Got to Go! Got to Go! Protecting the Monarch Butterflies

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Acknowledgements

Arizona Geographic Alliance, Arizona State University.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maria Green

The STEMSS CRUISE EL Institute supported me in developing my identity as a teacher of elementary school students by giving me confidence and academic tools I needed to incorporate geographic content into my lessons. I began the institute in spring of 2018, and I discovered a passionate group of Geography, Science, Math, and Technology teachers guiding me to create lessons infused with new approaches to geographic and STEMSS content. Attending this seminar was indeed a transformative experience.

I have incorporated my own cultural community wealth into the development of my “Got to Go! Got to Go! Protecting the Monarch Butterflies” lesson by connecting who I am: bilingual, bicultural, with two nationalities teaching in dual language programs. For me, everything I do related to teaching is a symbiosis of two worlds and two cultures: Mexico and the United States. Geographically speaking, Mexico and the United States are like a married couple with many things in common and many others that set them apart. This inspired my idea of creating a lesson about the monarch butterflies as a connection between the two countries. Also, I think children should learn about living things and their protection at an early age, and I wanted my students to take the role of a scientist (lepidopterist). My goal is that this lesson becomes a transformative experience for my students as well.

Monarch butterflies are amazing creatures that are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to the Center for Biological Diversity Website, in 2014, scientists from the World Wildlife Fund Mexico estimated the population size of monarch butterflies by counting the number of hectares of trees covered by monarchs and arrived at a population size of only 25 million. This was a dramatic reduction considering that in previous years the population of monarchs reached their highest numbers. In 1997, scientists counted 682 million butterflies. Therefore, these numbers indicate that everybody should consider the need to protect these amazing insects, and teachers need to teach students about these insects and what to do to protect their environment.

I am a middle school geography teacher from Mexico City who ended up teaching in K–2 grades English and Spanish in bilingual and dual language programs in the United States. And how did that happen? I was born and raised in Mexico City. My training as a teacher was for elementary school when I graduated from the National School for Teachers in Mexico City. Then, at the Normal Superior School of Mexico, I did the specialty of geography to teach at the middle and high school levels. I came to the United States in 1994 as part of a teacher exchange program with the Los Angeles Unified School District to support English language learners in bilingual programs. I continued teaching Spanish-speaking students in bilingual programs at Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California, after I got married and moved to live in that area. During all that time, I took classes to master the English language and at the same time classes to become a better bilingual teacher.

As an English language learner myself, I feel motivated to teach English language learners because I understand the process of acquiring a second language and what it is necessary to become fully bilingual. Now, 28 years later, I have a master’s degree from Arizona State University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in literacy and language development. I continue teaching English and Spanish to English language learners and native speakers in dual Language programs in Arizona.

The STEMSS grant gave me the opportunity to enhance my teaching with content, ideas, and strategies that are meaningful for my students. I am grateful to be part of this group of great teachers making an impact on education in Arizona. Before STEMSS Cruise EL Institute summer of 2018, I lacked confidence in my ability to incorporate the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Social Studies, and Geography into my second-grade dual-language curriculum. After STEMSS Cruise EL Institute, my confidence grew, and I became excited about introducing all these science subjects into my teaching. Now, I look at many different ways and perspectives for making my lesson plans interactive, interesting, and engaging with ideas I took from the initial seminar I took in June of 2018.