Butterfly Life Cycle

Butterfly Life Cycle

Welcome: Butterflies
Description: The students will be able to identify the words which are part of the butterfly life cycle. 

Grade Level: 2nd
Curriculum: Science
Keywords: egg, larva, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly

Author(s): Amy von Oven

According to the CCGPS for 2nd Grade:

S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms.

a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal 

such as a cat or dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as 

a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly.

By the end of this webquest, You should be able to:

• Identify the life cycle of a butterfly .
• Identify key words associated within the life cycle. 
• Lable the Graph and pictures with appropriate matching Key word. 

Notice the important key words in yellow:

Steps in the Life Cycle:

1) Stage 1: The butterfly starts as a small round egg. If you look realy close, you can actually see the caterpillar inside the egg. The egg is laid on a leaf. 

2) Stage 2: The Larva (Also called Caterpillar), mostly eats once it hatches from the egg. It will eat the leaf it was on and countinue to eat so that it can

grow quickly. 

3)Stage 3: Chrysalis is a very cool stage. When the caterpiller is done growing it wraps intself into a cocoon type roll which is called a Chrysalis. It then appears to be resting and not moving at all for 7-10 days, but on the inside it is rapidly changing. The old body parts are changing through what is called, metomorphosis, into its new body. 

4)Stage 4: Adult butterfly will break free from its resting period. Within 3-4 hours the butterfly will have mastered flying. 

• Study the rotation of the Life Cycle below. Look at the picture and the matching key word. 

• Identify the life cycle of a butterfly and try to fill in the blanks and name the missing words in the graph. 

Steps in the Life Cycle:

1) Stage 1: The butterfly starts as a small round ________.

2) Stage 2: The ______________ mostly eats once it hatches from the egg. 

3)Stage 3: When the caterpiller is done growing it wraps intself into a cocoon type roll which is called a __________. 

The old body parts are changing through what is called, 

_________________ into its new body. 

4)Stage 4: _____________________ will break free from its resting period. 

Can you name each picture below:

The life Cycle of a Butterfly has 4 Stages. Each stage is important to the development of the butterfly. 

In review the 4 stages are: 

1) Stage 1: The butterfly starts as a small round egg. 

2) Stage 2: The Larva (Also called Caterpillar), mostly eats once it hatches from the egg. 

3)Stage 3:  When the caterpiller is done growing it wraps intself into a cocoon type roll which is called a Chrysalis. The old body parts are changing through what is called, metomorphosis, into its new body. 

4)Stage 4: Adult butterfly will break free from its resting period. Within 3-4 hours the butterfly will have mastered flying. 

Written and designed by: Amy von Oven

Life Cycle artwork from: thebutterflysite.com