Butterfly Identification Exercise
suggested grade levels: 7-12
view Idaho achievement standards for this lesson

Objectives:
1. Students will learn how to use the Digital Atlas of Idaho.
2. Students will learn how to use a Key to Identify species of butterflies.
3. The student will describe some basic characteristics of butterflies.

Procedure:
Go to the Digital Atlas of Idaho butterfly key and identify and give the requested information. Click on Atlas Home, Biology, Butterflies, and then on Visual Key. For a printable copy of the handout you can give your students, just click on handout below.

Handouts/Activity links:
These are links to access the handouts and printable materials.
bttho.pdf | bttAK.pdf | Visual Key

Handout Sample:
The sample questions below are shown in the printed handout.

There are 168 butterfly species known to live in Idaho. You can use the visual key to identify the species listed below. To use the key, compare your butterfly with each of the choices given in the key. At each page choose the option that matches your species. Pay close attention to detail. If you are careful, it should lead you to its page where you can learn its name and get to know how it lives in nature.

1. Common Name:
    Latin Name:
    Diet:
    Habitat:

Related Lesson Topics:
Biology: Butterflies
Biology: Biology Topics