Symbolic Butterflies Take Off To Mexico

I posted our lesson on the John Pettibone Web Page.

My 2008-2009 3rd Graders enjoyed and learned from the following lessons. This year's class is ready to send out their butterflies to journey north.org. We are lucky enough this year to have found a few eggs and caterpillars. One is in the chrysalis stage. We are waiting to see what type of butterfly or moth it is. We also planted the seed of the milkweed plant to have a batch to feed next year's eggs and caterpillars.

Symbolic Butterflies Migrate To Mexico
Mrs. Domoff's 3rd Graders participated in the Journey North Symbolic Butterfly Project. After learning about Monarch Butterflies we made Symbolic Monarch Butterflies. After the butterflies were decorated, the student's first name, school name, school address, and a Spanish phrase, translated into English, were attached to their butterfly. Just before the end of Hispanic Heritage Month our Symbolic Monarchs began their fall migration to Mexico!

Sending a small paper butterfly to a host school in Mexico symbolizes the Monarchs' migration south. Real Monarch Butterflies fly to Monarch Sanctuaries in Mexico. How these sanctuaries were created is a mystery of nature. Our paper butterflies, called Ambassadors, will be watched over by children from Mexican host schools.

When winter ends and the Monarch Butterflies begin their migration to the north, our Symbolic Monarch Butterflies will be sent to a participating school in the United States or Canada. We will not receive the butterflies that we sent. We will receive butterflies from another class who participated in this very special program.

The Symbolic Butterfly Project, created by Journey North, helps people become aware of the need to care for the Monarch Butterfly. Our third graders experienced a hands-on project to learn how people need to care, help, and be responsible for others. Upon receiving an Ambassador from another class is a way for Mrs. Domoff's 3rd graders to see that other classes really are involved in caring for others.

Mrs. Domoff's class collected $14.01 by donating coins and receiving rewards of coins by showing responsible behavior. The money was collected in our coin holder that shows the total amount of money the jar has. The students made an estimate of the total amount of money that would be in the jar after adding his or her coin. We sent a check for $25.00 to the Monarch Butterfly Society. If you log into Journey North's web site you will see our class listed as a participant in the Symbolic Butterfly Project. You will also see John Pettibone School listed as a contributor to the project to save Monarch Butterflies. Please check out their web site at: www.learner.org/jnorth/



WINTER UPDATE

3rd and 4th Grade students at Primaria "Miguel Hidalgo", Rondanilla Community in Angangueo, Michoacan are taking care of the Butterflies from Mrs. Domoff's Class.
Do you recognize your Symbolic Monarch Butterfly?



http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/mexico/escuelas/MH_0809_004.jpg



SPRING UPDATE

Monarch Butterflies have begun their migration north. Please check the site above to follow their progress. We should receive our Symbolic Monarch Butterflies in May!

MAY 2009

We just received information on how to access our town (New Milford) and state (Connecticut). Log onto the Symbolic Butterfly Site, www.learner.org/jnorth/, and keep a log of who received each student's butterfly. We are looking for twenty-four butterflies!

We check the mail each day for our package of symbolic monarch butterflies. When we receive our package we will log each butterfly to the Journey North Symbolic Butterfly Map.

May 9, 2009

We received our package filled with symbolic monarch butterflies made by students throughout the United States. Inside was also a special butterfly made by a student in Mexico, Juan Pablo Bahamas. He also included a letter to our class that was written in Spanish. Mrs. Domoff used www.freetranslation.com to help us read Jaun's letter. We responded to him first in English, then in Spanish. We are sending the English and Spanish letter to Juan on Tuesday, May 26th. Because Juan does not have a computer or internet we are sending it to him via U.S. mail. We're also sending a copy to Journey North. It is important to communicate with everyone who helped create, participate in, and manage this multi-cultural project.

We showed that we are responsible by following the procedures of the project by logging each butterfly onto the Journey North Map. Each of us included a special message to the student who made the butterfly. So far Amanda, Janine, Sara, Alexia, Daniya, and Hannah have received emails from students in the United States. When checking New Milford, CT on the Journey North Map site we find that there are six dots, each represents a student who has received an email that his/her butterfly safely migrated to a northern site.

Found Butterflies

Date Name Location Latitude Longitude
05/19/2009 Hannah L. New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176
05/19/2009 Daniya H. New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176
05/18/2009 Alexia New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176
05/18/2009 Sara New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176
05/18/2009 Janine F New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176
05/08/2009 Amanda New Milford, CT 41.6007 -73.4176


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