Butterflies are beautiful.
With a bit of practice, anyone can learn to identify Ireland’s 35 butterfly species.
In this lesson, we shall focus on the common species that may be seen in gardens.
We shall look at their lives – what they do and their amazing life cycle.
Contents of the Lesson
This lesson looks at the following common butterflies:
- Small Tortoiseshell
- Large White
- Green-veined White
- Speckled Wood
- Small Copper
- Orange Tip
- Brimstone
- Common Blue
- Small White
- Peacock
- Meadow Brown
- Red Admiral
- Painted Lady
- Comma
We shall learn what they eat and a little bit about how they live and fit into the ecosystem. Short video clips will help bring the animals to life.
Additional topics covered include:
- Catching the sun
- Males and females
- What eats butterflies?
- Life Cycle of a butterfly (Metamorphosis)
- What to do if you find a butterfly in winter
- How to help butterflies
A short Glossary discusses the following terms:
- Hibernate
- Larval foodplant
- Moult
- Species
Target Age Group
The Powerpoint slideshow can be used for any age group. Older children can investigate each species in more detail. But even infants will appreciate the different birds.
We have different optional activities to follow the slideshow – colouring in sheets, art activities, crosswords, and more.
Downloadable Resources
Lesson Plan
Download Butterflies Classroom Presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation)
Download Teachers Notes