The Chrysalis Watch: Exact and Science Words

The Chrysalis Watch

1On Monday, Ms. Ferreira set a tall mesh cage on the science table. Inside, three striped caterpillars were munching on milkweed leaves. "These are monarch caterpillars," she explained. "Each one is a larva. That is the second stage in the monarch's life cycle, after the egg. Your job is to observe them closely and record what you see in your science journals."

2Jun peered through a magnifying glass. "This one is chewing so fast!" he said. Aiyana sketched the yellow, black and white stripes in her journal. Every day, the caterpillars grew bigger. One morning, Tobias found a crumpled, empty skin on a leaf. "The caterpillar molted," Ms. Ferreira said. "It shed its old skin because it had grown too big for it."

3A week later, the largest caterpillar stopped eating. It crawled to the top of the cage and hung upside down in the shape of the letter J. "I predict it will make a chrysalis by tomorrow," Aiyana said. She wrote her prediction in her journal.

4The next morning, Aiyana hurried into the classroom and gasped. Where the caterpillar had been, a smooth green chrysalis dotted with tiny gold spots was hanging. Her prediction was correct! For days, the chrysalis stayed perfectly motionless. Jun grew anxious. "What if something is wrong?" he asked. "A lot is changing inside," Ms. Ferreira said. "Be patient."

5Then one Tuesday, the chrysalis looked different. It had turned clear, and the class could see orange and black wings folded inside. "That is evidence that the butterfly will come out soon," Ms. Ferreira said. The students huddled around the table to watch.

6Just after lunch, the chrysalis split open. A butterfly slowly wiggled out and clung to the empty shell. Its wings looked small and crumpled. Jun held his breath. Little by little, the wings spread out and dried. Jun let out a relieved sigh.

7The next morning, the class carried the cage outside. Ms. Ferreira unzipped the top. The monarch perched on the edge for a moment. Then it fluttered up and away over the fence. Aiyana felt proud, because she had recorded each change in her journal. The other two caterpillars were now chrysalises, so the watch was not over yet.