This activity brings home the concept of how far and how arduous this annual migration is for birds. It is a role play activity of sorts where the participants are specific bird species that must leave their breeding ground get to their wintering ground and return again. The activity sets a course which has many of the challenges that birds actually face while migrating. It is an experiential way for participants to understand migration, its natural and man-made hazards and the risks for birds to survive.

This activity is great for map reading skill development and for reinforcing understandings of the concepts of energy flow, interrelationships, cycling of materials and change in ecosystems.

 We have used journaling for all sorts of applications over the years in our programs. Primarily we use them to record important findings while participants engaged in activities such as “Build A Marine Ecosystem” or “Micro Trails or Parks”. We also incorporate journaling times into our schedule for students to have some regular quiet, reflective time.