Teacher sheet · Ages 10–11 · about 45–50 minutes
Why and how animals migrate
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/migration/ages-10-11/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/migration/ages-10-11/print/
Learning aims
- Define migration and give examples from birds, insects, mammals and fish.
- Explain why animals migrate and what triggers migration.
- Describe how animals prepare for migration and find their way.
- Measure distances with a scale and calculate journey times.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: show a monarch's route on a map. How long would it take you to walk it? |
| 10 min | Read the text. |
| 20 min | Measure a migration on the globe and calculate times. |
| 5 min | Which clue? game. |
| 5 min | Quiz. |
Materials for the experiment
- A globe (or a world map with a scale bar)
- String or a strip of paper
- Ruler
- Calculator
- Sticky notes
Safety: Handle the globe carefully and keep it on a table. No special risks.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Birds migrate to get away from the cold. | Mostly they follow food and good places to raise young. |
| The same monarch flies there and back. | The southbound generation makes the whole trip; it takes 3–4 generations to return north. |
| Animals use one single sense to find the way. | They combine several clues: sun, stars, magnetic field, landmarks and smell. |
Worksheet answers
- Any two: plentiful insects and plants to eat; lots of nesting space; long summer days for feeding young.
- They store energy as fat (and their bodies change for flight).
- Depends on the measured distance; for example 4,000 km ÷ 160 km a day = 25 days and 4,000 km ÷ 80 km a day = 50 days.
- Any three: sun, stars, magnetic field, landmarks (rivers, mountains), smell.
Quiz answers
- What is the main signal that tells birds it is time to migrate? The change in day length. Temperature and food play a part too.[1]
- Why do many birds fly north in spring? To use plentiful food and long days for raising young. Insects and plants are plentiful for a few months.[1]
- How do birds store energy for the journey? As fat. Fat is the most energy-dense fuel.[3]
- How many generations of monarchs does it take to get back north? Three or four. The ones flying south make the whole trip.[4]
- About how far does an Arctic tern fly in a year? More than 50,000 km. From the Arctic to the Antarctic and back.[1]
- How does a salmon find its home stream at the end of its journey? By smell. It uses the magnetic field at sea first.[6]
Going further
Look up a bird-tracking map from a bird research organisation and follow one tracked bird on its journey this year.
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] The basics: how, why, and where of bird migration (Cornell Lab of Ornithology (All About Birds)): reliability High
- [2] The basics: how birds navigate when they migrate (Cornell Lab of Ornithology (All About Birds)): reliability High
- [3] Bird migration (British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)): reliability High
- [4] Monarch butterfly migration and overwintering (USDA Forest Service): reliability High
- [5] Humpback whale (NOAA Fisheries): reliability High
- [6] How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean? (U.S. Geological Survey): reliability High
- [9] Arctic Tern (Guide to North American Birds) (National Audubon Society): reliability Medium-high
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/migration/sources/
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