In the Mexican MountainsMonarchs in Mexican mountains

Lesson Plans

The teacher resources site and materials are used here with permission from Monarch Lab.  It provides a wealth of activities for teachers grades K-12, links to current research, courses, lesson plans, and outreach materials.

Daughters of the Sun
Students will investigate the significance of the butterfly for the early inhabitants of Mexico and what beliefs about the butterfly persist today.
http://www.fs.fed.us/monarch/Daughters_of_the_Sun.pdf (for grades 3-6)

Butterfly Habitat
In this lesson, students will discuss habitat needs and survey a butterfly habitat and surrounding area for species interactions. They will observe many kinds of interactions between the different kinds of organisms that live in a habitat, learning that an intricate web of relationships exists in the natural world.
http://www.monarchlab.org/mitc/Resources/LessonPlans/MS/Butterfly_Habitat.pdf (for middle and high school)

Pit-Traps and Other Methods For Arthropod Sampling
Students will sample arthropods in different habitats on their schoolyard grounds. The population sampling can occur on a regular basis to sample throughout the season or it can be done once. The methodology and data collected in this study will provide many opportunities for independent student inquiry projects.
http://www.monarchlab.org/mitc/Resources/LessonPlans/MS/Arthropod_Sampling.pdf (for middle and high school)

For all of the lesson plans on this web site, CLICK HERE.

For more lesson plans and resources for teachers, go to Monarch Education on the Monarch Butterfly: North America’s Migrating Insect web pages:
http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/teacherandstudent/index.shtml