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Monarch Butterflies Animal Themes

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Monarch Butterflies
Print Monarch Butterflies Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print Monarch Butterflies Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.93

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		viceroy, monarch, fearsome, thus, exclusive, natural, defense, toxin, migratory, orange-colored, however, contrast, early, longest, manage, similar
	content words:		United States

Other Languages
     Spanish: Las Mariposas Monarcas

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Monarch Butterflies

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¹     Monarch butterflies just might be the insects with the greatest endurance on Earth! Although they look fragile, they manage to do one thing that only bigger and stronger animals can do - migrate!
 
²     During the winter months, we often find monarch butterflies in the southern United States and central Mexico. When spring comes, monarch butterflies head north. Some reach as far north as southern Canada. However, as the weather starts to cool down in autumn, monarch butterflies are ready to fly back to their southern homes. Along their migratory routes, monarch butterflies look for a plant called milkweed. Why is this plant so important to monarch butterflies? Well, that is because the larvae (or caterpillars) of monarch butterflies eat nothing but milkweed leaves. This exclusive diet earns monarch butterflies a nickname - milkweed butterflies - and makes them fearsome to other animals.
 
³     Fearsome? Yes, monarch butterflies give other animals chills because they taste bad! Monarch caterpillars and butterflies can make their predators sick with upset stomachs! After hatching, monarch caterpillars eat poisonous milkweed leaves. The toxin stays inside their bodies even after they grow up and become monarch butterflies. Their diet gives them this natural defense.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

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Animal Themes

Animal Themes

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Insects

Insects

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Invertebrates

Invertebrates

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