Monarch Butterflies

How Do Monarchs Find Milkweed?
Teaching Suggestions
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Background
Monarch butterflies must use their senses to find milkweed plants in order to lay their eggs. Using the facts and photos in this slideshow, explore the combination of visual and chemical cues monarchs need to detect milkweed.

Journal

Instructional Activities

Find the Facts
Read aloud the question: How do monarch butterflies find milkweed? Give students about five minutes to share: background knowledge, predictions, and questions. Help students make connections by asking them to share how they locate items they use every day.

Spark their curiosity and build anticipation by distributing the Find the Facts handout. Have students read each statement and predict which ones are true prior to reading the slideshow. Encourage them to refer back to the sentences during and after reading the text.

Find the Facts

Read aloud the slideshow as a class. Stop periodically to assess understanding, look for details in photos, and model effective comprehension strategies.

Attribute Chart for Note-Taking
Use the Attribute Chart to demonstrate effective note-taking and thoughtful reflection. Model how to go beyond “copying full sentences” by using the chart to categorize key words and fact phrases. Encourage students to join in the fun by suggesting where specific facts from the selection should be recorded and why. The goal is not to find correct answers; the purpose is to use the chart to model strategies, build understanding, and facilitate reflective discussion.

Snapshot Sentences/Photo Gallery
Revisit images in the photo gallery. Challenge students to write headline-style captions for each image. Just as authors use sensory details to write descriptive sentences, invite students to write snapshot sentences for each image. Encourage them to reveal facts they learned from the text in the descriptive sentences they write.

Draw From the Text
Provide an opportunity for students to revisit the slideshow on their own. Challenge them to reread the information and find descriptive details that help them picture the facts. Have students draw simple sketches to show what they learned.

Draw from Text