We got butterflies. It's not even a third grade objective, but some parent who works at a "Montessori" school feels that we don't do enough hands on learning. So, she donated butterflies to all four third grade classrooms.
I am person who has romantic notions of butterflies. I remember watching them as a child. I saw the beauty in the image and the metaphor even then. Do you want to know what will crush romantic, poetic notions about butterflies? Watching the stages of butterfly development...
My butterflies emerged last night. Right in the middle of state testing. I found them this morning. One was flying around. Two had their wings literally in pieces and were dead at the bottom of the cage in pools of their own blood. IT WAS DISGUSTING!
I didn't want my kids traumatized by the bloody scene, especially right before state testing, but I didn't want to touch them, so I hid the butterfly cage in the POD. First thing they asked me, "Where are the butterflies?"
"Umm, they can't be out during state testing, like all the signs on the wall." All the kids had a look on their faces like they were imagining how butterflies could give them answers, but they accepted this answer FOR NOW.
The only problem is that one of the kids from the other third grade classes saw the cage and asked me about the bloody mess. I think the truth might come out soon!
1 comment:
a new reader header. really enjoying your blog.
how sad! Looking forward to a follow up post and how you shared the news with the students.
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