Welcome!
Monarchs in the Classroom aims to promote and facilitate
inquiry-based education through original
curricula and research opportunities. We use monarchs and other insects as
focal organisms in inquiry-based teacher
workshops and conduct an annual Insect Fair
to spotlight student research. The monarch butterfly serves as an excellent tool
to get students excited about science and to teach inquiry in the classroom.
Monarchs in the Classroom is a program of University of Minnesota Extension and the University of Minnesota
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife
and Conservation Biology.
News and Updates
New Product: Schoolyard Ecology Explorations Curriculum Guide!
The lessons in this science inquiry-based curriculum are designed to increase the
student’s connection to nature through observation and experimentation. Many of
the lessons can be implemented on any school grounds, including urban schoolyards
where access to nature may be limited. Furthermore, many lessons can be adapted
to suit grades K-12 because of their experimental nature. The guide is divided into
six sections: Experiments in the Schoolyard, Recording Natural Cycles, Observing
Organisms, Investigating Ecology, Discovering Biodiversity, and Seeking Sustainability.
Each lesson includes key concepts, an objective, and background information; 239
pages with teacher and student handouts.
Insect Fair
The 13th annual Insect Fair will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2009. Teacher registration has closed, but if you've already registered, you may Login to your account.
2009 Monarchs in the
Classroom newsletter
Archived News