3rd Grade: Observing Butterflies (Part 2)
1. Timing is Everything
This time, I had planned to have the students observe butterfly eggs, following up on the previous lesson.
However, when I checked in the morning, some of the eggs had already hatched into larvae.
So, I decided to have them observe both the eggs and the larvae.
But when I checked again right before class, all the eggs had turned into larvae.
With teaching materials involving nature, things like this happen often.
Although it was a change of plans, it actually turned into a perfect opportunity for observation.
2. Observation with Binocular Stereomicroscopes
I hurriedly prepared the "Nature Scope Fabre" binocular stereomicroscopes.
Despite being compact, they are excellent teaching tools that allow for 20x magnification observation.
Since it was their first time using the equipment, I briefly explained how to use it and then distributed two units to each group.
I had the students record their observations in their notebooks while looking at the larvae.
Partway through, I allowed them to freely observe the larvae of other groups as well.
As a result,
larvae that had just hatched and were nearly transparent
larvae eating their eggshells
larvae crawling around energetically
and other various states were observed.
The principal happened to be visiting the class and enjoyed observing along with the students.
After class,
"Being able to see them even eating their eggshells—that kind of timely observation is the real thrill of science," they said.
they said.
3. Quiet time with tracing paper
I want to include a time for quiet concentration after active observation.
At the end of the class, I had them open their textbooks,
"This larva will grow to be this big from now on."
I explained.
After that, I had them trace the illustration of the larva in the textbook using the usual tracing paper.
While tracing,
"It has 16 legs."
Some students noticed this and wrote it in their reflections.
What they observed led directly to their next discovery.