THE 2ND GRADE

BUTTERFLY PROJECT

Duke School

An Interdisciplinary Approach

In the fall, students were captivated by butterflies fluttering around their school, sparking the idea for a Butterfly Project. The project began with storytelling and web-based brainstorming, followed by fieldwork at a butterfly house and in-class research. Students also integrated art and cross-cultural connections, learning butterfly vocabulary in Spanish.

The culmination featured presentations, videos, and a student-built robotic Monarch butterfly. The project not only enhanced academic skills but fostered environmental awareness as students learned how butterflies help pollinate plants and how we can protect their habitats.

Activity: 

Butterfly Life Cycle Adventure Game

Objective: 

Collaboratively learn about the butterfly life cycle and Monarch Butterfly migration through an immersive, hands-on adventure game that encourages exploration, creativity, and teamwork.

Materials:

• Large poster boards, colored paper, markers, crayons, glue, scissors
• Printable butterfly life cycle and Monarch migration game cards (download from the blog)
• Butterfly wings (paper or cloth for role-playing)
• Tablet or computer (optional for digital research)
• Stickers or stamps for tracking progress

Instructions:

1. Set the Stage: The Butterfly Adventure Begins
   Gather the students and introduce the activity as an adventure where they will "transform into butterflies" and explore the life cycle stages and migration of Monarch Butterflies. Each student will role-play as a different stage of the butterfly’s life!

2. Create Teams of Explorers:
   Divide students into “Butterfly Adventure Teams” (3-4 per group). Explain that each team will journey through the life cycle and help the Monarch Butterfly complete its migration by completing creative tasks and solving puzzles. Each group is responsible for a specific part of the life cycle or migration.

THE GAME BEGINS...

Part 1: Build the Butterfly Life Cycle Map
Students work in teams to complete creative tasks based on a stage of the butterfly life cycle, such as designing an egg, creating a caterpillar, or mapping the Monarch migration. Each team’s work contributes to a large class mural.

Part 2: The Great Monarch Migration Challenge
Teams role-play the butterfly life cycle, acting out each stage, and participate in a migration relay where they solve challenges related to the Monarch's journey to Mexico.

Part 3: Butterfly Team Reflection
Students reflect on their learning by sharing their work and experiences, adding their part to the mural, and discussing the challenges faced during the migration activity.

Optional 
Students create a digital storybook about their butterfly adventure, integrating their artwork and facts.

PRINTABLE GAME CARDS

Additionally, we created some interactive games where children explore the butterfly life cycle and related facts in a fun way, reinforcing what they've learned throughout the project.

Butterfly Life Cycle Game (Click Here)

The Butterfly Game (Click Here)

We are opening a space on this blog where children, with the help of their teachers, can briefly share what they learned about butterflies and how they felt while completing the proposed activity. 

Moreover, we will upload photos and videos of the children participating in the activity, as well as the final product.

This space will serve to showcase the work done between teachers and students to the educational community.