Butterflies
Thursday morning I started teaching a group of fourth grade students how to share a file they created on Easal, an app used to design things to be printed using a CNC machine. I turned to see one of my students with a look of amazement on her face. She didn’t say anything, and I didn’t have a clue what was going on, so I kept teaching. It’s difficult to know when to ask, “What’s up?” I could get a range of answers from, “The booger Jamie picked is huge.” to, “The butterflies are hatching.” Seconds later someone exclaimed, “There’s a butterfly coming out of its cocoon!”
“Hey, everyone!” I shouted. “The butterflies are emerging.”
Almost everyone gathered around. I had an iPad in my hand which I was using to give instructions. I pressed down the home button and switched to the camera app. I set the app to video and handed it to a nearby student saying, “Will you please record the butterflies for us?”
Two of the five chrysalises opened to reveal their monarch butterflies. Crazy as this might sound, this moment was a first in my 25 plus years of teaching. “Can I get some volunteers to look on the playground for two flowers?” I asked. It was the beginning of the school day and I wouldn’t be able to get anything for the insects until after school. Hands shot up all over the room. I selected a group and sent them on their mission.
The students came back empty handed. “I guess it’s too early in Spring for flowers,” one said. That’s when I noticed the instruction booklet peeking out from under the butterfly cage.
“Let’s read this,” I said, holding up the booklet. In there we found that the butterflies would eat fruit and sugar water in addition to flower nectar. Problem solved for now."
The next day I stopped by WalMart before work and purchased two small flower plants.
“Hey, everyone!” I shouted. “The butterflies are emerging.”
Almost everyone gathered around. I had an iPad in my hand which I was using to give instructions. I pressed down the home button and switched to the camera app. I set the app to video and handed it to a nearby student saying, “Will you please record the butterflies for us?”
Two of the five chrysalises opened to reveal their monarch butterflies. Crazy as this might sound, this moment was a first in my 25 plus years of teaching. “Can I get some volunteers to look on the playground for two flowers?” I asked. It was the beginning of the school day and I wouldn’t be able to get anything for the insects until after school. Hands shot up all over the room. I selected a group and sent them on their mission.
The students came back empty handed. “I guess it’s too early in Spring for flowers,” one said. That’s when I noticed the instruction booklet peeking out from under the butterfly cage.
“Let’s read this,” I said, holding up the booklet. In there we found that the butterflies would eat fruit and sugar water in addition to flower nectar. Problem solved for now."
The next day I stopped by WalMart before work and purchased two small flower plants.
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