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By Amy Hurst
How can a butterfly change the way a child views the importance of scientific investigation? The answer may be surprising. Through the collaborative efforts of the State Botanical Garden and UGA, 20 elementary and middle school teachers from northeast Georgia received the knowledge  necessary to answer this question.
At a workshop held Sept. 28 and 29, the teachers learned the basics of the “Monarchs in the Classroom” program. Since the program’s inception three years ago in Minnesota, hundreds of children have been able to participate actively in the Monarch butterfly’s migratory journey across North America while gaining a better appreciation for scientific inquiry.
The department of ecology at the University of Minnesota spearheads “Monarchs in the Classroom.” The program was designed to incorporate into the curriculum fundamentals of math, reading, writing, social studies and art while challenging students to think critically, construct theories and communicate scientific ideas. The K-8 curriculum allows educators to gain two staff development units.
The program’s purpose is to expose children to science at an early age by providing them with hands-on experience. Early elementary students are able to watch Monarchs develop through all metamorphic stages before being released into the wild at adulthood. Middle-school students are involved mainly in tracking Monarchs during migration.
“It’s amazing the impact the program had on girls,” says Libby Moore, a retired 7th-grade science teacher of 23 years who implemented her own version of the Monarchs curriculum before retirement. She found that few girls had ever closely associated with nature during childhood. They were fascinated with the rapidly changing details of the metamorphosis.
Students and teachers on all levels are involved in the growing of milkweed plants, the only host plant on which Monarch larvae feed. Because milkweed populations in Georgia have declined during recent years, the number of Monarchs migrating through Georgia has also decreased.
“If you plant it, they will come,” says Anne Shenk, director of education at the State Botanical Garden. She stresses the importance of preserving Georgia’s milkweed population. The Georgia Department of Transportation has become aware of the decreasing milkweed numbers and is trying to alter some of its mowing practices along the state’s roads and highways to prevent further destruction of the host plant.
Also in attendance at the seminar were representatives from the Georgia Environmental Education Alliance, primarily informal educators at nature and wildlife centers throughout the state. Their involvement will help to launch this endeavor statewide, with emphasis on the re-introduction of milkweed in Georgia’s natural habitats.
Alexis Braun, volunteer for EcoWatch Americorps, is involved with a service team that tackles environmental issues in the Atlanta area. “My team is going to introduce the ‘Monarchs’ program into several Atlanta elementary schools,” says Braun. Braun and her team hope to instill an appreciation for nature among kids who have very little knowledge of the natural world around them.
The “Monarchs in the Classroom” workshop was funded by a grant from the Eisenhower Plan for the Improvement of Math and Science Education, which also funded the pilot program in Minnesota. Participating teachers receive the necessary equipment to set up their own Monarch lab in the classroom free of charge.
“Every age is excited about Monarchs,” says Moore. She and the other participants hope this is just the beginning of a statewide effort to make Georgia a major stop along the migratory path of the Monarch butterfly.
ON THE WEB
The use of an interactive Web site developed solely for the program--Monarchlab--allows participants to share their findings with colleagues all along the migratory path. Students and educators alike learn sharing results is an integral part of the scientific process. Monarchlab is located at www.monarchlab.umn.edu.
There are currently two other Web sites available for Monarch study. Journey North--www.learner.org/jnorth--and Monarch Watch--www.monarchwatch.org--allow individuals to post Monarch sightings, learn about their migratory path and record data. |
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