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Monarch Butterfly: Royal Mail

Activities for Gr. 5-8

Elementary, Middle

Description

This unit is most relevant to students living on the migratory pathway of the Monarch butterfly. They will be part of an international project to collect and report information on migration and habitat. Some of the background information may be useful to those outside the corridor.

Students collect, track, report and project data on the Monarch outside of and in their community. They also research, role play, write and illustrate poetry and articles, create artwork based on the Monarch's past, present and future, and with teacher guidance, they could become involved in a habitat restoration project.

While the unit consists of other lessons, we have focused on the following: Poetry With Wings, Migration,The Butterfly Tree, Daughters of the Sun, and Making Decisions in the Forest

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • Use of the scientific process.

Strengths

  • The study is relevant, real, and local and it provides a pertinent example of North American interdependence.
  • There is adequate background information for the teacher to get going on the unit.
  • A report is returned to the teacher and students once the data is submitted.

Weaknesses

  • The teacher will need to design recording sheets for students as they move through the steps of the scientific process.
  • The teacher will need to design assessment mechanisms.
  • The teacher will need to create adaptations as necessary.
  • The lesson pedagogy and content is vague.
  • Student backgrounders are not provided but can be adapted from the teacher materials.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • Statistics: The science of collecting, analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting data can inform understanding and decision making.
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        • Writing: Ideas and information can be articulated accurately and imaginatively through the use of writing processes and an understanding of the author’s craft
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Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (4)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Endangered Species
  • Habitat Loss
  • Wildlife Protection

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good
  • The bias is that humans need to learn about, appreciate and protect Monarchs to ensure their future.
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good
  • The dimensions are presented with a balanced emphasis on human and Monarch needs.
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good
  • "Making Decisions in the Forest" describes the interconnectedness of human societies and their collective impact on on natural systems.
  • The breadth of the inquiry is lacking.
Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Very Good
  • Students are participating in an international project. They collect data and report it to Profauna to help monitor the Monarch's migratory route and habitat.
  • Other good ideas for additional action opportunities are described as extensions
Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory
  • The lessons are structured to provide students with a reason to care about the Monarch.
  • They have formal opportunity to discuss and clarify their values, and informal opportunity to act upon them.
Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Good
  • The historical significance of the Monarch in Mexico is explored in the Daughter's of the Sun lesson plan and students develop an awareness of current human/Monarch interaction.
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good
  • Students must be outside to record the data regarding the Monarch.
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good
Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Very Good
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Satisfactory
  • The lessons utilize a combination of structured and guided investigation.
Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Very Good
  • Subjects lines are blurred and lessons are cross curricular.
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory
Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Satisfactory
  • Over the five lessons there is variety in the learning experiences. Within each lesson more variety would be beneficial.
  • No accommodations are suggested.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Very Good
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
  • There is some opportunity for students to work in groups but this will be dependent on the teacher.
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
  • Reports, poetry and results are shared but it is not to intentionally teach.
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory
  • Some opportunity for choice exists but this is often informally alluded to or recommended as an additional activity and is thus, reliant on the teacher.
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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