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Activity
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Journey North: Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Join the celebration by creating paper butterflies that will migrate to their counterparts in Mexico for the winter. Children in Mexico who live beside the monarch's winter sanctuaries send them north in the spring.
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Website
Other

Monarch Watch

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an excellent resource for information about the monarch butterfly that includes information about life cycle, migration, observation, conservation, classroom activities, butterfly gardening, butterfly rearing, and the like.
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eBook
Unite for Literacy

Unite for Literacy: Mystic Aquarium: Monarchs and Milkweed

For Students 1st - 2nd
Learn about the monarch butterfly's life cycle, its dependence on milkweed, and its migration between Canada and Mexico. Includes audio narration in English and Spanish with text in English.
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Migration of the Monarch

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This video segment from NOVA: "The Mystery of Animal Pathfinders" explores the migratorial exploits of monarch butterflies. [4:39]
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Monarch Migration

For Students 9th - 10th
This video from Nature features the start of the monarch butterfly's northward trek. [3:02]
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Handout
San Diego Zoo Global

San Diego Zoo: Monarch Butterfly

For Students 9th - 10th
This excellent resource from the San Diego Zoo presents extensive information on monarch butterflies including details about their habitat, physical characteristics, size, diet, family life, conservation status, and fun facts.
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Activity
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: Draw a Monarch Butterfly

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn how to create a scientific illustration of a monarch butterfly in a few easy steps.
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Website
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Monarchs & Migration

For Students 3rd - 8th
Read all about monarch butterflies and their migrations. Find out what teachers, students, and families across America are saying and doing about monarch butterflies.
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Handout
Royal Canadian Geographical Society

Canadian Geographic: Animal Facts: Monarch Butterfly

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn fast facts, the physiology, habitats, behaviors and range of the monarch butterfly.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Changes in a Monarch's Life Cycle

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars will observe and work with monarch larva. Once they have experienced the life cycle we will go outside to observe milkweed and identify the stages of monarch that are seen on the plant. Back inside the classroom we will...
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Graphic
Other

Vida: Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Use these images to study the monarch butterfly's life cycle.
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Activity
Nature Canada

Nature Canada: How to Plant a Monarch Friendly Garden

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about how to create your own Monarch butterfly garden in your backyard is provided. There are detailed descriptions of the kinds of milkweed and other wildflower plants that a Monarch butterfly needs in order to lay its...
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Website
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Journey North: Monarch Butterfly: Journey North: Monarch Migration Update

For Students 9th - 10th
Read and learn about monarch butterfly sightings and migration, and what those can tell about the species.
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Activity
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Journey North: Monarch Butterflies

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Observe monarch butterflies and report their sightings online. Share and review the sightings with other students/classrooms to track hemispheric migratory patterns.
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Article
Washington State University

Washington State University: Ask Dr. Universe: How Far Can Monarchs Fly?

For Students 2nd - 8th
Many creatures seek out warm weather as the environment chills for winter. Dr. Universe will address how far these popular butterflies will travel to warm up.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Time to Fly!

For Teachers 2nd
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about monarch butterflies and their migration patterns. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Going Places

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about animals that migrate. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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eBook
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Metamorphosis

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A very simple, interactive, and informative explanation of things students can do to learn more about butterflies. Elementary appropriate.
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Handout
Other

Fermilab Flora and Fauna Virtual Exhibit: The Monarch Butterfly and Milkweed

For Students 9th - 10th
This site traces the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and contains links for more in depth study of the terms presented.
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Handout
PBS

Nh Pbs: Nature Works: Monarch Butterfly

For Students 9th - 10th
Check out this educational resource to learn more about the monarch butterfly. This site features information ranging from life cycle, range, habitat, behavior, characteristics and diet.
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Handout
Saint Louis Zoo

Saint Louis Zoo: Monarch Butterfly

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn animal facts about the appearance, behavior, life cycle, and diet of the monarch butterfly.
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Graphic
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Butterfly Collection

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Site full of beautiful butterfly photographs including the emerging of a butterfly. One link also provides detailed information on the life cycle of a butterfly as well as a quiz to complete when finished.
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Activity
University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky: Bug Fun

For Students 2nd - 6th
This fun site is designed for teachers who want to have interactive fun in the classroom. "Several articles give resources and basic information about insects and their relatives while others outline activities with different insect...
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Activity
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Minnesota: Journey North Cluster

For Students 3rd - 5th
An elementary resource to learn about butterflies and their migration with links to a wide variety of activities.