Becoming Butterflies

Absolutely. The book fosters the development of the processes of observation, classification, and prediction. There are many places where the teacher can stop in the read aloud and ask questions like, "What do you notice about the caterpillars that was different before?" "What do you observe about what's inside the box?" The students can also make predictions about what the next stage in the butterflies' life cycle will be. They can also classify and label the specific changes in the cycle.

• Author: Anne Rockwell
• Illustrator: Megan Halsey
• Year Published: 2002
• ISBN: 978-0802776860

Science Topics

• Life Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• Prekindergarten

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 2nd Grade

Summary

Miss Diana brings a surprise to school for her students- three striped caterpillars and a flowerpot. The students put the caterpillars in a box and observe the changes over the course of a month. They see the caterpillars get bigger, become a chrysalis, and then finally hatch into monarch butterflies. They release the butterflies and study their migration to Mexico.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: High
• Authority: High
• Accuracy: High
• Liteary Artistry: High
• Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Absolutely. The book fosters the development of the processes of observation, classification, and prediction. There are many places where the teacher can stop in the read aloud and ask questions like, "What do you notice about the caterpillars that was different before?" "What do you observe about what's inside the box?" The students can also make predictions about what the next stage in the butterflies' life cycle will be. They can also classify and label the specific changes in the cycle.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

Yes. Many of the illustrations exactly depict what is said in the text that can help students answer their own questions. For instance students may ask, "What is a chrysalis?" or "What is the caterpillar doing when it is changing colors and getting new skin?" to be answered by the pictures on the following page.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Well, the book does not provide or include any specific questions for the audience, but it can be up to the teacher to take pauses for children to think and create predictions. The teacher can also foster turn and talks and purposeful talk over the story.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The content is appropriate to the lesson.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Yes, the content is based on sound scientific principles. It shows how caterpillars eat milkweed plants in order to grow. Once the caterpillars get big enough, their skin begins to shed off into new skin. Then, the caterpillars hang upside down (in a J shape). The caterpillar turns into a chrysalis, and its skin becomes green and smooth. The chrysalis are still and become dark brown. Eventually, their shell peels away and the butterflies emerge. The butterflies are released into the wild, where they will be migrating to Mexico for the warm weather. The book contains explicit depictions of each of the stages and an accurate map showing Mexico. The book also includes an "Author's Note" at the end that formally explains the butterfly life cycle.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

The book is factual. It contains no fictional integration.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Yes. The illustrations are very unique and accurate for an elementary school story book. The classroom, teacher, students, and caterpillars all look realistic and relatable. The illustrations contain beautiful pastel colors and an actual photo of the monarch butterflies gathered in Mexico at the end.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, this book is an appropriate level for students grades Pre K- 2nd. The larger words like milkweed plant, chrysalis, and Chincua, Mexico are all accompanied by illustrations on the joining pages.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

This book does not really contain a multicultural component, except for the fact that all of the students in the story's classroom look unique and different from one another (skin color, gender, hair texture, facial features, clothing) so I think this makes it free from stereotyping.

Is the book free from gender bias?

Yes, the book is free from gender bias. There are female and male students depicted in the story's illustrations but there is no relation or mentioning of the specific genders in the text. Each student is seen observing and participating in the butterfly activity.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

There is not really any associations between science and other disciplines in this book, except for the inclusion of the map of Mexico. This kind of integrates science with geography and social studies.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

Yes. The students are very engaged in the story therefore showing a positive attitude toward science and life cycles! The connection between science and real life is very relatable. There is no technology component in the story.