Native butterflies

Native butterflies

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about understanding science vocabulary.

Question

Most people in New Zealand recognise this butterfly.
monarch-butterfly-300w.png
It is a ...

    • cabbage white

    • gum emperor

    • monarch

    • red admiral

Not many of us, though, know much about New Zealand native butterflies because we don't see them very often.

 

Question 1Change answer

Here is some information about a New Zealand native butterfly.
 
red-admiral-PK.jpg
 

Red Admiral

Scientific name: Vanessa gonerilla
Māori name: Kahukura
Distribution: Throughout New Zealand
Habitat: Gardens and forests
Wingspan: 50-60mm
 
 
Words like distribution, habitat and wingspan have precise meanings in science.
Use the information about the Red Admiral to match each word to its correct meaning.
The geographical area(s) where a species can be found distributionwingspanhabitat
The sorts of place where a plant or animal naturally lives, and from which it gets everything it needs to survive such as food water, shelter and oxygen distributionwingspanhabitat
The total length between the tips of each wing when the wings are spread out distributionwingspanhabitat

Scientists think it is important to know about distribution, habitat  and wingspan.

The next three questions are about why these are important.

Question

When thinking about butterflies being at risk, it is important to know about distribution  because 

    • butterflies that are not found in many places are at risk if their habitat is destroyed.

    • butterflies that are found in lots of places are at risk because there are more butterflies to eat food.

    • butterflies that are found only at high altitude are at risk because of the cold.

Question

When thinking about a butterfly being at risk, its habitat gives us clues about

    • how it protects itself from predators.

    • how many life cycles it goes through in a year.

    • the conditions in which the butterfly survives best. 

Question

What does knowing about the wingspan of a butterfly help us to do?

    • Understand how the butterfly is camouflaged

    • Identify a butterfly you see flying around

    • Decide if it is a native or not.

Question 1Change answer

Finding out what is already known about native butterflies gives us some clues to what might:
  • help them survive
  • put them at risk.

If you wanted to be involved in a conservation project to protect the Red Admiral butterfly, what are two other things it would be helpful to know?

 
Write both of your questions here.
1. 2.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (with SOME auto marking).
Copyright: 
Images copyright to PhotoKete are used under a commercial license and can be freely used for educational purposes.
 
monarch-butterfly-300w.png
(c) J.Fisher, www.photokete.co.nz
 
red admiral butterfly

(c) J.Fisher, www.photokete.co.nz
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Communicating in science, Living World
Keywords: 
ecology, adaptation, butterflies, native butterflies, science texts
Description of task: 
Task: Match vocabulary and definitions, and select why these terms are useful to know when thinking about butterflies at risk. Assessment focus: understanding science texts.
Science capabilities: 
Engage with science, Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 
Questions What to look for
What is the butterfly? monarch
Match words to definitions:
The geographical area where a species can be found
The sorts of places where a plant or animal naturally lives, and from which it gets everything it needs to survive such as food, water, shelter, and oxygen
The total length between the tips of each wing when the wings are spread out
distribtion
habitat
wingspan
It is important to know about distribution because butterflies that are not found in many places are at risk if their habitat is destroyed.
It's habitat gives us clues about the conditions in which the butterfly survives best.
Knowing about the wingspan helps you to Identify a butterfly you see flying around.
If you wanted to be involved in a conservation project to protect the Red Admiral butterfly, what are two other things it would be helpful to know?
Any two of:
What do they/their caterpillars eat?
What is their current status (are they endangered,, common, stable,etc)?
Is there habitat under threat/shrinking?
What are their enemies?
How often do they breed?
How long does their life cycle take to complete?
Any other question that helps to understand how to protect them
Teaching and learning: 
This task :
  • focuses on scientific vocabulary used in texts that describe species
  • probes students' understanding of how knowing the vocabulary helps them use the text for its intended purpose
  • investigates whether they can identify missing information when using the text for another purpose.
It therefore addresses the Nature of Science strand, Communicating in Science, particularly "engage with a range of science  texts and begin to question the purposes for which these texts are constructed".
Diagnostic and formative information: 
Vocabulary
About half the trial students mixed up the defintions for habitat and distribution.
The majority correctly defined wingspan. However, it was the most difficult for them to select the purpose for including in the text.
Asking questions
About 1/4 of trial students asked 2 questions that would help them understand the needs of Red Admirals, and about 1/3 asked one. 
Common problems were:
  • asking a question that was already answered in the text
Where are they found?
Where can you find the Red Admiral?
  • asking a question that was too general
​How could we protect the Red Admiral butterfly?
basic facts about it
  • ​asking irrelevant questions
What species are which?
Next steps: 
Use other texts that describe species to revisit the vocabulary examined in this resource.
Examine other vocabulary commonly used in the same context. A useful resource for doing this is a powerpoint presentation, New Zealand Native Butterflies. 
 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Engage with science
This resource provides opportunities to discuss scientists need to understand specific needs of animals they are working with if they are to make informed decisions about protecting them.
Science capability: Engage with science (TKI)

 

The Science Learning Hub has a science story, Butterflies. It includes a powerpoint on New Zealand Native Butterflies. 
 
Other Level 4 ARB resources about butterflies are: