For the third consecutive year, students in Mount Paran Christian School third-grade classes are participating in the “Symbolic Monarch Migration” project in coordination with Journey North, a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, and Monarchs Across Georgia, a committee of The Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia.
New this year, Victoria Beeler, a 2014 graduate of MPCS, joined the classes to teach students more about monarch butterflies. Beeler is a self-taught expert on monarchs, having raised the species from eggs through their entire lifecycle. She has published a book, Journey with Monarchs: A Personal Experience of Raising and Releasing Monarchs in the Home Garden, which includes photographs and findings from her hands-on experience of raising and releasing butterflies.
The cross-collaborative unit at MPCS combines Spanish, science, and social studies courses to help students learn about monarch butterfly migration and the importance of conservation to protect the food sources and habitats of monarch butterflies. Each third-grade student creates a paper ambassador monarch that will “overwinter” in the forests of Michoacán, Mexico.
Students begin their studies in Spanish class with teacher Claire Mozley, learning vocabulary and then continue their research with teacher Danielle Leger in science class, where they explore habitat loss and restoration, and social studies class, where they learn about geography and the migratory journey. By exploring themes in-depth and applying lessons learned in one class to another, students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the subject.
While honing their research skills, MPCS students read about the efforts to add monarchs to the endangered species list, discovering that, although the monarch population has declined 75-90 percent, the efforts to protect them under the endangered species act have been put on hold. Thus, the Symbolic Migration Project is fulfilling a critical need in monarch conservation.
Over several months, classes chart the route of the butterflies online through Project North, learning about climate, habitat, life cycles, geography, and the border between Mexico and the United States. Beeler expanded on the lesson for the MPCS third-graders and helped reinforce their previous knowledge. She taught students sign language about the monarchs and then led a hands-on bracelet-making activity representing the monarch’s life cycle.
The project extends beyond the classroom, with students supporting the MPCS Outdoor Classroom. The habitat hosts plants to attract monarch butterflies, with students reporting sightings to Journey North as part of the tracking effort. With these efforts, MPCS students can not only describe the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in both English and Spanish, but they can also educate others on the importance of conservation efforts.
About Mount Paran Christian School
Mount Paran Christian School, the largest private Christian school in Cobb County, is a non-denominational, college-preparatory school for students in preschool age three through grade 12. MPCS is committed to excellence in academics, award-winning arts, and championship athletics, all within a Christian environment with small class sizes. Founded in 1976, MPCS is fully accredited (SAIS/Cognia) and located near Kennesaw Mountain on a 68-acre collegiate-like campus. Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, MPCS unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in truth.
About Victoria Beeler
Victoria Beeler is a self-taught expert on monarch butterflies, having written a documentary book about her experience with raising and releasing the species. In her book, she combines photos of the monarchs’ life stages and personal knowledge about monarchs with science. Monarchs have inspired Victoria to gift native milkweed seeds as gifts to family and friends. Beeler encourages children in the community to save and protect monarchs by sharing her book and providing discussions on this topic about which she is a passionate advocate.
About the Symbolic Migration Project
According to the Symbolic Migration Project, “By participating in this project, educators can access lessons and activities that engage youth in monarch biology and conservation. Youth then decorate paper cutout Symbolic Ambassador Monarch Butterflies that are mailed and distributed to youth who attend schools near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico. These symbolic butterflies build bridges of communication among participants in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. United by the monarch butterfly, youth celebrate and pledge to protect monarchs and their extraordinary migration.”
