THE BLOG IS BACK IN ACTION!

Hi kiddos!

Thank you for being patient with me as I ease back into "the real world." As many of you, especially those with baby brothers and sisters, probably know, babies don't always agree with the grown-up notion that sleeping is for night time.

Great answers on the hurricane post! Depending on when you answered the questions, the correct hurricane name started with "M" or "N" (hurricane Michael was just getting started as the first posters posted, and then, several days later, hurricane Nadine was forming).

This week's post and questions are related to hurricanes and how they affect the migration paths of monarch butterflies. Thinking back to our studies of animal adaptations at the start of last year, you'll remember that monarchs complete their metamorphosis at this time of year and make their long journey to Mexico so that they can overwinter in the Oyamel forests.

Read this article: September 13 Monarch Update, and then answer the following questions.
Please email me your answers (sylvan.taylor@gmail.com) because everyone's answers should be the same this week. Thank you!

1. The "Image of the Week" shows a monarch that was blown to where?

2. What are two other unusual places that monarchs have been seen?

3. What hurricane seems to be blowing them off-course?

4. Look at the wind map. Where in the US is the wind the strongest now? About how many miles per hour is it blowing, and why do you think it might be stronger there?

5. Read the article, How Much Fuel do Monarchs Burn? How long can they fly during flapping flight? How about during soaring/ gliding flight?

6. How can the wind help migrating monarchs? How can it hurt them?

If you are interested in reading more about Hurricane Isaac (which was hitting Florida about the time school started), here is an article that discusses many of the effects and details of hurricanes that you guys mentioned in your work for the last blog posting: Hurricane Isaac.

If you are interested in monarchs, you may be able to find monarch caterpillars happily munching on milkweed or waiting to undergo their metamorphosis in their chrysalis right now. A great place to look is in the "weedy" area along the creek in Hanes Park and even right here in our school garden! Also keep an eye out for adult monarchs flying through on their journey South to Mexico!

Have a great week at school, guys! Remember, please send me your answers, thorough and in complete sentences, by next Monday. Everyone who responded did a terrific job with that last week! Thanks so much! I want to see 100% response this week!