Disappointments and Surprises!

I had told the class that I would get the company 'Butterfly Bunkers' to make available their butterfly kits for purchase. Each kit contains an unsuspecting caterpillar along with a packet of leaves suitable for that species of catepillar. The pupils would have to feed their 'hungry' pet caterpillar daily, watch it grow and experience that exhilaration of watching it metamorphose into a butterfly and eventually take flight! Unfortunately, the lady had stopped her business temporarily to care for her cancer-stricken mother and would only pick it up again after July. ( I would pursue this in the second half of the year)

To make up for the disappointment of not having a pet caterpillar, the class created their own egg carton caterpillar with simple materials like egg cartons, pipe cleaners, goggly eyes and crayons.

Surpise! The result was really better than I had expected. Some had volcanic caterpillars with the mounds threatening to erupt anytime, some were spontaneously given pet names, one lovingly gave her myopic pet spectacles and others were just a beautiful splash of vibrant colours and bold design. I've hardly seen such beautiful insects...

Naomi's creation : the moss-covered bespectacled caterpillar!

The caterpillars that returned to class after emerging from their eggs.