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Migration Headache
Purpose : This game demonstrates the concepts of migration patterns and the multiple habitats needed by birds and amphibians.
Number of Students : Maximum 42
Equipment :
- 21 Frisbees
- 21 Fabric Squares (various patterns representing various habitats)
- Noisemaker
- Pictures of neotropical birds
Set up :
Place the frisbees in a line about 5 feet apart. These represent Virginia habitat for migratory birds. Each frisbee can support 2 birds during their breeding and nesting season here.
Place the fabric squares in a parallel line about 40 yards away from the frisbees. These fabric squares represent Central American tropical habitats for the same birds in the winter. The distance between the frisbees and fabric squares represents a migration distance of 1,000 miles in reality.
The camouflage squares represent amphibian habitat. Set these cloths at a different angle, and closer together, since these amphibious students will hop and crawl. The oak forest pattern is for the summer habitat in Virginia. The wetland reed pattern is for their wintering habitat in the mud nearby
SOLs that correlate to this activity include: Sci 4.4, 4.5, 4.8
Procedure : Here is the general procedure and example dialog for running this activity.
Send the students, who are now migratory birds, to stand on the frisbees (two students per frisbee) while you extol the beauty of the nesting habitats in Virginia:
" What a lovely habitat! Great forests, with lots of hiding places for nests. Plenty of seeds and berries and bugs and water nearby."
"But I'm noticing the leaves are beginning to turn colors, and it's getting colder. There aren't many bugs to eat now, and nothing is blooming. It's about time to migrate to Central America for the winter."
"When I shake these bells, you can fly to Central America, where only two birds can fit on a habitat square."
Shake the bells. The children will run/fly. When everyone is in Central America say:
"Bienvenidos a Central America. Arriba, arriba! Your habitats in the rain forest are perfect for the winter, with everything you need, except safe places to nest and raise your babies...so when the spring comes, you'll be ready to migrate back to Virginia."
Take up 2 or 3 of the frisbees while you say "BUT, while you were gone, a new amusement park was built in some of your old habitat, with lots of parking lots and rides, but no trees"
Shake the bells. As the students arrive "back in Virginia", some will not find habitat and they will not survive.
"Uh-oh, looks like you might be stuffed for display in the amusement park's wildlife museum."
Then repeat the migration back to Central America, after you mention that there was a huge hurricane, and a lot of rain forest damage. Pick up 4 to 5 cloth habitats. Those birds who don't survive join the others in the "museum".
Bring the students back to Virginia, where you can finish off the game by adding some protected wetland land so that everyone survives, or you can do another habitat destruction scenariol with forest loss from new subdivisions or the expansion of I-81. For the next Central American migration, you can use the habitat loss scenario of new farmers cutting down the rain forest to make room for grazing cattle that will become fast food hamburgers.
What's the point of this exercise?
Finalize the game with this message:
"Our beautiful summer birds must have two habitats to survive - summer and winter. Losing either habitat is certain death. Because birds need the same things that humans do, preserving their habitat ensures that we will have enough clean water and air, too."
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