Chrysalis

The Chrysalis Stage

According to our Life Cycle Calendar it takes 12 to 16 days for our caterpillars to spin a strong silk button and eat their way to into a chrysalis. On the 12th day friends anxiously checked their caterpillar cups to see if their caterpillar had made its final molt into a chrysalis. It took just 12 days for some, and the full 16 for others all the while testing our patience. The head capsules grew larger and larger, the frass filled up the tiny cups, and finally, the shiny, moist chrysalis appeared. This tight hanging object would sometimes wiggle and sway, but we could all see the outline of the true legs, and the remains of the caterpillar's bristles on top of the cup. 

Waiting for Butterflies
Once the chrysalis appeared, Ms. Brooke waited for a quiet afternoon when all was calm to carefully move this active metamorphosis into the Butterfly Home.  She herself would watch in amazement as some chrysalis worked to calm down, moving just like that of a newly swaddled baby...then a hush would come over the Butterfly Home. Now the hard work, known only to those creatures waiting inside, began. We quietly tiptoe around our Butterfly Home, using gentle hands to observe changes and watch for movement. According to our research, we should look for emerging butterflies after 7 to 10 days of hanging out in the pupa phase. Then we will LOOK for a darkening chrysalis that makes two splits. We understand that meconium (a red waste) is normal, and that the butterfly wings will be sticky for the first few days after emergence. 

Classroom Metamorphosis

As I have visited about  with many of you, this study is a beautiful culmination of our year long theme, Changes and Growth Over Time. More than that, however, my cup runneth over as I watch the sparkling eyes of children watch in amazement at the growth of their caterpillars over a long weekend, or audibly gasp as they discover a chrysalis that formed over their lunch break. These children, your children, are so tender in their approach to nature and all of its beauty. I hope that my eyes sparkle just as much and that they can hear my gasps as I discover all of their growth, change and understanding that has happened in the course of this short school year. I am thankful to be apart  of their thoughts, feelings, and wonderings each day.

Please visit the Prairie Racerunner Website for updates to our Bookshelf, important curriculum markers, or dates to note. http://prairieracerunners.willowwindclasses.org/