Education ForeCAST Tipsheet

Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration Journey North is an Internet-based learning adventure that engages K-12 students in a global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. Presented by The Annenberg/CPB Math & Science Project, Journey North is aimed at improving science teaching and student understanding of interdependent, global ecological systems. Students in Journey North schools track signs of spring and species migration across the northern hemisphere. Some of the projects include monitoring the blooming of tulips bulbs, recording maple sugaring, and tracking the patterns of bald eagles, singing frogs, hummingbirds, loons, robins, whales and monarch butterflies. The Classroom Experience: Following the Migrating Monarchs "My students suddenly saw the connection between the backyard butterfly, spring temperatures, and the distant country of Mexico. They were able to see how fragile nature is and that all living things are interconnected. Journey North provided the chance to think globally and look locally." Every Spring, millions of monarch butterflies re-populate eastern North America after surviving the winter in the high mountains west of Mexico City. They flew up to 2,500 miles to get there last fall and spend the winter living off their fat reserves. With just a few weeks to live, they'll race to produce the next generation. The following fall, by instinct alone, the great-grandchildren of these butterflies will return to the very same mountain sanctuaries. In Journey North's unique partnership, students and scientists across North America collaborate to gather and analyze data about the monarchs' migration. Interpretive activities include: Exploring how wind and weather affect the journey Discovering the routes taken by the monarchs take and the risks they face along the way Learning about local conservation efforts on the wintering grounds and at points along the path Journey North meets National and State Educational Reform Goals Students following the Journey North curriculum engage in: authentic tasks multidisciplinary tasks collaborative tasks student exploration interactive modes of instruction From April 24, you can listen to the Education ForeCAST documentary piece The Flight of the Virtual Butterfly from The SOUNDPRINT Media Center Download a free copy of Real Audio

How Journey North helps teachers Journey North provides a variety of support materials for teachers, including: teaching manuals, available online and in printed form lesson plans, including challenge questions, checklists, data forms, field report templates student assessment methods newsletters, featuring field reports, background articles, archived data, profile interviews, maps, weather forecasts, phenology data exchange online discussion groups, a forum for teachers to share information, give and gather advice, swap teaching ideas, solve problems For more information on Journey North, send e-mail to jn-help@learner.org. Visit Journey North for more information and for links to other exciting sites. (www.learner.org/jnorth/) And for more information on migration material online, explore the following websites: National Audubon Society -- facts on bird migration, weather patterns (http://north.audubon.org/) Our Birds Around The World (www.connect.ab.ca/) The Flight of Migratory Birds (www.icr.org/) Migration Dialogue (http://migration.ucdavis.edu/) Animal Migration (http://piopio.school.nz/) Animal Migration reference site (www.23peaks.com/) Shorebird Migration Pages -- providing information on sandpiper and plover migration through the lower 48 states (www.utm.edu/)