To help students understand why a moth is not a butterfly, teach them the characteristics of the moth and the butterfly and review their similarities and differences. Use a sheet of poster board to make science chart. Write the "Butterfly and Moth Characteristics Chart" as the main title and make three columns with the titles "Characteristics," "Butterflies" and "Moths." Write in the column titled "Characteristics:"
Number of body parts
Number of legs
Number of antennae
Number of pairs of wings
Metamorphosis (yes/no)
Comes from egg (yes/no)
Type of antennae (feathery/knobby)
Type of body (hairless/furry)
Wing color (bright/dull)
Proboscis (Yes/No)
Resting stance (wings open and folded/wings together)
Most active time (night/day)
Pupa covered by (chrysalis/cocoon)
How wings are held together in flight
Post this chart on the wall or whiteboard and enter all information about characteristics, using students' research, into the correct columns.
Introduce your students to the butterfly and the moth during circle time by reading books about butterflies and moths and posting the information to the science chart. Read "From Caterpillar to Butterfly" by Deborah Heiligman to your students. Discuss the book and post the information the students learned to the "Butterfly and Moth Information Chart" in the "Butterfly" column of the chart. Read "A Luna Moth's Life" by John Himmelman at circle time on another day. Discuss the book and post the information the students learned to the "Butterfly and Moth Science Chart" in the "Moth" column of the chart.
Your students can watch the 35-minute science movie "Eyewitness - Butterfly and Moth" and enjoy its colorful graphics and excellent special effects. Afterward, discuss what was learned, including whether the moths and butterflies have the same bright colors and whether they eat the same types of greenery. Also, talk about their favorite moth or butterfly. Write down all new information about butterflies and moths in the "Butterfly and Moth Science Chart."
Download the "A Moth is not a Butterfly" Venn diagram from the Enchanted Learning website for each student. You will also need to make a large Venn diagram on a sheet of poster board and attach it to the wall or whiteboard next to the "Butterfly and Moth Science Chart." It will be used to show the differences and similarities between moths and butterflies. Write "A Moth is not a Butterfly" as the title. Above the first circle of the Venn diagram write "Butterflies," in the interlinked circle write "Butterflies and Moths" and above the last circle write "Moths." With your students, use the "Butterfly and Moth Science Chart" to fill in the information for their Venn diagrams, placing information that is similar in the center circle, while information that is unique to each insect is placed in their respective circles.