Activities

Activity 2
For the Birds

Teacher-led Classroom Activity
Reading/Creativity

Why is this particular place a good place for birds?

Objective:

Students research birds’ needs and habitats and use this knowledge to create fun fact-based “travel signs” for migrating birds.

Students will need:

• Online access to Birds on the Move
• Art materials: paper, pens, pencils, markers, paintss

Suggested time:

Two or more class periods.

What to do:

1. Talk with students about what birds need in their habitats (such as food, shelter, water, nesting sites). Ask if anyone in the class has visited a bird sanctuary or other place where birds and wildlife are protected. Ask for volunteers to describe what they saw.
2. Have students read “Difficult and Dangerous, But Worth the Trip” on page 2 and “How to Welcome Migrating Birds” on page 3 of their Birds on the Move student magazine.
3. Ask students to imagine that they are creating signs about a welcome center for birds migrating north in springtime. The signs should explain why this place is a great place for hungry, tired birds during their migration. What would students boast about that would appeal to these tired, hungry birds who are looking for a safe place to raise their young? (Consider sharing travel advertisements from magazines with students so they can see how destinations market themselves to human travelers.)
4. Have students use their information and their imagination to create travel posters, ads, or brochures for birds to come visit these sanctuaries. Encourage them to use humor and creativity in their efforts.
5. If a bird sanctuary is close by, consider taking a field trip to it during migration seasons.

Photo: Frank Leung/iStock. Illustration: Cataleno & Co.