8.+Migration+Obstacles

Migration Obstacles!
**Background:** Bird migration is an amazing adaptation to the changing seasons on earth, and it links us to regions we may never have the opportunity to visit. Not all birds migrate, but those that do are in search of habitat that is suitable while their summer habitats face cooler temperatures and low food availability. Migration distances vary depending on the bird, but no migration is a simple flight to their next destination. Both human and environmental factors create many challenges along the way, whether its a storm or a tall building, birds must navigate the changing landscape in order to safely reach their destination. Succeeding to migrate is an amazing feat that should be marveled at. **Big Idea:** Students will discover the obstacles birds face during their amazing migratory journeys. **Learning Objectives:** **Time Needed:** 60 minutes in a gym or outdoor space. **Suggested Materials:** **Getting Ready:** Gather the materials you need and determine a site large enough for the obstacle course. Set up the course (see details under the 'Course Layout' at the end of the lesson, and image pages 15 of the Resource Guide.) *Do we have these? **Conducting the Activity:** __1. Play the Game__ Tell students that summer is coming and they are birds that need to migrate north by navigating an obstacle course in order to reach their summer habitats. This is a good time to use your map to show the general direction and possible length of migration paths. Explain the RULES of the game: **Course Layout:** Plan the course in a large safe location, like a school gym or a flat lawn. Set the following materials up in order: First, play the game doing the spring migration from "south to north." Demonstrate going through the obstacle course so they can see how to conquer each obstacle and also to make sure the course is passable.
 * 1) Students will be able to define migration.
 * 2) Students will be able to list potential hazards that birds face during migration.
 * 3) Students will be able to identify ways to help reduce negative impacts on migrating birds.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A world map
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stopwatch or wristwatch
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Dry erase board and marker
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clear plastic wrap and chairs or poles to attach plastic wrap between (windows)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heavy string or rope, 5-6 pieces, each 5-15 feet long (various uses: start line, power lines, to designate an area for a wildlife refuge)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pictures of hazards and dangerous obstacles-- //Found on Resource Pages 7-14//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tarp or plastic bags with yellow road lines marked on it or tape on the ground (road)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cardboard boxes (city buildings)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cat head band or costume (optional, for cat)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PRETEND: You have to pretend you’re a bird all the way through by flapping your wings and vocalizing a bird song or call.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DON’T TOUCH: If you touch any of the obstacles, you instantly fail to migrate! Stand to the side.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">STAY IN BOUNDS: If you go out of bounds, you instantly fail to migrate! Step to the side.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CHEER: The students waiting in line can urge the birds through the course by clapping and cheering—preferably in bird-like sounds!
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">VOLUNTEERS: You will need 1-3 volunteers to be a part of the course (you can add or take out any obstacles depending on group size): a "car" to walk back and forth slowly on the road and tag birds as they cross, a "windmill" to stand in one place and rotate their arms and lightly tag birds that pass within reach, and a "cat" that will //slowly// roam around and tag birds. If a bird is tagged by any of them they fail to migrate and step to the side.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Start line
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Saran Wrap and chairs or poles to attach Saran wrap between (windows)
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pictures of pesticide sprayed field
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heavy string or rope (2 pieces) (power lines)
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stationary student windmill
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tarp, plastic bags, or ground with road lines marked/taped (road)
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Foam balls or paper wads (cars)
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cardboard boxes (city buildings)
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cat head band or costume (optional, for cat)
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finish line: you've migrated!
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Begin at the start line
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Move under “windows” (Saran Wrap)
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jump over the pesticide-ridden field (image)
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jump over “power lines” (rope)
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Fly" around wind farm (getting tagged by stationary student)
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Run around habitat destruction (image)
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fully stop before the road (black plastic), look both ways, and walk slowly across
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Try not to get hit by the cars (one student slowly going back and forth on the road)
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Fly" around "buildings" (cardboard boxes)
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Try not to get caught by the cat (getting tagged... once a “bird” is caught by the cat, it fails to migrate.)
 * 11) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cross the finish line and successfully migrate!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Depending on how much space you have, ask between 1-3 students to go through at a time. Depending on group size and time constraints, you may wish to have a shorter course with fewer obstacles. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once a student successfully reaches the end of the course, have them line up lengthwise to the course to watch and cheer on the other students. If a student fails an obstacle, they do not survive migration, and must step to the side. After the entire class has completed the course, record how many students successfully completed the northern migration and review survivorship (How many made it? What percent did not survive?). You may also review race times and calculate mean times. (See Extensions.) <span style="color: #ff0a00; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> *Do we have this?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Options: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__2. Discussion about Obstacles__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">__3. Introduce Real Bird Migrators__
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Set-up "wildlife refuges" with rope or tape along the obstacle course to represent safe haven for migratory birds. Time the birds with and without refuges, and determine mean race time and survivorship.<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">* I don't fully understand how the refuges work*
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take away obstacles (such as "cleaning up" the poisons by removing the signs or removing the cat because people have been taught to keep their cats indoors). Time the birds now that humans have taken these positive actions, and review the mean race times and survivorship.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Have students migrate again ("from north to south" this time). If they make it, they have nested and successfully fledged young. Students who did not survive the first migration may take the role of young migrants.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ask students**:**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What obstacles do birds encounter during their migration (both examples from the game, and others they might know)?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What else do you think makes it hard for birds to survive migration? (possible //answers: confused about their direction by bright lights, fly into buildings, bridges and towers, die from eating foods with pesticides, pushed out by exotic species (e.g. European Starlings, House Sparrows), or eaten by predators (e.g.cats, raptors, snakes), having enough energy to go the distance).//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of the obstacles you experienced, in which do humans play a role? //(Many of them!)//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What can you do to help? Have students brainstorm actions they can take. (//Some possible answers: keep cats indoors, plant bird habitat**s**, clean up polluted or littered habitat, don’t use pesticides on lawns, remove exotic plants, turn off lights at night, etc.//)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What would happen to birds who were slowest in their migration? (//The slower birds would have the last choice in food, territory, and mates. Some have to fight for these things. Do you think you’d have the energy to fight after migrating? If you arrived too late, you may not survive at all!)//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why do they think that males normally arrive first? //(Males need to set up and defend their territories prior to the females arriving. The first males have the better territories, and attract the best females.)//
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Summary: discuss that a bird’s life can be full of dangers, but not all birds will encounter all of these obstacles. Each day they migrate, they travel long distances and are likely to face challenges along the way. The biggest threat is human disturbance of habitat. Many migrating birds need a place to rest and eat during their long journeys, and if they can't find suitable stopover locations, they will not have enough energy for migration.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Show students the map and point out how far different species migrate. Discuss what obstacles the students think these species might face along the way.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Golden-Crowned Sparrow migrates from Alaska and the Yukon Territory to/from the California coast and Mexico.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Yellow-Rumped Warbler migrates from most of Canada and the Klamath Basin in the United States to/from the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Arctic Tern travels up to 25,000 miles between the North and South Poles every year.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Remind the students how it feels to travel in a car, bus, or plane for more than two hours. If you had a perfectly straight road from the North Pole to the South Pole, it would take you 280 hours straight in the car //(that's almost 12 full days!)// driving at highway speed without stopping, eating, or drinking.