change that some animals and insects go through during their life cycles. The change is dramatic, and the baby stage looks very different from the adult stage.
The children acted out the metamorphosis that our caterpillars will go through. We researched and created the life cycle of a butterfly.
Then we conducted an experiment to show how materials can change form.
Kinglet
A butterfly searches for the right kind of leaf. the Painted Lady butterfly likes thistles.
Kinglet
The butterfly lays a cluster of eggs.
Kinglet
The eggs hatch. There are caterpillars! Each caterpillar eventually forms a pupa (chrysalides).
Kinglet
The chrysalides becomes a butterfly and the life cycle begins all over again.
Kinglet
Scientists at work researching the life cycle of a butterfly.
Kinglet
Scientists at work researching the life cycle of a butterfly.
Kinglet - Hawwa
Some of the children then created their own models. Hawwa included the word 'metamorphosis'.
Kinglet
A scientific drawing of a Painted Lady butterfly.
Kinglet
We conducted an experiment to represent the transformation that takes place when a chrysalides becomes a butterfly.
Kinglet - Afia and Aaima
The children then carried out the experiment themselves. They varied the amount of vinegar and baking powder to see if that altered the outcome.
Kinglet - Cassian and Clementine
"The gas is filling the balloon!"
"I love doing this experiment!"
Kinglet - Aizah and Alassane
"We put lots in!"
"The balloon broke at first. You have to be careful!"
Kinglet - Hawwa and Daniella
"We carefully prepared our experiment and waited for our chrysalides to transform."
Kinglet - Rohaan and Sakshi
The children enjoyed being involved in the experiment.
Kinglet - Lucian
The children had to use a funnel to fill the balloon.
Kinglet - Lucian
It was a tense moment as the balloon filled with carbon dioxide... would it pop?!
Kestrel
The chilldren did a cycle of butterfly.
Kestrel
The chilldren did a cycle of butterfly.
Kestrel
The chilldren did a cycle of butterfly.
Kestrel
The chilldren did a cycle of butterfly.
Kestrel
The children decoated their own butterfly.
Kestrel
'I made some butterfly'
Kestrel
The children decoated their own butterfly.
Kestrel
'I made some butterfly'
Butterfly scales
A butterflies wings are covered in thousands of tiny scales. These scales create the colour and pattern on their wings. The scales on the butterfly's wings make them rigid and support them when flying. Butterflies lose their scales all the time through their daily activities.
Butterfly Scales: Experiment 1
The children created paper butterflies and tested their endurance. They used glitter to repesent some scales. Would they survive intact?
Kinglet
We created butterflies that had a mechanism enabling them to fly. It made it more realistic.
Kinglet
We gave them a stress test. Would the delicate paper survive and would the butterflies start to loose their scales?
Kinglet
Some of them survived well and others were a little bit torn and blown about.
Kinglet - Duaa
"Look! I can see the scales!"
Kinglet - Sarah
"I lost some glitter but it's still pretty."
Kinglet - Zain
"They started to come off straight away!"
Kinglet. - Muhammad
This Blue Morpho butterfly is undamaged.
Kinglets
"They are fluttering!"
Kestrel painted their butterfly wings for the launch.
Kestrel painting butterfly wings in different colours.
Kestrel painted their butterful wings for the launch.
Kittiwake
After preparing their butterflies, and using glitter as a scales substitute, the class did the shake test. As per predicted, Kittiwake soon realised that just like real butterflies, which lose their scales during flight, their butterflies also lost their glitter!
Kittiwake
The class used both sequins and glitter to create their wonderful designs.
Kittiwake
The children used pipe cleaners and straws to create their butterfly models ready for their flight tests.
The big bUTERFLY LAUNCH!
A butterflies wings are covered in thousands of tiny scales. These scales create the colour and pattern on their wings. The scales on the butterfly's wings make them rigid and support them when flying.
Butterfly Scales Experiment 2: Rigidity
The children created paper butterflies and added more scales to increase the rigidity of the wings. They then placed their wings under a variety of stress tests. Would they survive?
Kinglet - Zain
"We covered the wings in scales made of tissue paper. Then we attached it to a rocket."
Kinglet Class
We were all very excited. We tested a rocket using the air pump without a butterfly at first. The rocket flew through the air and got stuck in the bushes!
Kinglet Class
We then launched a rocket with a butterfly attached. We wanted to see how long it would remain in the air and it if it's wings would remain intact.
Kinglet Class
The butterfly didn't go very far but its wings were strong and undamaged. When asked why it hadn't gone as far as the test model, Zain suggested that it was because the butterfly was adding too much weight to the rocket and slowing it down.
Kinglet Class
One last rocket launch for fun and without a butterfly... A parent sent it soaring through the air, over the trees and bushes and, possibly, onto the railway!
Kinglet Class - Duaa
For the next test we attached a butterfly to a vortex rocket.
Kinglet Class
It didn't go very far but it was exciting. Duaa did a great job.
Kinglet Class
Next, one of our lovely parents had a go...
Kinglet - WOW!
... The rocket and butterfly soared through the air! We could not believe our eyes!
Kinglet - Close up!
Here it is, caught in flight. It appears a little blurry because of the speed! It eventually crashed to the ground by the library bus after remaining in flight for the entire length of the football area. As it flew, some of the scales floated in the but the wings remained intact!
Kinglet Class
Finally, Martin agreed to go to the top of the climbing frame to release a butterfly by hand.
Kinglet Class
He launched it high into the air.
It was an exciting moment and we all cheered very loudly!
Kinglet Class
Well done, Martin!
Kinglet Class
All our butterflies endured the different launches and their wings, covered in scales, remained intact!
Kestrel lauched their butterfly.
Kestrel launched their butterfly outside in the playground.
Kestrel lauched their butterfly.
Kestrel - 'Today I launched my butterfly by throwing it outside'.
Kittiwake launched their butterflies to see which would stay longer in the air. Throwing them proved to be the best option!
The class created sturdy butterflies ready for their flight.
Symmetrical designs were painted on their wings.
The students used a mix of acrylic paint and glue, as well as glitter to create the body of their butterflies. The bottles also supported the students as they were able to hold onto them when catapulting them into their air.
Design a labcoat
A white coat, also known as a laboratory coat or lab coat, is a knee-length coat worn by scientists. The coat protects their street clothes when they are working in a laboratory.
The children designed their own 'butterfly' inspired lab coats.
Kestrel
Designed their own lab coat.
Kestrel
Designed their own lab coat.
Kestrel
Designed their own lab coat.
all butterflies look the same.
Do you agree with this statement? A child in Kinglet Class thought they would be the same because 'they are butterflies'. We did some research and found some amazing facts! Have a look at the pictures below. Why do you think they have the names that have been given to them? How might their appearance help them to survive?
Glasswinged butterfly
Forest Giant Owl butterfly
Emerald Swallowtail butterfly
Dead Leaf butterfly
Blooming Flowers
Butterflies are attracted to bright flowers and need to feed on nectar.
The children carried out a 'Blooming Flowers' experiment.
Why not try it at home? Draw and colour a flowers. Next, cut out the flower and loosely fold the petals into the centre. After tthat, fill a bowl with a few inches of water. Finally, place the folded flower into the water. The paper will absorb the water and as it swells, the petals will open.
Rainbow skittles
The children carried out the Rainbow Skittles experiment. They wanted to arrange the pattern to create the wings of a butterfly but that proved to be a bit too tricky because they kept rolling around. It was still amazing watching the transformation which took place when added warm water.
Below are some of the highlights of the week from Kinglet class.