Monarch Butterflies

Life in the Sanctuary Region
Children and Families Share Their Stories

Orelia Moreno Shares Life on an Ejido

Comparing and Contrasting Language and Culture
Use some or all of these reading activities as you read the bilingual story about the life in the Monarch Sanctuary Region.

1) Pull up just the Spanish version of Orelia's story and share it as a class.

2) Look closely at the first picture.

  • What do you think is happening?
  • What sentence or caption would you write about the picture?
  • What questions do you have?

    Option: Can you read any of the Spanish words or sentences? (You can look some up in a Spanish/English dictionary or translate them online.)
    Option: After looking at all the pictures in the story, but not reading the English versions, write one or more paragraphs that you think describe Orelia's life. Use descriptive words.

3) Click to the English version of the page. How does it compare with your ideas about what was happening? (Note: You can always click back and forth between English and Spanish.)

4) Finally, compare and contrast your life and activities with those of Orelia Moreno and her friends and family. Use the handout to the right (or make a Venn diagram) to show how her life compares with yours. You could compare these types of things:
  • chores and responsibilities
  • games and other ways you play
  • school
  • favorite foods and common foods
  • materials and equipment used in daily life

5) Write or tell a partner about how you would feel if you could live in Orelia's family for a while.

<< Back to Bilingual Vignettes, "Life in the Monarch Sanctuary Region"

National Geography Standards

Places and Regions
The physical and human characteristics of places.

Human Systems
The characteristics, distributions, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.


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