Here is a fabulous set of activities for your young scientists. Each lesson contains map, hands-on, and game activities that will help the class understand why and how animals migrate from one place to another. First they'll examine the...

Turn your students into flocks of migratory birds for this fun lesson on animal migration. Prior to the activity, the teacher creates four different migration routes in the classroom or any available open space, labeling nesting...

Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...

A great way to incorporate math into life science, this lesson has learners measure migratory routes on a map and calculate the actual distance that shorebirds on the routes would cover. Learners compute the distance covered in both...

During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...

Students become familiar with the movement of various animals.  In this animal movement lesson, students relate their knowledge of animal movements to the music they are moving to.

Students study the concept of animal migration. They explore the migratory patterns of four different animals. Specifically, they search for on-line information about the natural history of animals and explore reasons why animals might...

Raptor flight patterns align with seasonal changes in net primary productivity. Here is a thought-provoking lesson that uses empirical data from a video to help scholars understand raptor migrations, producers/consumers, and ecosystems....

It is easy for humans to adapt to changing environments, but how do animals and plants do it? Classes discuss how plants and animals deal with environmental changes in the second of seven lessons. Through questions and discussions,...

Bird migration is a fascinating behavior. Budding scientists experience their own migrations using the school grounds for their flight patterns. They follow a map that leads them through a migration pattern that includes stops for...

Many Arctic species only spent a fraction of their lives in the Arctic region. Scholars research migrating Arctic species to learn more about their habits. They focus on their migration habits including distances, time, and challenges...

Divide your school gym into breeding grounds and non-breeding grounds so that your zoologists can play a game simulating the seasonal migration of shorebirds. Players pick one of the included game cards and follow its directions, which...

People adjust to their environments without even thinking about it—even if it's simply throwing on a sweatshirt. Lead the class in a discussion about the adjustments people make in their daily lives as an introduction to adaptations,...

Students discuss the behavior of different animals and how they move. They explore the ways that this helps them live and find food in their environment. They participate in a game that requires them to mimic the ways in which animals move.

This is not a lesson plan, but an outstanding resource to provide material for your lessons on seasonal changes and animal migration. Links connect you to live web cams and up-to-date information on Monarch Butterflies, hummingbirds,...

There's nothing like a good movement activity for young learners. In this one, everyone pretends to be a certain kind of animal and moves in a way that the animal really does. First, a brainstorm session is held where the kids name the...

Fourth graders dance with inspiration from wild animals. For this creative movement lesson, 4th graders watch a video clip and then move like an animal might move in their natural surroundings.

Students investigate how animals move. In this animals lesson, students use pictures of animals and demonstrate how each of them moves from place to place.

Students create a dance based on animal movements. In this kinesthetic lesson plan, the students will read and imitate animals in a creative way and share their dances with the group. The lesson plan includes a take-home activity and a...

Students compare animal migrations with human vacations. They consider the preparations involved, the purposes of travel and the consequences of any mistakes.

Migratory animals follow the same path every year. Learners research the path of an assigned species and create a map highlighting key landmarks along the way. As a group, they come up with a presentation to share with their class.

There are five methods of seed dispersal. They include gravity, mechanical, animal, water, and air. Scholars study seed dispersal in lesson five of the series of six. Through discussions, hands-on analysis of different seed types, and...

Students record and examine migration data, and calculate how fast and far a migrating animal travels and what influences its progression. They utilize the Journey North website to follow their migrating animals.

Young scholars study the concept of animal migration with the change of seasons. They discover that migration can be hazardous, and the distance migrated can be short or long.