Each butterfly begins as an egg. Earth's Birthday Project notes the important elements of this stage: location, duration and physical characteristics. Each egg is the size of a pin head and is laid on a plant that the species feeds on. The stage lasts from three to five days. You can help second graders learn about this stage by bringing clippings of butterflies' favorite flowers, including thistle, mallow, hollyhock and sunflower, to class.
The second stage in the life cycle of an insect is the larva stage. For a butterfly, this is the caterpillar stage. "The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat," says the Academy of Natural Sciences. Marked by significant growth, the caterpillar can grow up to 100 times its original size during this stage. Take second graders on a field trip to a local butterfly sanctuary so they can experience caterpillars first hand.
Chrysalis is the target vocabulary word for the pupa stage. It's the scientific name for the cocoon stage of a butterfly and is a period of significant change for the caterpillar. Though the chrysalis sits still, inside the insect is growing eyes, legs and colorful wings. This stage can last from weeks to months. Students can be encouraged to study the shape of the chrysalis, which looks like an inverted teardrop. They can use coloring pages or make their own chrysalis out of tin foil or pipe cleaners.
A butterfly emerges in the final stage of development. The main job of an adult butterfly is to mate and lay eggs. Antennae, abdomen and compound eyes are all part of the butterfly's anatomy and are three important vocabulary words to focus on. Children should also note wing symmetry in this stage. Earth's Birthday Party suggests making thumbprint drawings to represent each stage of development. Students can be encouraged to think about how many thumbprints are needed to portray each stage properly.