Angela is sitting outside on her back patio. You can hear the sounds of the wind moving through the trees and insects buzzing. Occasionally, you can hear the sound of traffic on near by streets.

Hi friends, this is Angela with Iowa PBS.

And we're going to do a really neat activity today about thoughtful exploring.

So, I really, really love to be outside and in nature.

Or even doing experiments inside.

But sometimes, we need a little help with our thoughts.

And we have on our website at Iowa PBS dot org slash education,

this activity sheet that kind of helps us organize those thoughts.

[Angela holds up a clipboard to the camera. The clip board has the Iowa Science Phenomena What Do I Notice? What Do I wonder? activity sheet attached. The activity sheet has the following directions: As you observe the phenomenon, use this chart to record what you notice and what you wonder. Under the directions are two large horizontal boxes. At the top of the box on the left of the paper it says "Things I notice. . ." and on right side of the paper at the top of the box it says "Things I wonder. . . ".]

So if you need to gather this sheet, or you can write this down on a piece of paper.

I'm going to give you a moment to go grab that. So go ahead and hit pause and then come back.

Okay, hopefully you have your sheet of paper.

So what I'm going to be looking at today is something that my family does each year.

We like to collect monarchs, and we look for their eggs.

And, we look for caterpillars.

[As she talking, Angela holds up a clear plastic container holding the caterpillars her foamily has collected.]

And we like to watch them form into monarch butterflies.

So, I have a few here in various stages.

And we really, really love looking at these.

And thinking about their next stages, and how they do the things they do.

[Angela puts down the plastic container and picks up the clipboard with the activity sheet facing the camera.]

So the important thing about this paper is,

when you are exploring, is that you don't have to have the answers.

This is just to help us organize our thoughts.

And maybe guide us to do some exploring.

So on the left side of the sheet it talks about things I notice.

Okay.

[Angela sets down the clipboard and picks up the clear plastic container. She turns the container towards the camera so that you can see what's inside. Inside you see damp, white paper towels with small black specs. Several different types of green leaves and several multi-colored, black and gold caterpillars.]

So I'm going to show you.

We have some caterpillars in different stages.

Can you see those in there?

[As she is talking, Angela pulls out a caterpillar from the plastic container.]

These ones, I would kind of say are middle age.

Um, because I know from doing some research that they have to be about two inches long before they will make a chrysalis.

And, I'll show you one in just a moment.

This is a cute little caterpillar. Isn't that pretty?

[Angela holds up close to the camera so you can see the black and gold stripes on the caterpillar that is hanging on a green leaf.]

So one thing I notice is it has beautiful, beautiful stripes.

I'm going to write that down.

[Angela picks up a pen and begins to write on her activity sheet attached to the clipboard.]

So, I'm going to say. . .

This caterpillar

has gorgeous stripes.

Now, for the things I wonder side.

hum.

You know, I wonder if their stripes help them with camouflage?

Or, to hide from predators. I'm going to write that down. . .

[Angela, using the pen in her hand, begins to write on her activity sheet attached to the clipboard.]

Do their stripes

provide

camouflage?

Okay.

[Angela, puts the cap on her pen and sets it aside. She turns to the plastic container containing the caterpillars.]

So, let's see. Um, in my container here. I have two kinds of milkweed.

[Angela picks up the plastic container and turns it toward the camera so you can see the green leaves inside.]

So I have one that's known as common milkweed, and it's the one you'll often see in ditches

and stuff. So that's these type of leaves. They're kind of long and skinny. And then, I also have a

[Angela, holds up a green leaf. It is long and rounded. It has vanes running horizontally across the leaf from the top of the leaf to the bottom of the leaf. There is a large vane that runs down the center of leaf that connects the smaller vanes running horizontally. The larger vane becomes the stem that you see at the bottom of the leaf.]

type of milkweed that's common in our backyards. It's a vine, and it's called honey vine milkweed.

[Angela, holds up a honey vine milkweed. It is heart shaped. It has small vanes running down in a curved pattern from the top of the heart to the bottom of the heart. It has a larger vane in the center of the honey vine milkweed that connects the smaller vanes and makes up the stem at the bottom of the leaf.]

And they are known for having heart-shaped leaves. Isn't that neat? So, I notice in my container

[Angela holds up the plastic container toward the camera so you can see the bottom of the container and all the leaves in it.]

that there's different amounts missing from different leaves.

I'm gonna write that down.

[Angela sets aside the plastic container and picks up her pen beginning to write.]

There are

some

leaves eaten more than others.

Okay.

[Angela puts the cap on her pen and sets it aside. She picks up the plastic container and looks in it as she speaks.]

So what do I wonder about that?

Well, you know what I wonder?

[Angela turns to the camera.]

I wonder do these caterpillars like one type of leaf better than the other?

That would be a good thing to know, as I pick more food for them.

Okay.

[Angela sets down the plastic container and picks up her pen to write.]

So, I'm going to say, on the "things I wonder side."

Do some

caterpillars

like one type

of milkweed over the other?

Okay.

[Angela sets down her pen and picks up the lid to the plastic container.]

 

So, I have another question. And, I'm going to show you something.

The very first caterpillar we caught.

[Angela turns the lid so that you can see a green oval shaped pod like object hanging from the corner of the inside of the lid. At the top of the pod object is a small black substance that allows the pod to stay on the lid even when Angela moves the lid back and forth in front of the camera.]

Can you see that? He's hanging on the top there.

The very first caterpillar we bought,

or we found in our yard, um, was this one.

And it has formed a chrysalis.

So.

[Angela turns the lid back towards her. Looking down at the inside of the lid.]

Something that I notice, and I'm really curious about.

[Angela turns the lid and brings it close to the camera so you see the chrysalis up close.]

And, I don't know if you can see on that or not.

Is they have, what looks like, real gold on there.

But, I don't remember that being on the caterpillar.

hum.

Okay.

[Angela sets down the lid and picks up her pen to write.]

So, I'm gonna say. . .

I notice

gold

on the chrysalis.

I wonder where that gold came from?

I'm going to write that down.

Where

did the caterpillar

get the gold?

Okay.

[Angela puts down her pen and picks up the clipboard, turning the completed activity sheet toward the camera.]

So this is kind of just an example.

You can put down the things that you notice and then the things that you wonder.

And you can do this about anything that you're exploring.

So the next step might be is to try to figure out your answers.

And there are so many different ways to research.

Where I'm going to go look is a place that I know is a great safe place to do research.

And that's going to be PBS Learning Media dot org.

If you go to our website Iowa PBS dot org slash education,

there are many ways and links to get to PBS Learning Media, and in there I'm going to look

up monarch caterpillars.

Thanks for joining us today.

And get out there and do some exploring.