Most kids are familiar with the migration patterns of monarch butterflies and Canada geese, but do they know that many more animals are seasonal movers too? The National Science Education Standards point out that middle school students are capable of broadening their understanding of how many different species interact, compete, and coexist in the same environment.

Enjoy and share these resources with your students while they learn the reasons behind seasonal migration.

Space for Species
This interactive web site invites young people to investigate the contributions that satellite and remote sensing instruments make to wildlife conservation. Students can download their own journal to track real-time movements of migratory animals such as polar bears and leatherback sea turtles, monitor climate and habitat conditions, and evaluate threats to animals along migration routes.

Operation Migration
Operation Migration is part of a consortium created to save the endangered whooping crane from extinction in the wild. Visitors to this site can read field journals and follow along as a team teaches a flock how to migrate. The site includes lots of photos and video clips from the migration. Work with flocks of sandhill cranes and Canada geese is also reported.

Marathon Migrators
A video segment from NOVA’s “The Mystery of Animal Pathfinders” explores how the migratory patterns of shorebirds have evolved over time. Birds that time their travels well are rewarded with breeding success, while birds that leave too early or too late pay the price with unsuccessful reproduction.

Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration
Although the focus of this project is spring migration, students track the journeys of a dozen migratory species and share their field observations throughout the year. Students also note changes in daylight, temperatures, and the food chain. The site provides a discussion forum, teaching tips, a sightings database, and lesson plans related to migration.

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