Chapter 3: Caterpillar to Butterfly: Transforming Kindergartners into Scientific Inquirers

Guiding students to select a topic for an engaging investigation to cover standards-based content can be an overwhelming challenge and seldom achievable. Even more rarely do inquiry-based opportunities naturally arise from student interest.

"For years, my students barely found their way to my classroom on-time because they would stop at the large crown flower plant right outside the door to look at the hanging chrysalises, emerging butterflies, and caterpillars crawling on the branches and leaves. The curiosity of these kindergartners led to this classroom investigation as part of their unit on life cycles."

"Caterpillars and butterflies are commonly showcased in a terrarium as part of a traditional classroom experience. Like the caterpillar that is transformed into a butterfly, in my chapter the kindergartner is transformed from ordinary learner into scientist extraordinaire!"