Butterfly

Painted lady butterfly © Steve Herring. CC-BY-ND 2.0.

Classification: Insect

Groups can be encouraged to choose animals of different classes (reptiles, amphibians, mammals, etc.).

E-books and some videos are available free-of-charge for teachers via a one-time subscription at the Epic! website.

Consider using websites like SafeShare.TV and ViewPure to remove ads from websites.


  • Websites

    Butterflies

    Information includes metamorphosis and life cycle stages. [Contains ads]

    Ducksters Education

    Monarch Butterfly

    In-depth profile of monarchs, with basic facts about the insect.

    National Geographic Kids

    Painted Lady

    General information about painted lady butterflies, as well as printable information sheets, sequencing cards, and a life cycle booklet.

    Enchanted Learning

    Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

    Contains a wealth of information about and images of painted lady butterflies and sighting locations across the U.S.

    Butterflies and Moths of North America

    The Butterfly Life Cycle!

    Transformation in pictures, from caterpillar to butterfly.

    National Geographic Kids

  • Videos

    Butterflies for Kids (8:07)

    News format video about butterflies. (YouTube)

    Homeschool POP!

    Butterflies for Kids (8:07)

    How a Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly (3:57)

    Animated and live action short about butterfly metamorphosis. (YouTube)

    SciShow Kids!

    How a Caterpillar Becomes a Butterfly (3:57)

    The Amazing Monarch Butterfly (1:15)

    Slow motion video of monarch butterflies in flight, information about their life cycle and migration. (YouTube)

    National Geographic Kids

    The Amazing Monarch Butterfly (1:15)

    Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis (2:42)

    Extreme close-up video of late instar monarch caterpillar, from feeding to pupation to emergence. (YouTube)

    Front Yard Video

    Monarch Butterfly Metamorphosis (2:42)

  • Portal Texts

    La Mariposa

    by Francisco Jimenez

    ISBN-13: 978-0618073177 (F&P level: P)

    The Lamb and the Butterfly

    by Arnold Sungaard

    ISBN-13: 9780545443265 (F&P level: P)

  • Research Books

    Born to be a Butterfly

    by Karen Wallace

    ISBN-13: 978-0756662813 (F&P level: I)

    Caterpillar to Butterfly

    by Laura Marsh

    ISBN-13: 978-1426309205 (F&P level: K)

    Butterflies (Explore My World)

    by Marfe Ferguson Delano

    ISBN-13: 978-1426316999 (F&P level: L)

    Flutter, Butterfly!

    by Shelby Alinsky

    ISBN-13: 978-1426321177 (F&P level: F)

    From Caterpillar to Butterfly

    by Gerald Legg

    ISBN-13: 978-0531153321 (F&P level: L)

    Great Migrations Butterflies

    by Laura Marsh

    ISBN-13: 978-1426307393 (F&P level: O)

    Monarch Butterfly

    by Gail Gibbons

    ISBN-13: 978-0823409099 (F&P level: N)

    Monarch Butterfly (Life Cycles)

    by David M. Schwartz

    ISBN-13: 978-1574715798

  • E-books on GetEpic.com

    Butterfly

    by Wendy Perkins

    (F&P level: M)

    Caterpillar to Butterfly (National Geographic Readers)

    by Laura Marsh

    (F&P level: K)

    Monarch Butterflies

    by Gail Gibbons

    (F&P level N)

    Monarch Butterfly Migration

    by Kari Schuetz

    (F&P level: N)

    The Life Cycle of a Butterfly

    by Colleen Sexton

    (F&P level: O)

  • Virtual Field Trips

    The Butterfly Conservatory

    Offers several videos that can take your class on a virtual tour of the conservatory in Costa Rica.

    The Butterfly Conservatory