As they took seats at picnic tables in the garden, third graders at Park Avenue Elementary School were officially declared entomologists. They are scientists who study bugs, following their weeks-long commitment to raising butterflies.

Caterpillars arrived in Jennifer Howe’s and Kim Mathison’s classrooms in mid-May and were placed inside of a butterfly dome. Over the next few weeks, students watched each transform into a chrysalis and then emerge as a butterfly. On June 5, about a week after they hatched, the two classes went out to the Park Avenue Community Garden to release their butterflies. There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” as the winged insects flew out of their netted home and into the world.

The butterfly release was the culmination of a life cycle unit in science. Throughout the process, students kept daily observations in their science journals, including sketches. One of the greatest thrills for the students, the teachers noted, was actually seeing the butterflies emerge during class.