Monarchs 
 

In Second Grade we studied the Monarch butterfly. The girls monitored the life cycle from the caterpillar stage through metamorphosis into a butterfly. The beauty of this unit is that the girls are able to witness the metamorphosis first-hand in the classroom. The butterflies were then released in collaboration with a program called Monarch Watch through Kansas University. The process gives our students the opportunity to participate in actual scientific research as the Monarchs are tracked along their migration route. All the girls cheered as our butterflies flew off to begin their journey to Mexico. While our live Monarchs traveled to Mexico, the students created butterflies to make a symbolic migration. Paper butterflies were sent to a classroom in Mexico near the area where the Monarchs spend the winter.  As the Monarchs leave Mexico in the Spring, symbolic butterflies made by children from all over the country will make their way back to us.