Jake and the Migration
of the Monarch

* Migration Game *

Jake Materials

Butterfly hat for each child
Party blower for each child (Use it to sip nectar.)
Paper flowers in a container at each station
If your final destination is Mexico, you may want to play mariachi music there.

Preparation:

Cut out the flowers and glue direction cards on each. You may want to make some additional direction cards of your own.

Instructions:

Before the game, show the students a map of the butterfly migration routes. You may want to place pieces of yarn over a large map to indicate the Eastern and Western routes. Have students select a route that is most meaningful to them. Then discuss the names of countries/cities the butterflies pass through on their trip South. Give each station the name of a country/city on the route. The first station could be Canada and the final destination could be the oyamel firs in Mexico or the sites in California.

Divide the students into small groups. Students (butterflies) begin by selecting a flower at the first station. They read the directions on their flower. Then they act out the directions and place the flower back in the container. As they continue to each station, some butterflies will die. Those who die should return to a place where they can observe the game or work on a different butterfly project.

Direction Cards

The direction cards are divided into three categories:

butterfly survives and continues to the next station

butterfly skips one turn and does not advance to the next station until he takes his next turn

butterfly dies and joins the other butterflies that do not survive the trip

Put an assortment of all numbers at each station except station one. Put no 3’s there.

Read the directions aloud. Act them out. Then place the flower back in the container with the directions face down.

Variation: Graph the number of butterflies that travel to each station. Discuss the factors that limit butterfly survival.

Sip nectar from a lovely purple aster.

1

Glide down to a beautiful red zinnia and sip its sweet nectar.

1

Land on a pink cosmos, bask in the sun, and sip nectar.

1

Smell the sweet fragrance of a white butterfly bush. Land and sip the nutritious nectar.

1

See the beautiful orange and yellow blossoms on a huge lantana bush. Gently glide down and sip the sweet nectar.

1

Fuzzy blue ageratum blossoms catch your eye. Fly slowly down and land on them. Sip nectar and enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays.

1

Fly to the lovely black-eyed Susan and enjoy its sweet nectar.

1

Land on the majestic purple coneflower and sip nectar.

1

You see beautiful pink blossoms on the Autumn Joy sedum. Glide down and sip the delicious nectar.

1

You are swaying in the breeze as you explore a lovely butterfly garden. All of a sudden, a naturalist swings her butterfly net and you are caught in it. Luckily, she just tags you and sends you on your way!

1

You feel the lift of warm rising air under your wings. It helps you save energy as you glide along in the wind. You are able to fly nearly eighty miles in one day. Sip some nectar and continue on your way.

1

Several other butterflies join you in a beautiful butterfly garden. You decide to stay here to eat, play, and rest. Say good-bye to the other monarchs in your group, and skip one turn.

2

There is a heat wave. Sip some nectar and find shade under a leaf. Skip one turn.

2

There is a violent thunderstorm. Land and find a place for shelter. Skip one turn.

2

The temperature is too cool for you to fly. Find a place to hide and skip one turn.

2

You are puddling in the mud and a cat lurches out at you. It hurts your wing. You need to rest and heal. Skip one turn.

2

Winds and rain from a hurricane force you to land and find shelter for four days. Skip one turn.

2

Strong winds blow you off course. Skip one turn.

2

You are sipping nectar on a pink zinnia. A young robin darts down and gobbles you up. He will get very sick, and he won’t make that mistake again.

3

From high above, you see lovely yellow marigolds. You fly lower and SPLAT! You are smashed on the windshield of a car.

3

You are puddling in the mud. A mouse attacks, and you become its supper.

3

You land on some milkweed growing along a ditch. Then you fly down to puddle in the mud. ZAP! A frog makes you his supper. He’s going to get a very upset stomach!

3

A gardener is spraying some pesticide on his cabbage. Some of it blows onto the impatiens where you are sipping nectar. You get sick and die.

3

The weather is hot and there has been a drought this summer. You are tired and you fly around looking for food and water. Finally, you can go no further. You are starving. Join the other butterflies that do not survive the trip south.

3

You are flying toward the sweet fragrance of some honeysuckle. Oh, no! You are stuck in a spider’s web. You try and try to escape, but you just get more tangled in the sticky web. You can’t escape! Join the other butterflies that don’t make it to Mexico!

3

You glide down to sip nectar from a lovely purple butterfly bush. Just as you land, a student catches you in her butterfly net. You become part of her butterfly collection. Join the other monarchs that don’t make it to Mexico.