The Observation Deck

Today was the the annual butterfly release day at Grant School. The Grant second grade science project involves caring for the butterflies from their very earliest stages, from caterpillars, to cocoons, and finally to butterflies. Today the fully-emerged butterflies were ready to join the world.

Mrs. Berry's and Mr. Schreiner's classes brought the butterflies in a procession out to Grant's side garden, all wearing celebratory hats they had made, illustrating the butterfly's life cycle. When the class arrived at their launch site, they made a circle and sang butterfly-themed songs, read poems, and second grader Casey Funk read her essay explaining how the whole process works to an audience of parents, and Ms. Ramsey, Grant's principal. After a moment of silence, with eyes closed, sending energy and good wishes to the butterflies for a happy life, it was time for the class to unzip the butterflies temporary homes and let them go.





This year the butterflies didn't seem that eager to fly, requiring the teachers to give them a little help. "It's a little chilly," Mrs. Berry explained.


After a while, all of them were out and flying, some choosing to land on their adoptive parents' fingers for a little while before heading off into the sky.





Another great day for education, and great memories, at Grant school.

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy,

Thanks for posting! Your pictures bring back fun memories of Mrs. Berry's class, when Brendan also participated in the butterfly unit. Every year this project is a big hit, and it is an example of how Lakewood teachers make learning tangible and fun.

Hope to see you soon!

Christina

In case anyone wants to sing the songs they sung yesterday at home or
in the office here are the words.

The Butterfly Ballad
by Guy Belleranti,
(Sing to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb.")

Butterfly starts as an egg,
As an egg, as an egg,
Butterfly starts as an egg,
Let's see what happens next.

Caterpillar hatches out.
Hatches out, hatches out,
Caterpillar hatches out,
Let's see what happens next.

Caterpillar gobbles leaves,
Gobbles leaves, gobbles leaves.
Caterpillar gobbles leaves,
Let's see what happens next.

Caterpillar grows and sheds,
Grows and sheds, grows and sheds,
Caterpillar grows and sheds,
Let's see what happens next.

It becomes a chrysalis,
Chrysalis, chrysalis,
It becomes a chrysalis,
Let's see what happens next.

Butterfly comes out at last,
Out at last, out at last,
Butterfly comes out at last,
And then it flies away.


The Butterfly Song
(Tune: Up on the Housetop)

First comes a butterfly and lays an egg.
Out comes a caterpillar with many legs.
Oh see the caterpillar spin and spin,
A little chrysalis to sleep in.

Oh, oh ,oh wait and see!
Oh, oh, oh wait and see!
Out of the chrysalis, my oh my,
Out comes a beautiful butterfly!

Butterfly Cycle
(to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

Hatch, hatch little egg,
I'm so very small.
Teeny tiny caterpillar,
You can't see me at all.

Crawl, caterpillar, crawl,
Munching on a leaf.
Crawling, munching, crawling, munching,
Eat and eat and eat.

Form, form chrysalis,
I'm a different shape;
Hanging by a silken thread
Until I can escape.

Rest, rest, chrysalis
While I change inside;
Now at last my time has come
To be a butterfly.

Stretch, stretch, pretty wings,
It's a special day;
Soon they will be strong enough
For me to fly away.

Fly, fly, butterfly,
By from flower to tree;
Find a place to lay my eggs

Caterpillar, Caterpillar

Caterpillar, caterpillar,
where will you go?
Up and down the branches,
to where the flowers grow.

Caterpillar, caterpillar,
what will you do?
I'll spin my cocoon
and then rest, too.

Caterpillar, caterpillar,
why, why, why?
Because you see I'm going to be
a lovely butterfly!

Hanging by a silken thread
Until I can escape.

Rest, rest, chrysalis
While I change inside;
Now at last my time has come
To be a butterfly.

Stretch, stretch, pretty wings,
It's a special day;
Soon they will be strong enough
For me to fly away.

Fly, fly, butterfly,
Fly from flower to tree;
Find a place to lay my eggs
So they can grow like me.

It's really a nice and interesting post here. It was really interesting to read the posts.