Wild About Illinois Milkweeds

Provided by: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Articles/Websites

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Synopsis

This website from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources details 24 different species of milkweed in Illinois.
Pollination is explained in detail by using the specific example of pollination between the monarch butterfly and milkweed plants in Illinois.

Subjects: Biology

Authors: Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Region: Illinois

Languages: English

Positives

This website provides a short video that summarizes the information about milkweed plants in Illinois that is presented in the text on the website.
The website is easy to navigate and includes multiple avenues for further study.

Prerequisites

PDFs of the 24 individual species of milkweed can be printed off in color and laminated to use year after year.
Students will need individual devices to interact with the website.
Students should understand the delicate nature of ecosystems and the interdependence of species within them.
Teachers can order free posters that are linked at the bottom of the webpage to hang up in their classrooms to increase engagement with this resource.

Differentiation & Implementation

This lesson on pollinators can be used with grades 3-5 ahead of time to learn about pollinators prior to interacting with this website.
The connection between pollinators and climate change can be shown with grades 6-8 using this lesson on how climate change is causing a decline in pollinators.
The teacher can assign each student one of the 24 species of milkweed to quickly research and report back to the class using the jigsaw technique.
Printed PDFs of each species of milkweed can be hung around the room and students can conduct a scavenger hunt in which the teacher provides clues. For example, "Find a species of milkweed that is found in our county."
Students can extend their learning about the interdependence of species by learning more about the monarch through the embedded links on the webpage.
This resource can be used as an introduction to symbiotic relationships by emphasizing the mutualistic relationship between the monarch and milkweed.
An extension to this resource can be built on the information presented about pollinator gardens. Students can be assigned to design a solution to the decline of the biodiversity of milkweed by designing their own pollinator garden. They should include information on what species they would include along with explanations on how it would mitigate the decline of milkweed plants.

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Resource Type and Format

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.

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