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Background

Many questions about monarch migration remain unanswered: How do monarchs know which direction to fly to arrive at overwintering sites? What guides monarchs in migration? Do they use the sun as a compass, the earth’s magnetic field, features of the landscape, such as rivers and mountains, a combination of these or perhaps some undiscovered method? Does a monarch starting in Minnesota use the same directional clues as a monarch from New England? By making simple observations and keeping systematic records of the monarchs you observe in your location in the fall, you can help answer these and other questions.

Combining this research with the next lesson, "Weather conditions during the fall migration," is ideal. This would allow your students to determine whether there is a relationship between weather conditions and the number of fall migrants that they observe. If desired, you could also tag the monarchs you observe. This activity could also be used as an enrichment activity for those students who become very intersted in monarchs and wish to do this at home on their own.

• Fall Monarch Migration Data Sheet (student handout sheet): one posted in classroom, optional copies for each student
• Optional: Compass (for measuring wind direction or monarch flight direction)
• Computer or other tools for analyzing and displaying data (graph paper)
• Thermometer

1. Explain the importance of accurate and consistent data collection, and discuss the unknown questions about monarch migration (see above) with your students. Emphasize the fact that they will be collecting interesting and important data that can be used to help understand more about how monarchs migrate throughout the country.
2. Keep a copy of the Fall Monarch Migration data sheet posted in your classroom. You may want to make it larger so that students can see it easily. Go over the data sheet with your students. For behavior, we have listed three kinds of behavior: roosting (sitting still in a tree or bush, often with several butterflies), flying , and nectaring. It is good, but not necessary, to record the temperature.
3. If you live in an area where students are likely to see many monarchs, you can use the lesson as a take-home activity. Give each student a data sheet, and compile their observations at regular intervals.
4. Every time someone in your class sees one or more monarchs, have them tell you and then fill in a line on the data sheet.
5. If possible, take your students outside to a place that they might see migrating monarchs, and collect data as a class.
6. Discuss what you have observed.

• Do you notice any patterns?
• What were most of the butterflies doing?
• What time of day were most butterflies observed?
• Did butterfly behavior change with weather conditions?
• In what direction were most butterflies flying?

• Fall Monarch Migration Data Sheet   (print in horizontal/landscape mode)

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ã 2000 Monarchs in the Classroom  - University of Minnesota
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