Papalotzin y las monarcas: Discussion Questions

• How do you think the Great North felt about the Great South having all of the glorious monarch butterflies? Why?
• In this story, what happened to everyone when they were sad and trapped by the wall? What happened to them when Papalotzin tore the wall down?
• Why do you think the North built the wall? Were they trying to keep something in, or keep something out?
• Why didn't the North try to rebuild the wall after Papalotzin knocked it down?
• What can we learn from this story?

 
• Community: the movement of butterflies helps create a sense of a larger community  
• Cliques and ostracism: when the wall goes up, some are "in" and some are "out"  
• The power to make a change: someone can remove a wall to rebuild community and reopen lines of communication  
• Borders and boundaries: an exploration of the positive and negative aspects of the "walls" we have in our lives

Grades PreK-3
Prior to reading the story -- in English and/or Spanish -- have students create their own butterflies, in various colors, working from a construction-paper template. Encourage creativity, using glitter, paint and other craft items. Collect the butterflies. Before students arrive on the day you read the story, put all the butterflies in a crowded place, clumped together in one corner of the room. Read the story just prior to lunch or recess, stopping just before Papalotzin kicks down the wall. When the children are out, quickly move the butterflies all around the room, so they are everywhere, not trapped in one place. When the children return, help them notice the changed butterflies, then read the conclusion of the story and work through the discussion questions.

Grades 4-6
To tie this story to your science lessons, study the migration route of monarch butterflies and work together to present reports on the topic. Or tie the lesson to another common springtime classroom activity -- the life cycle of caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly.

For the oldest students, this story can serve as a springboard for a discussion or formal debate on current border issues facing the U.S. and Mexico.