Monarch Migration - 2nd Grade
Have you ever wondered what happens to Monarch butterflies in the winter? Where do they go? In this group we found out – and we sent our own Monarch butterflies to the same place!
Our Symbolic Monarchs:
Through the Journey North Program, we were able to participate in sending two symbolic Monarchs to Mexico to be cared for by the Mexican schoolchildren who live in the Monarch roosting region of the country. We personalized our beautiful Monarchs by turning our fingerprints into characters to represent ourselves. Once Monarchs were received in Mexico, Mexican children were pictured on the website holding our butterflies!
Sending a Monarch Cluster:
In addition to the two class Monarchs, we also put together two clusters of Monarchs representing ourselves and our school. These would be the butterflies to make the journey back north after winter, where students all over the U.S.A. and Canada would receive them in the spring. We also sent donations made by AES Monarch Migration students to help ensure the Monarch habitat is not threatened.
Ready to Send!:
Here are the two group photos we sent along with our symbolic Monarchs. Safe travels, Monarchs!
Our Message to School Children in Mexico:
Once we sent our symbolic Monarchs, we used Google Translate to post a message to the children in Mexico, from each of the two Monarch groups. If you go to the Journey North website map, and you click on our dot in Maryland, you will see our messages! (Or you can read them below.)
The Amazing Life Cycle:
The transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly is magical. We examined a book illustrating the Monarch's life and created illustrated maps to represent the phases of the Monarch's life.
Annual Cycle:
Once we learned about the life cycle of a Monarch, we learned about the yearly cycle of Monarchs, from the time eggs are hatched in late summer to the time the fourth generation makes its return back north the following spring. We worked to put the events in order as we looked at the big calendar months laid out upon the floor.
The Monarchs are Returning!:
Just as the Monarchs that return north in the spring are different than what flew south before winter, so are the symbolic Monarchs we received this May. The Monarchs we received originated in Minnesota and North Carolina. We also received two clusters of butterflies from different school children all over the country. We will meet next week to find all the locations on the U.S. map. We love Monarchs!
Going the Extra Mile:
James wanted to create a project after learning about the amazing Monarch. What an amazingly BEAUTIFUL display! Way to go, James!