Early childhood educators read to children about seeds and flowers as well as caterpillars and butterflies to build their knowledge about life cycles, but children gain a better understanding of life cycles when they can see and experience them firsthand. Beetles have a life cycle very similar to that of butterflies and raising them in the classroom is a great way to help children see a life cycle in action. In this session, participants will explore what butterflies are, what their life cycle is like and how to introduce that life cycle to the early childhood classroom in a fun way. Participants will also explore additional ways to build children’s understanding of core life science ideas when they care for and observe baby beetles growing into adults. Beetle babies can be bought from a pet store and brought into the classroom so that children can care for and carefully hold the sturdy insects and relate the beetles’ life stages to those of butterflies.

This course addresses the following age band(s):

• Early childhood - middle (36-60 months)
• Early childhood - late (5-8 years)