Oh The Places Birds Go

Developed By: Miranda Roso, 2021

Time: 30 minutes

Overview: This lesson introduces third grade students living in the Willamette Valley in
Oregon, and Guanajuato Mexico to what migration is, why birds migrate, and the challenges
birds face during migration. Using free writes, storytelling, and other engaging learning
practices, this session will set a strong foundation for students to deepen their understanding of,
and develop a sense of empathy for the migratory birds both places share with one another.

Rationale: The material and activities provided in this lesson will help third graders learn about
migration in a way that is relatable and engaging. Through the use of various fun activities,
learning and enjoyment for students will go hand in hand. Using an interdisciplinary approach,
and an awareness to action framework, students will have the opportunity to practice and
improve their critical thinking skills. They will finish this lesson with a stronger understanding of
migration, and a greater knowledge of achievable actions they can take to help mitigate the
challenges migratory birds face.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this 30 minute session 3rd grade students will be able to:

1. Define the term migration and explain three reasons why birds and other animals migrate
2. List three challenges birds can face while migrating

Materials Needed:

Instructor:
1. Slideshow deck
2. 3rd Grade Field Journal

Students:
1. Pen, pencil, or other writing utensil
2. Field Journal

Background Material:

With approximately 4,000 species of birds migrating every year––representing 40% of the
bird population it’s critical to understand the reasons behind such a huge phenomenon. While
there are numerous proposed answers as to why birds innately know when to migrate, studies
have shown that the most important factors that contribute to migration are resources, climate,
and reproduction. All of these reasons are linked together by the fact that when birds do migrate,
they migrate to places with abundant resources––which most of the time happen to be warmer.
It’s crucial that birds have access to the proper resources––such as food––that they need in order
to survive, and further to provide for, and ensure the survival of their offspring. In order to
accomplish this they must journey elsewhere during harsh winters when food and other resources
like shelter are scarce. They’ll travel to warmer climates (usually South) where food like plants
and insects are plentiful, and nesting sights are abundant enough to provide protection from
predators.

While migration is a necessity for many bird species, it also provides a number of
challenges––especially for birds whose journeys are longer than others. The increased
urbanization of land, and construction of tall glass buildings acts as one major challenge. It’s
easy for them to fly into these types of structures, and collisions can be fatal. Similarly, light
pollution also causes fatal collisions with buildings in urban areas. Secondly, migrating birds are
also easier targets for local predators since birds may not be familiar with the area’s predators if
they’re just passing through. Cats are also a major predatory challenge for birds––killing
approximately 2.4 billion birds a year in the U.S. alone. Lastly, starvation is another challenge
birds face as they make their journeys. In between being in unfamiliar territory, and in constant
competition with other birds, it can be difficult to find enough food to sustain themselves for
their entire journey.

Activity Description:

Step 1: Introductions (3 minutes)

1. Introduce self: Name and pronouns, and invite students to introduce themselves and share
their pronouns if they feel comfortable
2. Ask students to share out about BINGO
3. Invite them to share the items they found or any eco-challenges they completed
4. Say to students: “Today we will be learning about migration! Some of us might know
what migration is, some of us might have an idea of what migration is, and maybe some
of us don’t know anything about migration at all! However, I’m curious, I want to
know…”
a. Q: What do you all think migration is?
b. Q: Where do you think birds and other animals go when they migrate?
c. Q: Why do you think birds and other animals migrate in the first place?”
d. “These will be our three guiding questions for the day! Today we’re going to do a
few activities to get us thinking about these questions!”

Step 2: Free Write (3 minutes)

1. Instruct the class to gather their field journal and a pencil. When they’re ready tell them
to turn to the “Lesson 3: Migration” section of their field journal, and turn to the page
titled “Activity #1: Free Write”.
 2. Before they begin, explain to students what a free write is (an writing exercise where
used to get your thoughts down on paper in a creative way)
3. Tell them they will be doing their free write about the three guiding questions discussed
previously:
a. What is migration?
b. Where do you think they go?
c. Why do birds and other animals migrate?
4. Say to students: “I want you to write anything that comes to mind when you think of
these questions! The point of the activity is to keep your pencils moving!”
5. Set timer for three minutes, and once timer starts instruct students to begin writing.
Once 3 minutes are up, call class back together.
6. Encourage students to share their ideas with class, and thank them for sharing
7. Say to students: “It’s okay if you’re still unsure about any of those questions, we’re
gonna move forward and explore these three questions even further! Keep what you
wrote down in your free write close by. I want you to compare and contrast what you
wrote in your free write, to what we’re learning throughout our lesson. Be looking for
evidence that supports your ideas or that helps revise them.”

Step 3: Exploring Key Questions (8 minutes)

1. Following along with slideshow deck, delve into a deeper investigation of the three
guiding questions and share this information:
2. Define migration for the class as: The “seasonal movement of animals from one region to
another”, stressing that migration is seasonal and does include a return journey
3. Ask class what they wrote down in their free write about why birds migrate and allow
them to answer. After, share this information and let them revise their responses if
necessary:
a. Resources––To find food
b. Climate––The change of seasons
c. Reproduction––To find a mate, to reproduce, or to raise their young
4. Say to students:
a. Q: “So, now we know why birds migrate, but where do you think they go?”
b. Pause and let them answer
5. Once they’ve finished sharing, say to students “Let’s think back to our lesson last week
about habitats! Animals need the proper habitat to survive and suit their needs.”
a. Q: “What does that habitat usually consist of?”
b. A: A good habitat consists of food, shelter, and water
6. Say to students: “But, in the Winter it gets chilly and many of the bugs and plants and
flowers birds eat, and the bushy trees that provide cover are scarce! Therefore, when
Winter comes, birds need to migrate to a warmer place where food water shelter and
other resources are plentiful”
7. Provide this example: Birds that live in the North migrate to the South in the Winter
which is close to the equator so it’s warm and easy to find the resources they need to suit
their needs!
a. Say to students: “Did you know that there are many birds that migrate from up
North in the Willamette Valley in Oregon down to the Laja Watershed in Mexico
like the Rufous Hummingbird or the Great Blue heron! That journey is over 2,500
 miles or 4023 kilometers. Although it may seem like the Willamette Valley and
Laja Watershed are worlds apart, we’re all actually very connected, we share
birds! There are so many birds who leave their homes in the Willamette Valley
and fly down to Guanajuato. We are thousands of miles away from one
another––yet we may have had our eyes on the very same bird before. Our
migratory birds connect us to each other.”
8. Say to students: “Now that we know what migration is, why birds migrate, and where
they go, let’s brainstorm some challenges that birds can face while on their journey?
a. Q: “What do you think could be an obstacle for a migrating bird?”
b. Pause and let them answer, thank them for sharing their ideas
c. After, share this information and let them revise their responses if necessary:
i. Physical challenges: Glass buildings, light pollution
ii. Predatory challenges: Birds may not be familiar with local predators and
can be an easy target. Cats also pose a huge predatory challenge as well.
iii. Starvation: The journey is so long that birds are hungry along the way,
and food isn’t always easy to come by, especially when competing with
other birds

Step 4: Haiku Activity––Assessment (12 minutes)

1. This connecting activity will bring everything students have learned together
2. Ask students to recall the guiding questions and challenges birds face during migration
discussed during the lesson
a. Let them share what they remember
3. Say to students: “We’re going to use all of that information to write a poem from the
perspective of a bird!”
a. Q: “How many of you know what a Haiku is?”
b. A: “If you do great ! If not, that’s okay. We’re gonna do a quick overview”
4. Outline the important aspects of a Haiku below for students
a. A haiku is a traditional form of Japanese poetry
b. It’s a short poem consisting of only three lines
c. Each line consists of a specific amount of syllables: Line one has 5 syllables, line
two has 7 syllables, and line three has 5 syllables
d. A syllable is a part of a word that is pronounced as a unit. Syllables can be thought
of as “beats” or “claps”
e. To find the amount of syllables in a certain words you can clap out how many
beats that word has
5. Provide examples to let the students try
a. Q: “How many syllables does migration have?”
b. A: 3
c. Q: “How many syllables does season have?”
d. A: 2
6. Provide them with example of haiku (found in slide deck), and have them decide if the
example haiku meets all of the requirements.
7. Once they’re finished, say “Now it’s time to create your own haiku! Using what we
learned today about migration, where birds go, why they migrate, and the challenges they
face, I want you to write a haiku from the perspective of a bird!”
 8. “But before we start writing we have to get into the right mindset of a bird. I want you to
close your eyes and pretend you’re a bird: I want you to think about what it must be like
to fly hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, away from your home. Think about what
that feels like, maybe you feel free and happy, maybe you feel tired, sad, or hungry. Put
yourself in the bird's shoes.”
9. After about one minute, invite students to reopen their eyes.
10. Say to students: “Now we’re ready to write our haiku! Turn to the page in the Lesson 3:
Migration section if your field journal titled ‘Activity #2: Haiku’. This is where you will
be writing your poems”.
11. Once they’re ready to write, remind them to take their time and be thoughtful, and
incorporate what they learned, and thought was most important from the lesson. Tell them
that they’re gonna write for 5 minutes, and if they finish before 5 minutes are up, try to
write another haiku.
12. Once 5 minutes are up, call class back together, invite a few students to share their poems
and thank them for their hard work.

Step 5: Awareness-Action (3 minutes)

1. Say to students “Now that we’re all aware of bird migration, how can we turn this
awareness into action and help these birds get from point A to point B safely? Let’s
brainstorm some ideas about what we can do to help birds migrate!”
2. Tell students that birds embark on long and tiring journeys when they migrate,
then ask:
a. Q: “What do you like to do after a long day of playing outside and
exercising?”
b. A: Answers should be something along the lines of eating, resting,
drinking water
c. Say to class: “Birds want to do this too. We can help birds along their way
by replenishing their thirst and hunger.”
d. Q: “But how could we do this?
e. A: Putting bird feeders and fresh water in their backyard or outside of their
home
f. Q:“ What about light pollution? How could we help mitigate the effects of
light pollution on migrating birds?”
g. A: Turning off their lights in their homes
3. Say to students: “I encourage you to become investigators of your own, and do
some research on which birds are migrating through your town, and when! When
you find out when birds will be passing through, encourage your friends, family,
and neighbors to turn off lights in their homes at night so birds don’t get distracted
and lose their way”

Step 6: Wrap-Up (1 minute)

1. Explain to students that now that they have all of this knowledge they can use it to be
more conscious of migrating birds in their own environment––reminding them to act with
some of the ideas we discussed at the end of the lesson (i.e. turning off lights, supplying
 food and fresh water)
2. Before ending lesson, remind kids to keep looking for items on their BINGO board, and
thank them for their participation.

Additional Resources:

This journal article is an interesting resource for further exploration. It discusses the
ongoing debate of the reasons behind bird migration, and summarizes the results of research
testing the evolutionary precursor hypothesis.

Boyle, Alice W., and Courtney J. Conway. “Why Migrate? A Test of the Evolutionary
Precursor Hypothesis.” The American Naturalist, vol. 169, no. 3, 2007, p. 344.,
doi:10.2307/4137026.

Works Cited:

“Cats and Birds.” American Bird Conservancy, 25 Sept. 2020,

abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/cats-and-birds/#:~:text=Predation%20by%20domestic%20cat
s%20is,of%20millions%20of%20outdoor%20cats.

Learn, Joshua Rapp. “Bright Lights, Big Cities, Big Problems for Migrating Birds.” The Wildlife
Society, 15 Apr. 2019, wildlife.org/bright-lights-big-cities-big-problems-for-migrating-birds/.

National Geographic Society. “Migration.” National Geographic Society, 21 June 2019,

www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/migration/.

Somveille, Marius, et al. “Why Do Birds Migrate? A Macroecological Perspective.” Global

Ecology and Biogeography, vol. 24, no. 6, 2015, pp. 664–674., doi:10.1111/geb.12298.

Appendix: See following pages for corresponding field journal activities

Lesson 3: Migration Date:______________
Activity #1: Free Write

Using the space provided write your thoughts to the three guiding questions
down here
Lesson 3: Migration (cont’d) Date: ______________
Activity #2: Haiku

Haiku Formula:
● A haiku is 3 lines
● The 1st line has 5 syllables ●
The 2nd line has 7 syllables ●
The 3rd line has 5 syllables
Example:
I soar in the sky (5)
On a long and hard journey (7)
To find my new home (5)

Write your haiku down here! If you finish before time is up, try to write another
one