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Lectura en inglés · Texto informativo · 6.º de Primaria6.º grado de primaria6.º grado · 277 palabras

A long journey for a small butterfly

Un largo viaje para una mariposa pequeña. Cómo viajan cada otoño millones de mariposas monarca desde Canadá y Estados Unidos hasta los bosques de oyamel de México. Datos del US Fish & Wildlife Service, la CONANP y la UNESCO.

The monarch is an orange and black butterfly. An adult weighs about half a gram, so it is lighter than a paper clip. But every autumnfall, millions of monarchs fly from Canada and the northern United States to central Mexico. Some travel up to 4,800 kilometreskilometers, and the journey can take more than two months.

They spend the winter in forests of oyamel fir trees, high in the mountains of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, between 2,400 and 3,600 metresmeters above sea level. They arrive at the beginning of November, at the same time as the Day of the Dead. The butterflies hang from the trees in big groups, very close together, to stay warm. Sometimes the branches bend under their weight!

These butterflies are special. Most adult monarchs live only two to five weeks, but the ones that fly to Mexico can live six to nine months.

In March, they wake up and start flying north. On the way, the females lay eggs on milkweed plants, because milkweed is the only food that monarch caterpillars can eat. The old butterflies die, but their children and grandchildren continue the journey. The monarchs that fly south in autumnfall are the great-grandchildren, or even the great-great-grandchildren, of the ones that flew north in spring.

Scientists have put tags on monarchs to study their journey. The longest flight in a single day by a tagged monarch was more than 420 kilometreskilometers. Many of the forests where monarchs spend the winter are part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Next autumnfall, a new generation will make the same amazing journey.

Word bank · Vocabulario

journey
viaje
weighs (weigh)
pesa (pesar)
paper clip
clip
autumnfall
otoño
oyamel fir trees
abetos oyameloyameles
above sea level
sobre el nivel del mar
to stay warm
para no pasar fríopara no tener frío
lay eggs
poner huevos
milkweed
asclepia (algodoncillo)algodoncillo
caterpillars
orugas
great-grandchildren
bisnietos
tags
etiquetas de marcaje

Activities · Actividades

  1. Read and write T (true) or F (false).

    Lee y escribe T (verdadero) o F (falso).

    1. A monarch is heavier than a paper clip.

      Verdadero (T) o falso (F)

      Ver la respuesta

      False (falso)

    2. Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed.

      Verdadero (T) o falso (F)

      Ver la respuesta

      True (verdadero)

    3. The butterflies arrive in Mexico in March.

      Verdadero (T) o falso (F)

      Ver la respuesta

      False (falso)

    4. The winter forests are more than 2,000 metresmeters above sea level.

      Verdadero (T) o falso (F)

      Ver la respuesta

      True (verdadero)

  2. Read and circle the correct answer.

    Lee y rodea la respuesta correcta.

    1. The third paragraph is mainly about …

      • a) where monarchs spend the winter
      • b) how long monarchs live
      • c) what caterpillars eat
      Ver la respuesta

      b) how long monarchs live

    2. Why do the butterflies hang in big groups?

      • a) to find food
      • b) to lay eggs
      • c) to stay warm
      Ver la respuesta

      c) to stay warm

    3. The monarchs that fly south in autumnfall are …

      • a) the great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren of the ones that flew north
      • b) the same butterflies that flew north in spring
      • c) the parents of the ones that flew north
      Ver la respuesta

      a) the great-grandchildren or great-great-grandchildren of the ones that flew north

  3. Answer the questions.

    Responde a las preguntas.

    1. In which two Mexican states are the winter forests?

      Ver la respuesta

      In Michoacán and the State of Mexico.

    2. How long can the butterflies that fly to Mexico live?

      Ver la respuesta

      Six to nine months.

    3. What was the longest flight in a single day by a tagged monarch?

      Ver la respuesta

      More than 420 kilometreskilometers.

    4. Since when has the reserve been a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

      Ver la respuesta

      Since 2008.

  4. Imagine and write.

    Imagina y escribe.

    1. Imagine you are a monarch butterfly. Write three sentences about your journey to Mexico. Use "will".

      Respuesta libre (open answer)

      Ver un ejemplo

      Example: I will leave Canada in autumnfall. I will fly for more than two months. I will spend the winter in an oyamel forest with millions of other butterflies.

Ficha para imprimir

El texto, el vocabulario y las actividades, con hoja de soluciones. En España, inglés británico; en México y el resto de América, inglés americano.

Name:Date:A long journey for a small butterflyReading · Lectura en inglés británico (texto informativo): Un largo viaje para una mariposapequeñaThe monarch is an orange and black butterfly. An adult weighsabout half a gram, so it is lighter than a paper clip. But everyautumn, millions of monarchs fly from Canada and the northernUnited States to central Mexico. Some travel up to 4,800kilometres, and the journey can take more than two months.They spend the winter in forests of oyamel fir trees, high in themountains of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, between2,400 and 3,600 metres above sea level. They arrive at thebeginning of November, at the same time as the Day of theDead. The butterflies hang from the trees in big groups, veryclose together, to stay warm. Sometimes the branches bendunder their weight!These butterflies are special. Most adult monarchs live only twoto five weeks, but the ones that fly to Mexico can live six to ninemonths.In March, they wake up and start flying north. On the way, thefemales lay eggs on milkweed plants, because milkweed is theonly food that monarch caterpillars can eat. The old butterfliesdie, but their children and grandchildren continue the journey.The monarchs that fly south in autumn are thegreat-grandchildren, or even the great-great-grandchildren, ofthe ones that flew north in spring.Scientists have put tags on monarchs to study their journey.The longest flight in a single day by a tagged monarch was morethan 420 kilometres. Many of the forests where monarchs spendthe winter are part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve,which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. Nextautumn, a new generation will make the same amazing journey.aaulapedia.comA long journey for a small butterfly: reading in English · Recurso gratuito, uso libre en el aula1 / 3

3 páginas + 2 de soluciones · vista previa exacta del PDF

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Gratis y sin registro.

Con solucionario

Las últimas páginas traen las respuestas en rojo. Imprímelas aparte para que el alumnado se corrija solo.

Más formatos
Tamaño de papel

ZIP con páginas, fuentes y guía. Ábrelo en un editor SVG para cambiar textos y formas. Las ilustraciones se incluyen como imágenes.

Descargar PDFA4Descargar PDFCarta

Cambia textos, preguntas y renglones; los dibujos van como imagen. Está preparado para verse como el PDF en Word y LibreOffice; en Google Docs cambian la letra y el espacio entre líneas, y algún bloque puede pasar a otra hoja. Antes de imprimir, mira la vista previa o usa el PDF.

Gratis y sin registro.

Con solucionario

Las últimas páginas traen las respuestas en rojo. Imprímelas aparte para que el alumnado se corrija solo.

Más formatos
Tamaño de papel

ZIP con páginas, fuentes y guía. Ábrelo en un editor SVG para cambiar textos y formas. Las ilustraciones se incluyen como imágenes.

Fuentes de los datos

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, «Monarch (Danaus plexippus)», https://www.fws.gov/species/monarch-danaus-plexippus, consultado el 6-oct-2026 · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, «Partnering to conserve monarchs across North America», https://www.fws.gov/story/partnering-conserve-monarchs-across-north-america, consultado el 6-oct-2026 · U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, «Monarchs arrive for Day of the Dead», https://www.fws.gov/story/monarchs-arrive-day-dead, consultado el 6-oct-2026 · CONANP (Gobierno de México), «Mariposas Monarca», Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca, https://conanp.gob.mx/conanp/dominios/rbmonarca/index.php, consultado el 6-oct-2026 · UNESCO World Heritage Centre, «Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve», https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1290/, consultado el 6-oct-2026

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