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An eighth grade student at Robinson Elementary School in Toledo, OH enjoying a special moment with a monarch caterpillar:) Thanks to Cynthia Madanski for capturing this shot and sharing it with us all!
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Hello and a happy fall day to you! No matter where we are, most of us are now noticing that fall is settling in- foliage fading into the red, orange and yellow parts of the color spectrum; nights requiring long sleeves; plants in your school gardens going to seed; and yes, of course, monarchs, various pollinators and most other wildlife actively preparing for winter by migrating, adding more warmth or stockpiling food.
Just because the monarchs may have left your area for now, fall is a wonderful time for students to be engaging in your outdoor classrooms! Keep reading this newsletter to learn more about ways to engage your students in your school gardens, and keep their enthusiasm alive.
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An eighth grade student at Service Valley Charter Academy in Oswego, KS gently holds a tagged monarch. Is he protecting it from the wind, studying the antennae, wishing it a safe trip to Mexico or...? You decide! Either way, these intimate moments are certain to make lasting impacts on a student's life, and they clearly show the importance of exposing youth to experiences such as these! Thanks to Theresa Farris for capturing and sharing this moment!
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Depending on where you live, you may still be seeing plenty of monarchs, or you may have seen your last one until 2017. Many of you have been active citizen scientists by recently tagging monarchs and sending the data to us...and we thank you! This was our 25th year tagging monarchs, and this data has been crucial in helping the world have a better understanding of the monarch's spectacular migration! We typically receive tag recoveries from Mexico in March, and upload the data on our website in April/May. So if you tagged monarchs this year, you can check then to see if any of your tags were recovered:)
Click here to learn more about our tagging program and how to get involved.
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Student Challenge:
The Timing of Natural Events
What are some changes that you see in nature over the course of the year? Describe how nature changes over time. Why does nature change over the course of the year? What can we learn by observing the changes in nature over time? What is the field of study devoted to these cyclical changes called? What are the three main non-biological factors that affect this field? Hint: one factor is precipitation.
Student Challenge discussions are now taking place in our forum. Head on over and let us know what you think!
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News from Monarch Waystation Network Participants
Need some inspiration? Take a look at these...
*Hanna Krause, a senior at Conrad Weiser High School in Robesonia, PA shares her story here:
http://youtu.be/ibEACY7qSqk
*Students in an Ohio juvenile corrections facility use their Waystation Garden to learn about much more than just monarchs! Follow the link to our forum below (requires registration if you haven't already done so), then go to the "Pictures" Forum and then "Juvenile Corrections" Topic. This is very inspirational, so feel free to reply to the posts:)
www.monarchwatch.org/waystationnetwork/forum
*Students at Eisenhour International School in Tulsa, OK on the local news, shared by Laura Shannon:
http://www.newson6.com/story/33317330/eisenhower-students-learn-about-life-in-life-lab
Want to have your pictures, videos or accomplishments featured on our website or in future newsletters? The best way to share them is to post them in our forum. Email also works, but the forum is preferred:)
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The monarchs migrated...now what?
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Amazed at the engagement level and enthusiasm of your students during "monarch season", and not sure what to do now? Fall is a wonderful time to take students into the garden for any of the following activities:
Language Arts:
- reflect on the monarch experiences experienced in school
- compare and contrast different species of pollinators or plants
- pretend you are a monarch migrating to Mexico and write about your journey
Math:
- graph the numbers of insects currently in your garden
- discuss ratios of plants, flowers, colors, insects, etc.
- create your own word problems using life in the garden
Science:
- use garden foliage to discuss changes in leaf color
- take a microscope or magnifying glass for plant cell discussion
- discuss phenology and begin collecting data of leaf changes to compare yearly changes
Garden Tasks:
- discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cutting back dead plant stalks/seed heads, decide on one method, and then do it as a class
- discuss compost versus mulch and why adding compost to your garden in the fall is better than adding mulch
Forum:
- incorporate our forum into an assignment by posting a topic and then requiring students to reply
- ask your own questions regarding fall garden maintenance that you may not be sure about
- share any successful lesson/activity ideas with others
- post a picture of your students learning in, and enjoying, their outdoor classroom in the fall
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Thank you all for everything you do every single day! Your energy truly makes this world a better place:)
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