Raising butterflies

Crystal Williams' kindergarten class at Blanchard Elementary School recently released five Painted Lady butterflies taken care of by the students, along with their teacher, through three of the four stages of the magnificent insects' life cycle.

The 24 bright-eyed kindergarten students over the course of a few weeks saw their insect friends transform from caterpillars into the beautiful flying creatures that they are today.

The release of the black, orange and white-dotted butterflies was a bittersweet moment for the students. One girl said she wanted to find them during recess in hopes she could give them flowers. But in the end, the students gained great insight into the basic stages of life for their fluttering friends as well as an understanding of watching something beautiful grow and later letting it go.

While the students may be young, this will surely be a lesson that they will remember for years to come. We applaud Ms. Williams and the many other teachers who employ active learning techniques in their classrooms. While sometimes more time consuming and challenging for the teacher than simply teaching from a book, these efforts are likely more effective than traditional methods in some cases and make an important effect on their students' lives.