Butterfly Garden
In 2009 a butterfly garden was created on the school grounds. An initiative to expand the garden was led by our students and field biologist during the 2015-2016 school year. This area includes plant species such as downy phlox, sullivants milkweed, butterfly weed, columbine, dense blazing star, and purple coneflower. Students are able to use the space to learn about native plants, the importance of pollinators, biodiversity, landscape design, land stewardship, and to improve their environmental literacy.
This area proves to be a real life learning center for students and teachers. Each year our second grade class does a unit about the monarch butterfly, which includes raising monarchs in the classroom and releasing them. This garden gives students a chance to see first hand the life cycle of a butterfly and it enhances student learning. This past summer our second grade teacher attended a workshop entitled "Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies" conducted by the Monarch Teacher Network in cooperation with the University of Illinois Extension office of Jacksonville. This 2 day workshop brought together teachers from around the country and provided them with resources for teaching essential math, literacy, geography, technology, and science skills through the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. As an expansion of this workshop, the district bought a butterfly pavilion that allows students to inhabit a space with the butterflies and see them in action!
This area proves to be a real life learning center for students and teachers. Each year our second grade class does a unit about the monarch butterfly, which includes raising monarchs in the classroom and releasing them. This garden gives students a chance to see first hand the life cycle of a butterfly and it enhances student learning. This past summer our second grade teacher attended a workshop entitled "Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies" conducted by the Monarch Teacher Network in cooperation with the University of Illinois Extension office of Jacksonville. This 2 day workshop brought together teachers from around the country and provided them with resources for teaching essential math, literacy, geography, technology, and science skills through the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. As an expansion of this workshop, the district bought a butterfly pavilion that allows students to inhabit a space with the butterflies and see them in action!