Did you know that there are over 300 species of butterflies in Uganda? First grade students learned about the butterfly as part of their global studies curriculum. In a netted pavilion, the class observed the metamorphosis of butterflies over two weeks, beginning with tiny caterpillars.
“Students observed [the caterpillars] as they suspended into curved formations to prepare for the pupa stage,” explained grade one teacher Julia Rachinsky-Wood when explaining the process. “When they became chrysalids, they hung for ten days. Then the metamorphosis occurred, and we had butterflies!” she added.
The students fed the butterflies juicy orange slices and flowers until they matured enough to be set free outdoors. When the butterflies were released into the school’s garden, Maxwell Lloyd ’32 shared that he “felt excited that the butterflies could go and be free.”