by Yvette Mass
Last updated June 30, 2004
Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion
Developers' Plan: Greatest Town, USA Are Monarchs Flying onto the Endangered Species List? by D.O. Right Over five hundred citizens marched in front of the Town Hall building to protest the proposed site for a new planned community, Greatest Town Ever, USA. The Great Places to Live Community Developers planned to meet with the planning board at noon today, but the meeting was delayed by the activities outside the building. Lead architect, Jean Smith, stated, "We were invited to discuss our plans to relieve the overpopulation in this town. Best Town has become such a popular place that there is a great demand for new homes. The area is too crowded. Our plan will include hundreds of affordable new homes and many playgrounds that will be located throughout the community." One of the protesters, May Hanson, the director of Conservation Issues, commented, "Our concern is what will happen to the Monarch Butterflies in our area. There is a thriving habitat located in the center of the proposed building site. This butterfly is very unique and most people are not aware of its special migration patterns. The Monarch Butterfly's entire existence will be threatened. Should new houses be built on land that will endanger the existence of these precious butterflies? Are people's homes more important than the Monarch's habitat?" Another citizen commented, "My kids have nowhere to play. The playground facilities are just too crowded. Every piece of equipment is crammed with kids. I heard that they are building more playgrounds and I'm here to support the new plan." The town's planning committee will be holding a town meeting at Town Hall on Monday, September 6th, 7:00 P.M. to discuss these concerns. |
The Task
Sometimes it is difficult to come to an agreement when other people disagree with you and feel strongly about their ideas. Your class has recently studied the life cycle of a butterfly and your class agrees that the Monarch Butterfly's habitat should be protected. Your task is to seek information that supports your position, present your findings to the planning committee and convince them to preserve the Monarch Butterfly's habitat.
The Process
Step One
You will be working as part of a team of four students. Each member of the team will have a specific role and assignment to complete. Here is the list and description of the four roles:
As the lepidopterist, your role is to share your expertise about Monarch Butterflies. Your findings should include information about:
As the conservationist, your role is to explain the reasons why it is important to protect the Monarch Butterfly. Your findings should include information about:
As the horticulturist, your role is to share your expertise about planning a garden to attract the Monarch Butterfly. Your findings should provide information about:
As the reporter, your assignment is write an article about the students who are planning to save the Monarch Butterfly's habitat. This news story will appear in the Best Town News Gazette. Your article should include information about:
Step Two
To help you locate information for each of your roles, click the tab entitled resources. You will find several links to web sites to help you with your assignment.
Throughout this WebQuest, you may come across some scientific words that are new to you. Click on In the Classroom to help you find the definitions. After you have completed searching for your word, be sure to click the back button to return to this WebQuest. Of course, you may also use the classroom dictionary.
Step Three
Share your ideas and findings with your teammates. Make any comments that you think will be helpful to the final presentation and/or to the newspaper article. Rehearse your presentation until you are comfortable presenting your part.
Step Four
Present your findings to the Planning Committee. In this case, the planning committee will include teachers and third grade students. The committee will have an opportunity to ask you questions. They will send you their final decision in writing.
Resources
As the lepidopterist, you will find the following video and photographs to be very helpful. To learn more about the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly, click on Monarch Watch, http://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/cycle1.htm. At the top of this page, you will learn all about the Monarch's very beginnings as an egg. Be sure to scroll down the page to find out more about the larva,pupa, and adult stages. After reading the information at each web site, remember to click the back space button to return to the WebQuest.
As the conservationist, click on Monarch Watch http://www.MonarchWatch.org/conserve/index.htm to help you learn all about the conservation efforts on behalf of the Monarch Butterfly.
Also read about the conservation efforts during the:
fall migration at Monarch Watch
overwintering sites at Monarch Watch
spring migration sites at Monarch Watch
After reading the information at each web site, remember to click the back space button to return to the WebQuest.
As the horticulturist, click on the Smithsonian Butterfly Garden site to give you a general idea about attracting butterflies to a garden. Also at this site, click on the Traits of a Good Butterfly Plant, Host Plants, and How to Create Your Own Garden. After reading the information at each web site, remember to click the back space button to return to the WebQuest. The Butterfly Zone is another resource for general information. Visit each section on this web site. You will find the Urban Gardener's Journal especially interesting.
For specific information about creating a Monarch Butterfly garden, click on Monarch Watch and read the introduction to butterfly gardening. Read the directory on the left side of this site and click on each category that is listed above the small Monarch Butterfly.
As the reporter, you will need to know how to write a newspaper article. Click http://www.startribune.com/education/writing.shtml, to learn how to do it.
Additional Resources
Books
Butterfly House, by Eve Bunting and Greg Shed
La Mariposa, by Francisco Jimenez and illustrated by Simon Silva
Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons
On Line Connections
Science Museum of Minnesota-The Thinking Fountain section at this web site offers a variety of activities for you to investigate and explore.
Evaluation
You will receive two separate scores for your participation. One score is for your individual work and the second score is for your cooperation as a member of the team. Read the rubric for further details.
Conclusion
All living things are interdependent. Changes that are made in communities can upset the balance in nature. By learning about the different needs of all living things and sharing that information, we can make better decisions for all living creatures great and small.
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Notes