About This Lesson
Use this lesson when teaching about butterflies, insects, animal life cycles, metamorphosis, plant-animal relationships,
wetlands, or Gulf Coast Texas wildlife.
Students learn the four major stages of a butterfly's life cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult butterfly. The lesson uses
butterflies found along the Texas Gulf Coast to demonstrate that although butterflies can look very different from one
another, they share the same basic life-cycle pattern.
After learning about the life cycle, students visit the school-owned wetlands to search for butterflies and evidence of their
different life stages. Students may observe adult butterflies, caterpillars, eggs, chrysalises, host plants, nectar plants, or
evidence of caterpillar feeding.
The activity emphasizes careful observation rather than collecting. Students should leave butterflies, caterpillars, eggs,
chrysalises, and plants where they find them.
