Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 3–12
- Subjects
- science (biology and life science, environmental science, oceanography), teaching methods (experiential learning)
- Provider
- Annenberg Media
Legal
This catalog record is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. This license applies to the content of this page only and does not apply to the referenced website.
Be a part of the greater scientific community! Gather data on the migration of animals through the area as they return north and your scientific observations will be recorded for everyone to use. Lots of opportunities are available, from observing the plants according to season to Monarch butterfly migration. Check out the cool picture gallery and learn more characteristics of all the species tracked in the FAQ area. Species included in the FAQs are Bald Eagle, Caribou, Earthworms, Frogs, Hummingbird, Loon, Manatee, Monarch Butterfly, Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, Robin, Barn Swallow, Humpback Whales, Right Whales, Gray Whales and Whooping Cranes.
If you remember or are looking for the companion project called Journey South, this site still resides on the Journey North website, however, while it still contains useful information, it is no longer being updated and the relevant and most up-to-date content for both projects lives at Journey North.
Educator's guide
The Journey North is a perfect example of how students can participate in authentic scientific activities. Under the guidance of several scientists from all over the country, students are taught how to gather data on the migration of animals through the area as they return north. Because so many scientists are involved, so to are many different types of animals. Bald eagles, whales, hummingbirds, robins, and monarch butterflies are all a part of the study. As students study and send information to the participating scientists, their data is posted to the Web site so that students can get constant feedback on the progress of their specific animal.
This activity is freely available, although registration is required for quality control. Printed teaching materials may be purchased but are not necessary to participate. Nor is there a fixed timetable. Journey South monitors the travel of animals during the fall. Classes may gather and submit data through out the school year or only during an active migration time in their geographic area.
For classes interested in less involvement, students may post their first sighting of the signs of spring: first leaves, frogs singing, maple sap flowing, and others. This site has something for all classrooms wanting to engage in meaningful scientific study and it is well organized for the educator. Teacher Tips are available online as well as a Discussion Board for the sharing of triumphs and hurdles. Today's News allows students and teachers to stay informed with what other classes are observing. Past projects from other classes may be accessed for either data comparisons or to help the first time teacher get a better handle on starting a project of this nature. Posting of field information to the site is not difficult, even for beginning computer users.
The Journey North is funded by the Annenberg Foundation.
