The Unique Pollination System of the Swamp Milkweed

• Why does a milkweed have a complicated/specific dispersion process?

• How do the structures of the milkweed enable it's survival, growth, and reproduction?
• Why would a monarch butterfly visit the milkweed?
• How does the swamp milkweed attract butterflies?
• How does the structure of the milkweed and the structures of the butterfly compliment each other?

Students could:

• Use one or more of the lessons from the Iowa Land and Sky: Iowa Plant and Animal Reproduction Storyline.
• Compare and contrast the structures of the various milkweeds that attract butterflies.
• Identify the feature(s) the swamp milkweed possesses and how that effects the probability of the milkweed reproducing. 
• Construct an argument from evidence that supports that the structure of the monarch butterfly is suitable for pollination of the swamp milkweed. 
• Create a model of the structure of a swamp milkweed. 
• Compare and contrast the seed structure of the swamp milkweed to other plants. 
• Generate individual chart showing observations and questions about reproduction. 

• PBS LearningMedia | Iowa Land and Sky: Iowa Plant and Animal Reproduction Strategies Lesson Plan:: This resource contains resources for educators including an Iowa Plant and Animal Reproduction Strategies storyline.  
• University of Texas | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database: This plant database gives the scientific name, a summary, and a picture for a variety of plants. 
• USDA U.S. Forest Service | Common Milkweed: Learn more about the milkweed, a map of where the milkweed is located, and explore additional websites for more information. 

Media produced for Iowa Land and Sky by Iowa PBS.