Story 4- PCF Sparkletots @ Cashew Blk 183 - "Butterflies"

“DON’T LET SPECIES GO EXTINCT, IN THIS WORLD WE ARE ALL LINK” – The Fresh Quotes.

As we learn that there is a decrease in number of butterflies in Singapore, we would love to work on educating the children what they can do to save them. Having the benefit of a school garden, we planted host and flowering plants to attract butterflies. And we too, started our learning journey on butterflies.

We checked on the children’s prior knowledge on butterflies and why do they think they are getting lesser in Singapore. Children then discussed about the importance of butterflies in our environment and how they are indirectly connected to us. They cleared the misconception on ‘Caterpillars eat all kind of leaves’. They learnt that caterpillar eats leaves only from their host plant. Children also learnt that a host plant is important as butterflies tend to lay their eggs there.

Checking out children’s prior knowledge on butterflies and its habitat.

Children gave their views about the decrease number of butterflies in Singapore and ways that they could help the butterflies from being extinct.

We researched on its habitat and find out resources that butterflies need to survive in the environment.

K2 children also did some research through articles in the class and books borrowed from the library on ways butterflies help the environment, human and other animals.

Children worked in groups to draw out the perfect environment for the butterflies to live.

Art masterpiece by each group.

We moved on to learning about the life cycle and the important factors needed for butterflies to survive. Children then make connection to their knowledge on keeping a green environment to help the butterflies. This in turn encouraged children to be more active in taking good care of our school garden. Children were also much more attentive to the natural environment, trying to spot caterpillars and butterflies in action.

Children discussed with a partner on the life cycle of a butterfly based on their prior knowledge.

Children worked in pairs to draw out the life cycle of a butterfly based on what they discussed earlier on.

Children watched a fast-forward video on the life cycle of a butterfly on an iPad.

After the video, children made comparison of their predictions and findings of the life cycle of a butterfly. Then, some children helped to fix the puzzle of its life cycle.

Each child drew a life cycle of a butterfly.

These lessons had built up children’s knowledge on butterflies and its importance in our environment. It also allows children to be more observant towards their surrounding especially at our school garden. They paid attention to the butterflies flying around and constantly looking for eggs, caterpillar as well as chrysalis.

Moving forward in mid-September, we will be bringing the children to the Bukit Panjang Butterfly Fly to look at the surrounding, different types of butterflies that can be spotted, ways they are taking care of it and many more. With that, children might use the knowledge acquire and bring it back to our school garden so that we could sustain our butterfly garden.

Although our butterfly garden was not very successful, we would love to continue and try again so that these beautiful critters would have a place called HOME.