
By Laura Marsh
Part of the National Geographic Readers series
Monarchs embark on a perilous 3,000-mile journey across generations.
Witness the incredible journey of the monarch butterfly as it travels nearly 3,000 miles from North America to Mexico. Overcoming harsh climates and starvation, these resilient creatures span five generations to complete their epic migration. What challenges will they face, and how do they endure such a daunting trek? Discover the secrets of their survival and the awe-inspiring cycle of life that keeps them moving forward.
The monarch butterfly, one of the most seemingly delicate of all of nature’s animals, proves to be one of the toughest in this reader. Making the yearly trip from the Northern United States and Canada to the Oyamel forest of Mexico is no easy task, and it takes five generations of butterflies in order to do so. Battling cold temperatures and the threat of starvation, these beautiful insects complete an almost 3,000 mile journey over the course of two months, only to have to turn and around and head back home. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.
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