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CyberHunt: Migrating Monarchs 

  CYBERHUNT ANSWER GUIDE
1. Head, thorax, abdomen.
2. Egg, caterpillar/larva, pupa/chrysalis, adult.
3. Caterpillar/larva stage.
4. A crown of gold dots.
5. Nectar from flowers (milkweed, dogbane, red clover, thistle, lilac, lantana,
goldenrod).
6. Danaus plexippus.
7. To warn predators that it is poisonous to eat.
8. As many as 2,500.
9. The great-grandchildren of the monarchs are the ones who return to the
migration starting point. Bonus: The Earth's magnetic field, the position of the
sun, and the polarization of the sun's rays.

CYBERHUNT ACTIVITIES
Migration Mapping
http://monarchwatch.org
Click on Migration & Tagging and share with students the fall map. Then, ask them to imagine that they are butterflies on a migratory path. Using the maps, have them calculate the distances—in scale miles—between various cities in the path of the monarchs' migration.

"Stained-Glass" Butterflies
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/brooklyn/butterflies/images/butterflysidere.GIF
Enlarge this monarch pattern for students. Have them cut out the pattern and trace it onto a piece of folded black paper. Next, show them how to fold the paper again along the center of the traced pattern and cut out areas inside the wings. When you open the fold, you should have two sets of cut-out wings. Tape colored tissue paper between the sets to fill in the wings.

Virtual Butterfly Garden
Create a virtual butterfly garden by having students research the habitats of monarch butterflies. Visit www.billybear4kids.com/butterfly/in-my-garden.html and http://butterflywebsite.com/Articles/ShowArticle.cfm?ID=630 Then invite students to draw a class mural of butterflies and the plants they feed on. Ask students to attach fact tags to each plant they chose to add to the mural.

Butterfly Awareness
Monarch butterflies have been around for 10 million years but they are in trouble. Their habitats are being destroyed by humans, and severe winter seasons can wipe out huge populations. Monarchs need our help! Have students create posters with at least five facts they've learned about monarchs from these activities. Display the posters around the school. Then encourage students to visit www.pgmonarchs.org and http://Monarchwatch.org/conserve/ to learn more about and get involved in monarch conservation activities.

More Monarch Links
• For links to educational butterfly sites across the web, visit:
www.oswego.org/staff/cchamber/resources/butterflies.cfm
• For themed classroom activities, visit:
www.midgefrazel.net/monarchtheme.html
• For Frequently Asked Questions, visit:
www.mesc.nbs.gov/resources/education/butterfly/resources/butterflyfaq.asp

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Gail Skroback Hennessey (www.gailhennessey.com) teaches sixth-grade social studies at Harpursville Central Middle School in Harpursville, New York.