Learning Science is like

a child looking at

a Butterfly V1.1

jschmied©2016Credits are hyperlinked

A child’s journey

through the layers

of science

learning.

• After 20 years of teaching 7th and 8th grade science I began to reflect on how to really prepare students for the long science journey they were about to engage in. I’d done well, year long overviews, unit engagement plans… but attaining a big picture that resonated within the hearts of my students was elusive.

• During a long mountain hike a couple months back I began to revisit what first got me interested in learning science… seeing a Monarch Butterfly in all its splendor.

• This got me thinking how I could use my experience to build a tool to prepare new students for the journey ahead… one that each student could use to look back at and enjoy their layers of science learning… to celebrate the layers of learning before preparing themselves for the journey ahead.

It’s really pretty, so let’s look some more!

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The Layers Begin

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Two Wings on top & also on the bottom.

Let’s look more!

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Everything’s the same on one side of the body as the other!

Look Again!

This butterfly has a head, thorax and an abdomen.

Let’s look again…jschmied©2015

Common Name:

Monarch butterfly

Scientific Name:

Danaus plexippus

These

are

Males!

Males have

two scent glands.

One on each lower wing.

Let’s look some more!

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jschmied©2015The wings have ribs!

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The wings have

colored scales.

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The scales hang onto even more “ribs”

There are six legs & two antenna!

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The legs are jointed & have hooks!

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There are

two eyes

and a big

roll up

tongue!

jschmied©2015Big tongue!.

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Each eye is

made of

many eyes

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The eggs are tiny

& so are the caterpillars!

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Monarch

caterpillars

are

colorful

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Caterpillars completely

rearrange their insides & outsides

to become butterflies

jschmied©2015The butterflies fly a long way for the winter & back.

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Looking deeper

at butterfly

chemistry will

help solve how

monarchs find

their way out

and back home.

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Learning Science is like a child looking at…

…a Butterfly

About the author:

John Schmied has been a secondary science school teacher for 20 years and is involved in developing practical, yet innovative, hands on curriculum for teens. In addition he is a Chemical Hygiene Officer and also created, developed and manages a 6 acre Environmental Center at his school site.

John’s presentations have been viewed worldwide & have been in the top 5% of Slideshare for multiple years.

During this time John served as the Strategic planner for the Friends of the Hidden River a 501(C)(3) non profit.

• Over the past 13 years Friends helped King County, WA design, fund, construct & develop the 14,800 sqftBrightwater Environmental Center in Woodinville WA.

• John is the Director & a principal developer of the Ground to Sound STEM Environmental Challenge course, a locally popular cutting edge environmental program that merges, Science, Tech, Art, Multimedia and other disciplines with Leadership studies at the Center

Prior to this period John served as a U. S. Coast Guard Officer primarily involved in ice, navigation & search and rescue operations. His specialties are Ship handling, Diving and Oceanographic Operations.

John can be contacted via Linked In.