Previous Lesson | Next Lesson
| Return to Research Ideas | Resources
for Teachers | Site Home
|
|
|
Lesson 7, Spring Migration.
Weather Conditions During the Spring Monarch Migration |
|
|
|
Background
In this data collection lesson, students will keep detailed weather records during the
spring migration. This will be especially informative if they are Monitoring
Milkweed, and if they have kept weather records during the fall
migration. If your class has access to weather reports from other sections of the
country, you will be able to compare conditions in your area to other locations in which
monarchs are or are not being observed. Having a class record of weather data will provide
opportunities for graphing and data analysis activities, while it advances our
understanding of monarch behavior.
Materials
Procedure
- Discuss the usefulness of long-term weather data with your students. Tell them that
weather records dating back over a hundred years are maintained for many locations
throughout the world, and discuss why this is useful. They will probably mention that
weather records help in predicting the weather. However, biologists can use weather
records to help understand patterns in the natural world. This will be how they use the
data they collect in this lesson.
- It is best if students actually collect weather data themselves. This can be done at
school, the task assigned to individual students. If students do not collect the weather
data, they can get it from sources such as newspapers, TV, or the Internet.
- Set up a time and location to collect weather data. Wind and cloud cover records should
be taken at the same time each day. Estimate wind speed as strong, breezy, light, or calm.
Cloud cover can be clear, partly cloudy, mostly cloudy, or overcast. If possible, get a
high and low temperature for each day. Use a rain gauge placed in a location where it will
not be disturbed or affected by trees, bushes, or roof overhangs.
- The amount of time over which you record weather data is up to you. If you live in the
southern part of the country, there may be monarchs in your area in March or April, and
you could keep track of the weather from this time until the end of the school year. If
you live in the north, you may want to start recording weather conditions as soon as
migrants are reported in the south. Students could then compare conditions in their
location to those where monarchs are being seen.
- Have students analyze their weather data in some way. For example, they could graph the
number of sunny, partly cloudy or overcast days each week, or graph the temperature each
day over a period of two weeks to see if it is increasing.
- There are many ways to relate weather conditions to monarchs and their host plant,
milkweed.
Questions to consider include:
- What are the conditions when monarchs are first seen in our area?
- When is the last freeze?
- What are the conditions when the first milkweed appears?
- Why do monarchs come to our area when they do?
- Please send any analysis of your data that relates to step #6, and
comments to us at:
Dr. Karen Oberhauser
University of Minnesota
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
200 Hodson Hall, 1980 Folwell Ave.
St. Paul MN 55108
Worksheets
The following is an example of the worksheet necessary for this lesson. You may print
it directly from the site. If you experience problems, please email us at webadmin@monarchlab.org
Previous Lesson | Next
Lesson | Return to Research Ideas
| Resources for Teachers | Site Overview
ã 2000 Monarchs in
the Classroom - University of Minnesota
Terms of
Use