We recommend you prepare your students to view this as a class project, rather than as an individual exchange. Many teachers make a bulletin board where all the monarchs sent to the class are displayed. Use this as an opportunity for students to find parallels between the symbolic and real monarch migrations. Because they migrate, the monarchs themselves are a shared resource. But try to focus on the remarkable fact that it is this sharing that perpetuates the cycle.
Migration is a survival story, full of risks and dangers.
In nature, most individuals do not survive migration. We hope these thoughts will help you turn any disappointment into a positive learning experience. At the same time, rest assured that we are continually working to improve this return rate. We understand that this can put teachers in a difficult position. Copyright 2000 Journey North.