Natural Science: Why a Butterfly Matters
If you’ve been blessed with some warmer weather this past week, you’ve probably started looking for some new spring unit study ideas. Learning out in the sunshine is one of the best parts of homeschooling! Check out this butterfly unit study and start planning for some sunny lessons and outdoor activities.
A great way to start a nature lesson is to “set the stage,” so to speak. If you want your kids to be able to observe the natural world, you’ll need a place that is conducive to those observations. If you’re a gardener–and even if you’re not–there are a lot of ways to attract butterflies to your yard and create your own observatory. You can begin with something as simple as a butterfly feeder, or even plant your own butterfly garden.
Butterfly Bio-Systems
Butterflies are an important part of the ecosystem and play roles in the arenas of science, tourism, gardening, and hobby. You can explore the variety of ways butterflies influence the natural world as well as scientific studies and the economy.
This blog post from The Crafty Classroom shares some creative ideas for studying the life cycle of butterflies, including sensory bins, hands-on activities, book suggestions, and more. Learning the life cycle with Lego bricks is an especially helpful activity for busy hands and a great way to incorporate kinesthetic learning into your butterfly unit study.
If you’re interested in dedicating some time and effort into a study of live butterflies, you’ll find tips and guidance for raising butterflies and observing their lifecycle up close.
Draw a beautiful object lesson from God’s creation with this butterfly object lesson and devotional from Sermons 4 Kids.
For more homeschooling helps and hints, visit The Virginia Home Educator digital magazine!
