Migration
Background Information & Activities

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When an animal migrates, it moves to a different place. Animals migrate for many different reasons. Some animals migrate to find better sources of food, water, or shelter. Other animals migrate to visit particular breeding grounds, rear their young, or find warmer climates. The frequency of animals’ migrations also differs. We recommend watching the Seasons movie together as a review. Some animals migrate seasonally, others migrate once in a lifetime or only to breed, and others are nomadic and migrate wherever the best resources and environments are at that time.

Some animals migrate vast distances, while others migrate very short distances. Certain animals take breaks along the way, while others travel nonstop. Animals may bulk up before their big trek, or they may stop and eat along the way. Animals also differ greatly in the ways that they are able to navigate. Various animals use their sense of smell, follow trails, use the sun and stars, follow coastlines, or feel the Earth’s magnetic pull. Some animals know where to go instinctually; others have to be taught by their parents. Animals may determine it’s time to go for many reasons, including a change in temperature, in the length of daylight, or even in hormones that cause them to eat more and save fat for the journey.

It’s important for your children to realize that animals migrate for a reason. Kids learn how to identify these reasons by comparing and contrasting different animals that migrate. When your children grasp the various motives for animal migrations, they will gain a greater understanding about the natural world.

Migration Teacher Activities – Click Here!

Migration Family Activities – Click Here!

Migration Teacher Activities

© 1999-2009 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Mapping Animals

Studying migration offers a wonderful cross-curricular opportunity to teach map skills with students. The whole class can adopt an animal to map, or individual students can select animal migration routes to map out. Plot different points on the map to show where the animal would be on certain dates. If the maps are being made to scale, figure out how much distance is covered per day. Can the students come up with any big ideas about the animal’s speed? Does it seem like the animal is stopping to rest, or migrating without interruption? Can they compare the speed to other animals?

To extend this activity, have the class research different distances that animals migrate and put its findings on a chart or graph. What travels the farthest? What travels the shortest distance? Which animals travel about the same distance?

Act It Out

Have groups create short plays about migrating animals. You can use the printable puppets in this unit’s activity page, or have students make their own costumes. Groups should brainstorm ideas for their play together and write a script or draw pictures to prompt the narrator. Have the group decide who will act and who will be the narrator. Encourage the playwrights to include a beginning, middle, and end as well as including any obstacles or dangers the animals would face along the way. Have the groups brainstorm actions that will “show” what the narrator is “telling”. For example, how would they show a hummingbird fattening up before leaving on its journey? Students may need to research the animal’s behavior to accurately act out their plays. Allow groups to have rehearsals to practice their movements before performing in front of the class.

As an additional twist on the activity, students can act out their plays and have other students guess the migrating animal. What clues did they use to identify the animal? Lead a short discussion after every performance.

Migration Celebrations

Party! As a cross-curricular and cross-cultural activity, have students research and prepare traditional celebrations that highlight a particular animal migration. The arrival of the monarch butterflies is an important part of Mexico’s annual “Day of the Dead” celebrations. Some Native Americans followed migrating American buffalo and held ceremonies to honor the creature’s sacrifice. Have students research celebrations that honor migration and present their findings with the class. Then discuss the relationship between humans and migrating animals. How was the relationship in the past vs. in the present?

Moving

Chances are that every student in the classroom knows someone, family or friends, who have moved. Have students brainstorm all of the people they have known who have moved and their reasons for moving. As a whole class chart as many different reasons people move as the class can come up with. Then have them brainstorm as many different types of migrating animals as they can. Then lead a discussion with the whole class about what motivates the animals for migrating. Are there any connections? Can the class come up with some big ideas about human and animal needs?

Paths of Migration

Research to see if your school is in the migration path of any animals. What animals migrate through your area? Make a migration calendar to show when animals will be migrating through your state or country. Then discuss some of the issues that migrating animals face in the modern world and have students propose solutions to these problems.

Migration Family Activities

© 1999-2009 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Animal Book

Over the course of one weekend, jot down all of the animals you and your child see together (on TV, in magazines, outside, etc.) Record each animal’s name on its own page in a notebook. Later you and your children can investigate the animals’ migratory behavior at the library or on the internet. Your children can draw or write about how, why, and where the animals migrate in the natural world. When you have researched all of the animals, have your children decorate the cover of the notebook and come up with a title.

Tracking Animals

Armed with a pair of binoculars, take a trip to a local park during peak migration times. You can research which animals are migrating through your area on the internet. Whale-watching tours, sea turtle hatcheries, and nature hikes all offer chances to see animals migrating. If this isn’t an option for your family, pick an animal to monitor online. There are many great websites that allow viewers to track an animal’s migration day by day.

Family Migration

Make a family tree of relatives who have migrated to different places. Discuss how they traveled to the new place. What did they do to prepare? What did they do once when they got there? How long did their migration take? Did they go alone or as part of a group. Why did they migrate? Have your children compare what they learned about human migration with animal migration.