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St Joan of Arc School

Schoolwide Monarch Butterfly Garden Project

Utilizing skills of research, collaboration, and creativity, students in grades 6-8 built a Butterfly Garden at the school.  

  • Students used Google Apps for Education (GAFE) in order to do their research and communicate with others. 
  • Students interacted with Google Classroom to post responses and turn in HW assignments.
  • Students collaborated using Google Docs and Google Slides to create a PPT presentation.
  • The entire school and local community, benefits.  All grades study the life cycle of butterflies, plants, conservation, and other related environmental topics.  Additionally, it gives students and others a calm place to go.
  • All students are involved from planting seeds in classrooms, raising monarchs, planting the garden, researching Monarchs and plants that support them, maintenance of the garden and monitoring the Monarch’s migration.
  • The 8th grade created an actual size model on the Science Lab room floor when designing the garden.
  • The local community was involved as volunteers helped with excavating and planting the garden.  Community volunteers also help care for the garden.
  • We are an official Monarch Waystation. 
  • Students participated in a related art project to design and create stepping stones for the path through the garden.

Monarch butterflies are declining at a rapid pace due to habitat loss. We will continue the study by raising Monarchs, tagging them, and monitoring sightings on a yearly basis.