Butterflies in Space
Painted Lady larvae spinning a shelter in a thistle leaf.
© Harald Süpfle. CC-BY-SA 3.0
With approximately 20,000 species, butterflies are among the world's most recognizable and popular insects. Students conduct open-ended scientific investigations to learn how gravity and microgravity affect the life cycle of painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterflies.
Activities in the Butterflies in Space Teacher's Guide are designed for use with multiple grade levels, and as observation for K–2 students.
Developed and conducted in collaboration with BioServe Space Technologies of the University of Colorado, National Space Biomedical Research Institute, and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Download: Butterflies in Space Teacher's Guide Download: Classroom Slides
Funded by the following grant(s)
National Space Biomedical Research Institute
This work was supported by National Space Biomedical Research Institute through NASA cooperative agreement NCC 9-58.
Houston Endowment Inc.
Foundations for the Future: Capitalizing on Technology to Promote Equity, Access and Quality in Elementary Science Education; Opening Pathways for Teacher Instructional Opportunities in Natural Sciences
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Science Education Leadership Fellows Program
Grant Numbers: 51006084, 51004102, 51000105