Flex your students' creativity by incorporating visual art into the butterfly life cycle projects. You can assign the students a specific medium to create these projects, in which case you might work in conjunction with the school art teacher to demonstrate proper techniques. Otherwise, allow students creative license to create a project using a medium of their choosing. For instance, students could use clay to create representations of the various stages of metamorphosis, or they could create sketches of the anatomical attributes for each phase of the life cycle.
To help your students work on their writing and literacy skills, have the class write creative pieces regarding the metamorphosis of a butterfly. These could include short stories from the perspective of a butterfly throughout the various stages of the life cycle, or could be more abstract interpretations like a metamorphosis-inspired haiku. The finished products should be creative, but they should also incorporate scientific elements into the writing. For instance, a fictional monologue of a butterfly should be based in fact, while a haiku should use terms that accurately describe the metamorphosis. Have the students read them aloud.
Assign students specific varieties of butterflies that are native to your home state, or consider branching out to other habitats in the country and around the world for some exotic butterfly options. Aside from having each student outline the key developmental phases of a butterfly during its life cycle, have him identify the specific attributes of his butterfly, from physical appearance to habitat and dietary needs. The student should write a brief summary of how she plans to ensure a successful metamorphosis for her designated butterfly.
Take your class outdoors for a real-life scavenger hunt. Give students nets to collect any specimens of butterflies they see during the exploration period and have them keep a lookout for various stages of butterflies in development. Ask the students to make sketches of the specimens they catch or witness; they will later make scientific anatomical labels for the various parts of the butterflies. Release your specimens before returning to the classroom. Ask the students to do a brief summary write-up of the experience and their observations.