Metamorphosis 2

We left a swan plant in a pot outside and waited for a monarch butterfly to come and lay some eggs on it.
After a few days tiny baby caterpillars hatched out and ate up the egg shells. We brought them into the classroom so that they would be safe from predator wasps. They ate and ate until there were no leaves left on the swan plant then they found a place to hang in a j shape.

They hung quite peacefully like that for a while but then we saw them squirming and wriggling. The stripey skin split and out came a green chrysalis.

We could see the stripey skin  at the top.  Soon it dropped down like a pile of old clothes and that was the only sign left of the caterpillar.

The best part is when we let them fly free to find a swan plant to lay their eggs on and start the cycle all over again!

Metamorphosis 1

At the beginning of the year Marcus brought some incy -wincy baby gum emperor caterpillars to school. We fed them gum leaves and watched them change from black to green and then get very fat. Then they turned a pinkish colour before spinning a cocoon around themselves. At first the cocoon was white and we could see the caterpillar through it. Now it has gone brown and hard. We are waiting to see what happens next....

If you look closely you can see the caterpillar inside the cocoon.

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Is Room 15 A Menagerie?

me·nag·erie (mə naj′ər ē, -naz̸h′-)

noun

1. a collection of wild or strange animals kept in cages or enclosures for exhibition
2. a place where such animals are kept

www. your dictionary.com

In Room 15 we have lots of creatures. Jellybean, the pirate mouse and 3 fat goldfish live here all the time, the rest of the creatures are just visiting.  We have had tadpoles, crickets, cicadas , stick insects, praying mantis, aphids, monarch caterpillars, woolly bear and gum emperor caterpillars, lizards and spiders.
We usually look at them through the dinoscope and then let them go.

Jellybean is our class mouse. She is very sweet and tame. She lost one of her eyes when a cat pounced on her. 

Water Safety

Room 15 went swimming in our clothes  so that we could feel what would be like trying to swim if we fell into the water with our clothes on. We learnt how to hold on to our lifejackets in case we need to jump overboard off a boat. We practiced throwing ropes to rescue each other.

Rabbit Island picnic-Getting to know our buddies.