Investigating Life Cycles

 

 

The Caterpillar and the Polliwog

By: Jack Kent

 

 

Have you ever wondered why you get bigger as you get older, while some organisms completely change? With this book kids are able to learn about different life cycles of caterpillars and polliwogs. In the book, The Caterpillar and the Polliwog, it starts out stating that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Throughout the book the caterpillar brags to her friends “When I grow up, I’m going to turn into something else,” and keeps going on and on about how special she is because of it. The caterpillar soon realizes, after meeting the polliwog, that she isn’t the only one who will change into something else when she grows up. The polliwog had just received news from the fish that he would also make a transformation and when the caterpillar came strutting by he proceeded to tell her all about his life cycle. With much surprise, the caterpillar was distraught to find she wasn’t the only one who would complete a life cycle. After chatting for a while, they both began to see only the similarities in their life cycle and thought they would both transform into a butterfly. The caterpillar agreed to go first and soon started spinning a cocoon. As the caterpillar became out of sight in her cocoon the polliwog sat patiently, day after day, and continued to watch. Finally there was activity in the cocoon and the caterpillar climbed out as a beautiful yellow butterfly. With much excitement, the polliwog leaped into the air to find he had made a transformation himself. He realized while he was watching, day after day, he didn’t notice the transformation he was also making.  He become startled when he soon realized that he wasn’t exactly a big beautiful butterfly, but he was a very handsome frog. Both realized that they had completed a different life cycle that transformed them into two different special organisms.

This Science content nonfiction book correlates perfectly with the standard: S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms. a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat or dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly. At the beginning of the story, the life cycle of the butterfly was given and the process of polliwog, tadpole, was shown throughout the story. All while keeping the students engaged in the story and excited for what was happening next with the transformations of both. Also, the book shows the differences in how the life cycles are both made. The butterfly starts out as a caterpillar and then has to spin a cocoon and lives inside until she was fully and beautifully made. Whereas the polliwog started out living in the pond and continued to live until he was fully transformed into a frog. Furthermore the big beautiful butterfly flew and the handsome frog hopped right along into their happy life.  Wouldn’t you say that in this story this is the only time it’s safe to say, I know exactly what I’m going to be when I grow up?

 

 

“I enjoyed reading this book because of the humorous approach to learning about life cycles. Students can compare and contrast the different life cycles given in the book.” – Mallory

 

“The book used great illustrations for showing the life cycles of both the caterpillar and a polliwog. Younger kids would be intrigued and excited to listen and read to a fun book dealing with science!” -Dianne