Topic: Kids Art Class
We started by drawing the Monarch butterfly - head, body, wings, pattern. I used an unnamed Victorian illustration from Dover publications. When I came around to the kids to show them the illustration and let them compare it to a photo I'd taken of a Monarch butterfly, one of the kids pointed out that we'd just drawn a decoy butterfly - probably the Viceroy. He explained that it's patterning mimics the Monarch and prevents birds from eating it. Birds don't like Monarch butterflies because the milkweed they eat makes them taste nasty to birds (or anyone I suppose). We'd been fooled as well. Monarchs have more rows of white spots, as well as spots on their head and body.
The Swallowtail was meant to be just for basic shape. The kids were to make up their own designs.
Here are my demonstration drawings, the kids' drawings follow. 
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