November 13, 2009

With the Monarchs In Space project protocol as the guide , kindergartners worked in small groups with their teacher to assemble the rearing chambers with the appropriate items as seen in the directions. We talked about how we would make observations of our caterpillars in the classroom as the astronauts plan to do in space when they are aboard the International Space Station.

Kindergartners transferred the green food substance into the feeding boxes before they were glued into place. Inside the rearing boxes, two pieces of fabric were positioned at the top and bottom, and a small red container for nectar was adhered nearby. As we put the food substance into the feeding boxes, we talked about how we had made pesto with the basil leaves from our garden last month and how this caterpillar food could have been made the same way using milkweed, the food of the monarch caterpillar. After the caterpillars were gently moved with a tiny brush into the rearing boxes, the boxes were closed with plastic wrap and rubber bands.