Restore: Habitat

Monarchs, Milkweed and Migration is a 7th grade expedition that involves nearly 180 students. Teachers in all content areas are using the issue of the Monarch butterfly population decline as a lens to engage students in their regular studies. This will include standards related to informational text, data collection, statistics, measurements, chemistry, ecology, genetics, and human body. Students will learn about many topics related to Monarchs and the milkweed necessary to sustain them. Students will also participate in the collection of real scientific data that will help to determine the migration routes of East coast Monarchs. This work includes a garden on school grounds with a variety of plants to attract Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Students capture and tag Monarchs attracted to this garden. This expedition features partnerships and volunteer work to educate the community and encourage citizens to plant native milkweed in order to build back the corridor necessary to aid in conservation of the species. Students will be involved in community education through the creation of a brochure and a children's book that documents the work of this expedition. Field work will give students the opportunity to restore milkweed habitat out in the local community.

Students will learn through this Monarch lens in all classes. Students will also take active roles in maintaining a garden that is attractive to Monarchs and other pollinators, grow and sell milkweed in the greenhouse, and tag/collect data on Monarchs that are captured. The success of their work can be measured by the number of pollinators counted in the garden, number of plants grown/sold, and number of Monarchs tagged.

Posters to educate the community were previously created and can be found throughout the community. Students will also be involved in community education through the creation of plant cards, brochures, and a children's book that documents the work of this expedition. Students will additionally teach others through the creation of personalized plant guides that will be given out when milkweed is sold. Though these products, students will teach the local community about the importance of Monarchs and the milkweed they require for survival. The expedition will finish with a culminating events that features students their learning after school including: garden and greenhouse tours and station sore students to share their learning.