Thursday, October 18, 2012

Butterflies & Moths: Reading Recs, Suggestions & Links

Below are some reading recommendations, suggestions and links to go along with the Butterfly/Moth Lesson from Monday's post.

Recommended Reading:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (E. Carle)++
The Butterfly Alphabet (Kjell Sandved) *this book is MAG-nificent, but out of print so it may be hard to find. I put in a special request at the library for it so we could enjoy it in class
Butterflies (Seymour Simon)
Are You a Butterfly? (Judy Allen & Tudor Humphries)
Ten Little Caterpillars (E.Carle)
Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire! (Jane O'Connor & Robin Preiss Glasser)
  
Info & Suggestions:
See the IMAX film currently playing at the MD Science Center on Monarchs. While quite pricey, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Play the "Butterfly or Moth?" game. Give them hints about the insect and have them guess which you're talking about. ("I have feathery antennae...", or show pictures)
Visit the Brookside Gardens Wings of Fancy Butterfly Exhibit next May when it re-opens. It's an amazing experience and very, very educational. Take your camera!

++Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, but please note that it says the butterfly emerges from a cocoon. This is incorrect! They actually form a chrysalis (pl. chrysalides, pr. kris-SAL-lid-deez) in the pupa stage and NOT a cocoon. Cocoons are for moths.

Raise your own butterflies and release them into the wild when they emerge. You can order butterfly kits online (Google this info) OR look around your neighborhood for plants that have eggs on their leaves (make sure you properly identify the plant & eggs before bringing them into your home) or chrysalides to take inside (for free!).

Help the environment by creating a habitat for butterflies in your yard. Buy potted plants or plant a butterfly garden with flowers known to draw them in and put out some basking stones to create a good habitat for them.

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