Studying the life cycle of a butterfly is one topic for a science project. With a butterfly raising kit, children can watch as the butterfly goes from one stage to another. This can illustrate how living things change at each stage in the butterfly's life. Students can also study pictures of each stage to learn about the life cycle. Choose types of butterflies that live in your area to make the project more real for your students.
To learn about symmetry, students can study the wings of a butterfly. They can draw and cut out a butterfly and then apply dots of paint to one side and press the two sides together to see first-hand how symmetry means that one side perfectly matches the other. They can vary the sizes and number of dots of paint to get more complex patterns. Students can also study how the size and shape of the wings are exactly the same.
Butterflies may grow to different sizes depending on the temperature at which their cocoons are kept. The temperature may also affect how soon the caterpillar develops into a butterfly. This topic can illustrate how the outside conditions can affect the way an animal or insect grows and develops. It can also stress how important the temperature is to a butterfly.
Another topic for a science project on a butterfly is migration. Students can study the migration route and the reasons that the butterfly migrates. They can compare the climate in the place the butterflies leave from and the place where they go to and how the seasons are changing in those places when migration takes place. They can also study how a butterfly stays alive while it is migrating.