Magical Metamorphosis

Grade Level PreK–3^rd

Lesson Overview

This lesson will introduce students to the life stages that different types of insects go through to change from egg to adult. Students will participate in a collaborative group activity and complete individual Metamorphosis Cards for assessment. In addition, there are some extension activities for review and enrichment.

Lesson

Set the Stage

The teacher will capture the students' attention by saying the word "Metamorphosis". The teacher will define this word by describing it as the "Big Change". The teacher will explain that some insects go through a big change or metamorphosis when they grow from egg to adult. Observing metamorphosis is a very "magical" event. The teacher will explain that the "infant" or immature insects can look very different from their adult version. The teacher can show the class photos of the insect larvae and then the adult counter part. Students will be asked to point out the correct match.

Discussion

Tell the students that insects that undergo the ‘magic of metamorphosis” have 4 distinct stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. These insects look very different from stage to stage. Beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, mosquitoes, ants, wasps and bees all undergo complete metamorphosis.

Egg- the first part of an insect's life starts when an adult insect lays an egg.

Larva-the egg hatches and produces a larva. Larva is a wormlike animal that looks very different from the adult. Does a butterfly look like a caterpillar? When the larva emerges from the egg it begins eating immediately. What does it eat? It eats its own egg! The larva will then feed on different sources of nutrition that are near the location where it hatched from its egg. Most larva will shed their skin (molt) and then re-grow their skin several times before they move to the pupa stage.

Pupa-after the larva has eaten the right amount of food it is ready to rest from eating as a pupa. The larva surrounds itself with a new outer skin or husk. There are different types of pupa for each insect. Inside the pupa the magic is happening. The muscles, nerves and other structures are dissolved and new limbs, muscles and nerves are formed. Pupa often blend into their surroundings for protection.

Adult-when the insect emerges from its pupa it has all the features of the adult insect that we are familiar with. The insect leaves the shell of the pupa by splitting it open or breaking through. Once the adult is totally free from the pupa it begins looking for a mate so the life cycle of the insect can begin again.

Individual Activity

Now, it is time for individual assessment. Hand out the metamorphosis cards, (PDF – 75k) show actual photographs of the various stages of the butterfly metamorphosis and the pastas from the material list. Explain the shape of the pasta and the matching life stage to the students. (The orzo pasta is the egg, the rotini is the pasta representing the larva, shell pasta represents the pupa and the bow tie pasta represents the adult butterfly or moth.) Instruct students to glue to correct pasta/life stage to the metamorphosis card in the correct order.