Magnificent Monarch's: Butterfly Conservatory
Our first Homeschool Day of the year at the Butterfly Conservatory, landed right on Baby C's birthday.
They were loaded with all-new activities for a range of ages!
A packed class demonstrated how homeschooling is alive and well!
Proboscis
Kirsten arrived to the opening as a Monarch, confused about her journey South, wearing a back-pack and carrying a map of Hamilton!The teachers went through the various ways a Monarch has a successful journey;
~using their proboscis to drink http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/butterfly-proboscis.php
~6 pairs of 'compound' eyes, called 'ocelli', sensing light and image
~snacking on local flowers, milkweed and goldenrod
~using an internal compass and the magnetic pull of the earth to find their way http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/wildlife/7855868/Monarch-butterflies-use-internal-compass-to-find-their-way.html
Then we split into two groups for games and a field trip.
Our field trip took us to the back gardens of the conservatory, where there is a giant field of goldenrod and milkweed. Our scientists gathered in small groups to take 'field notes' (written or drawn) about what things could be useful to monarchs migration and which things could be harmful.
Goldenrod
Milkweed Seeds (mature)
Milkweed Seeds (not yet mature)
Tagged Monarch
The conservatory helps tag the monarchs, reared and wild, for their migration to Mexico.
Down South, people make note of the tag numbers online, so we can view which monarchs made the 3,000 mile journey. They don't return however. In the warm weather, they head as far as Texas before laying eggs and dying off. Their young return to start the migration cycle again.
O's Field Notes
Once our group members had written their notes, O was keen to make her mark. While the others gathered back with the teacher, O stayed in the field, hard at work.
Life Cycle Sequencing
Moth, Fly & Monarch Life Cycle Puzzle
How many legs on an insect?
Baby C liked this activity best, as it included a bagful of teeny tiny insects and animals.
Students are encouraged to count the legs of the creatures before deciding 'insect' or 'animal'.
Monarch-rearing Kit
The conservatory sells Monarch Rearing Kits for students to witness the Life Cycle of Monarchs in their home. They include the net cage, caterpillars and plants preferred by the butterflies, along with suggestions of how to rear them.
Dress-Up Table
O loved the dress-up table that included butterfly wings of male (spots) and female (no spots) monarchs. You could also sport antennae and compound eyes!
Male Monarch Wings
We were all called into the Gift Shop where a new butterfly had just emerged, sharing her birthday with Baby C!
The conservatory game is saved for last, so families are free to roam after classes are complete.
Each child was given a cup full of coloured popsicle sticks, representing butterflies.
There were several Game Stations, with a Monarch Obstacle and die set up. Once you read the monarch obstacle at hand (storms, logging, predators etc.) you could roll the die, to determine if you had to give up one of your popsicle sticks.
It was meant to demonstrate the dying population of butterflies due to external forces.
We ended the morning with a special birthday lunch in the Monarch Cafe, with my ravenous wee scientists!
