Inquiry 5: Butterfly Migration
Click the comic link or comic image on the right to view the graphic version of Butterfly Migration inquiry. Read the narrative below.
With the help of the local Garden Club, a group of students developed a butterfly garden outside the library media center. Samantha is interested in butterflies and has joined the Butterfly Garden Club.
She enjoys reading about the butterflies and has checked out National Audubon Society's Butterflies book over a dozen times. Mr. Samuels has suggested that she could also use websites such as Moths and Butterflies of North America to identify butterflies. When Samantha asks about how to attract butterflies, Mr. Samuels shows her how to search and evaluate websites. They choose Monarch Watch.
Her questions are endless:
- Where do the butterflies that come to our area go in the winter?
- How long does it take them to migrate?
- How do they know how to get back?
Samantha and the Butterfly Garden Club work with Mr. Samuels to plant flowers that will attract butterflies. Each year the Butterfly Garden Club participates in the Journey North project. This global study involves students in sharing their field observations with others across North America. The groups trace the migration of the Monarch Butterfly. Students keep charts of the migration patterns and report to the project through email.
They view the progress of the project on the Journey North Monarch Butterfly website and trace the migration on a wall map in the learning laboratory where others can share the experience. The visual below shows a map from the website. Click the map to learn more about this project.
Mr. Samuels suggests that the group share what they've learned and asks if the students would like to participate in Media Fair. Samantha is excited about sharing what she's learned with others.
They decide to create a promotional video for the Journey North project. They submit their video to the International Student Media Festival.
Update: Samantha has never been a big fan of science, however being part of the Butterfly Garden Club has spurred her interest. She continues to participate in the club and is surprised how much of what she's learns applies to her science class. She's become interested in the migration patterns of other animals and has even convinced her family to vacation in Maine and go on a whale migration tour.