The Magic of Monarch Migration
Teaching Suggestions

Overview

Introduction
Every fall, a magical event takes place—the annual monarch migration to Mexico. Build a sense of wonder about monarchs and migration. Invite students to be citizen scientists, actively engaged in real-time scientific inquiry with Journey North as your guide.

What do you wonder
about monarch migration?

 

The Magic of Monarch Butterfly Migration
Overview

Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:
  • Locate their home state/province and the monarch's winter home in Mexico on a map of North America.
  • Write research questions about monarchs and migration.
Pre-Reading
Invite your class to take a scientific journey to Mexico with students across North America. Use images from the photo gallery and guiding questions to spark discussion.

Photo Gallery

Reading the Slideshow

Model your sense of wonder by thinking aloud questions as you read the booklet or view the slideshow together:

  • Why do monarchs choose Mexico’s mountains for their winter home?
  • I wonder what makes this region the perfect winter habitat for monarchs.
After Reading: Follow Monarch Migration

Read the News
Monarch Migration Updates are the core of Journey North's live program. They include real-time migration maps and challenge questions, authentic field observations from citizen scientists, they summarize news about the migrations and include related lessons and links. Invite students to collect and reflect on the news.

Build a Science Journal
As you embark on your journey with the monarchs, invite students to begin science journaling. Page by page, students collect and reflect on their observations and learning experiences. The journal is a workplace where students document discoveries, explore ever-changing events, record compelling questions, and chronicle each step of their scientific journey.

Monarch Migration

Science Journal

Helpful Handouts
Suitcase Tags
Parent Letter
Questions for Research

5 W's and H

Suitcase Tags Parent Letter