Journey North Web Site Offers Lessons on Wildlife Migration

By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 10/19/2007 6:00:00 AM

The leaves may be changing and temperatures falling, but teachers and librarians planning for spring science projects will want to check out Journey North, a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change available free, via the Internet, starting February 1.

This "citizen science" project, funded by Annenberg Media and available to 11,000 schools, will enable K-12 students to watch the wave of spring as it unfolds in all its natural glory.

Migration patterns of monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, whooping cranes, and other animals will be one project feature. Others include the blooming of plants and changes in sunlight, temperatures, and other harbingers of spring.

Students will be invited to share their local observations of nature's patterns with their peers across North America and to search for more patterns on real-time maps. Activities based on student observations and links to field scientists all are intended as preparation for understanding and exploring the indicators and implications of the Earth's changing climate.

The Web site includes standards based lessons, photos and video clips, weekly migration updates, interactive maps, and "migration" stories. A sampling of the project's offering is currently available online.