WHERE ARE ALL THE BUTTERFLIES?

CONCEPTS TO BE COVERED
Monarch butterflies migrate from their winter habitat in Mexico north to
Virginia and beyond.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Understand Students
will understand
U1. Living things are
influenced by weather
and seasonal changes.

Know Students will

know
K1. Migration: The
seasonal movement of
animals from one place
to another.
K2. Monarch butterflies
migrate to Mexico to
spend the winter in the
Oyamel forest.
K3. Monarch butterflies
live in North America.

Do- Students will

D1. Define migration.

D2. Identify and label

map of North America.
D3. Create a model of
monarch butterflies on
an Oyamel fir tree.

RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

Science 2.7
and their

The student will investigate and understand that weather

and seasonal
changes affect plants, animals,
surroundings. Key concepts include
1. Effects of weather and seasonal changes on the
growth and behavior of living things.

LIST OF MATERIALS NEEDED

Journey North website:
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/sl/34/0.html
Branch from fir tree or paper tree/branch on bulletin board
Monarchs, Milkweed & Mexico Images PowerPoint, slide 2
PROCEDURE
I.
Introduction
Ask students, What kind of weather are we having today? What
season is it? Winter
Show the picture of the winter scene with the butterfly, slide two of
the PowerPoint.
o Ask, What is wrong with this picture? We dont see
butterflies in winter. Have students talk with a shoulder
partner about why we do not see butterflies during winter.
o Tell students that many of the butterflies are in the Oyamel
forests of Mexico and that is where our story begins.

II.

III.

IV.

Engage & Educate

Look at the world map. Ask, Who remembers how many
continents there are? Tell students that of the 7 continents,
monarch butterflies only live on our continent.
o Have a student identify North America on the map. Ask,
What do we know about North America? There are three
countries that make up North America
o Ask, Where is Mexico? Have a student point to Mexico on
the map. Ask, What do you notice about its location? Point
to the coastline and ask, If there is water all along the edge,
what kind of land would we find here? Beaches. Do you
think all of the land on Mexico is made of beach? What other
type of land do you think we might find in Mexico?
Explain that monarch butterflies that live in the eastern part of the
United States and Canada migrate to spend the winter in Mexico.
Ask students to talk with a shoulder partner about what the term
migrate means. Seasonal movement of animals from one place to
another.
o Ask, Why do you think the monarch migrate to spend the
winter in Mexico? How did they get there?
View the slideshow Why is this place so special for Monarchs?
o Slide 1: Explain that this picture was taken from space
looking down at earth
o Discuss characteristics of environments.
View pictures from Explore the Monarch Butterflys Winter Habitat
in Mexico.
o Look at the aerial view and ask, Why do the trees look
orange?
o Look at picture of tree covered in monarchs. Ask, Why are
they so close together? Huddling for warmth.
Active Learning
Make model of monarchs on a Oyamel fir tree.
o Give each student 2 butterfly outlines. Have students color
the butterflies orange and cut out each butterfly. Call each
child forward to the fir branch, fold the butterfly and attach it
to one of the needles on the branch.
o As students come forward, the other students should glue
their second monarch into their notebooks and write the
character name chosen by the class.
o Show students how the model allows us to see how close
together the monarchs are on the tree branch. Discuss how
this huddling will keep the monarchs warm through the
winter. Have students talk to a shoulder partner, ask, What
do you think these butterflies will do when the winter is
over?
Reflect
Distribute the map of North America. Have students label Canada,
United States, and Mexico on the map. Ask them to write the word
migrate on the page and then to illustrate using the map what

the word means. Underneath the map ask students to answer the
following question: Why do the butterflies migrate to Mexico?
MODIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Provide student with printed copy of PowerPoint
Allow student to write with large crayon or marker
ASSESSMENT PLAN
Students reflections will be reviewed. Student responses will be used to inform
future instruction.