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Butterflies in the Courtyard
                 Song:
                        In the SummerTime

 

 

 

Butterflies are flying to the South Plainfield courtyard. 
There have been butterfly bushes planted to attract them. 

 It's part of a project with Rutgers University and the Middle School.
  Since September, Grant Kolmer (a senior at Rutgers University) and 
Shannon Galbraith-Kent (a PhD candidate in the Ecology & Evolution program at Rutgers) have been working with two middle school science teachers integrating university science projects into the curriculum. The objective is to introduce something for the students that is fun and educational and is not part of the typical curriculum.

 		 

 

 

 

Some of these activities included:
- research on the biology of butterflies
- a plant inventory of the courtyard area
 - creating a habitat for butterfly plants
- planting techniques
- recording plant measurements
- maintenance of the plants
- observation of butterflies 
that come to the habitat

The South Plainfield Middle School courtyard offers a unique protected area 
to record significant plant and animal observation for research.

Besides Science, the project can be used for cross-content curriculum study, such as measurements for Math, essay writing for Language Arts, drawing objects for Art classes.

Parents of the Middle School students are encouraged 
to participate in the Butterfly Habitat Project. 
Contact Ms. Checchio  or Ms. Marotto at the middle school.

Here's a link to find out more about butterflies.

 

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