The Monarch Butterfly Migration has Begun!

North American Monarch butterflies are in trouble. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the population of monarchs has dropped so much that they have listed the butterfly on the endangered list. Just in the past 10 years, it is estimated their numbers have gone down 70%. A source of food for many North American birds, the monarchs are important pollinators helping to grow our different crops. Pesticides, loss of habitat and climate change are the cause for the dwindling number of these beautiful orange and black butterflies.  

NOTE: 

One main reason for less monarch butterflies is a pesticide that is used today. It kills weeds and it also kills a plant called milkweed. Milkweed is the only plant that a monarch butterfly uses to lay their eggs. It is also the only food of the Monarch caterpillar. The lepidoptera(name for butterflies) need our help. People are being encouraged to plant more milkweed plants along the routes that Monarchs follow on their migration south. 

Extension Activities:

Draw/color a picture of a monarch butterfly. Write a day in the life of a monarch. What do you see? Hear? Feel? Touch? as you migrate toward Mexico for the winter.

Discuss the Japanese poem, Haiku. Three lines, syllables 5/7/5. Write a Haiku about a Monarch Butterfly.

Review prior knowledge on why butterflies are important.Review the information at this site: http://bc-europe.eu/upload/Why%20butterflies%20and%20moths%20are%20important%203.pdf   on the importance of butterflies. Make a poster and include 3 facts learned.

http://www.primarygames.com/puzzles/jigsaw/butterfly/  or http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/butterflypuzzle.htm  (jigsaw puzzle of a butterfly)

Helpful links:

http://kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm

http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/life-cycle

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/species/Monarch.shtml

Note: Photograph from wpclipart.com

Gail

Check out my teaching resources(webquests/reader’s theater scripts: https://www.pinterest.com/gailhennessey/gails-tpt-store-social-studies-emporiumand-more/