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ParkWise
> Teachers >
Nature > Fly
Away! > Unit Outline
Activity
3:
Climate and Migration Patterns
Students
will map migration routes of various species onto a climate map.
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Unit:
Fly Away
Guiding Question: How
do climate and seasons affect whether an animal would migrate
and where?
Critical Content: Students
will understand why animals may spend different seasons in
different climates.
Grades: 4-8
Duration: 45-60
minutes
Group size: 1-2
students
Setting: classroom
Materials: Climate
maps created in Activity
Two: Modeling the Seasons, resources to research migration
routes, colored pens or pencils
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Before
You Begin: Review Migration
Basics and the differences between climate and seasons.
Procedures:
- Drawing from the list of migratory species created in the Exploring
Migration activity, students research some different species
migration routes and then plot the routes on their climate map
(see Instructional
Resources, including the Wildlife
Notebook Series).
- As a class you may choose to have one large climate map created
by the students and posted on the wall and then students draw
the migration routes for the different species they have researched
on the one map. Routes should be marked in different colors and
a key made to easily identify the species.
- Students write conclusions about the migration of their species
including why they think an animal may spend different seasons
in different climates.
Discussion
Questions:
- Do all species move in the same general direction each season?
- Approximately how far does the longest migrant travel? How
far is the shortest migration?
- Could any of these species survive without migrating?
- What are the advantages of staying in the north?
- What are the advantages of migrating south?
- How would this change if you were in the southern hemisphere?
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