Migration

As the weather turns cooler in southern Indiana we learned about migration.  We learned that in addition to bird, lots of other animals including insects, mammals and reptiles migrate for a variety of reasons.  They move en masse to stay warm, find food or have babies at a traditional location. 

We started with the touch box which included a compass. 

Next we got some flight lessons from our friend Mainerd the mallard with the help of this little rhyme:

“Fly with the Birds”

Fly high, fly low

Fly fast, fly slow

Let’s dive for a drink

Let’s rest on a hill

Fly high, fly low

Fly fast, fly slow

Up, up and away!

Tired from our migration we took a break to read "Great Migrations" by Elizabeth Carney which includes amzaing photos of a variety of animals in migration. 

Next we practiced our flying some more to the song "Red-Winged Blackbird" by Debbie Carroll.

Next we did a fun flannel board story about five little geese flying south for the winter:

Five Little Geese
By Amanda Scurry

Five little geese flying in a “V”
The last one says, “Come on, follow me!” 
Down he flies to find food for his mouth
Four little geese continue flying south.

Four little geese flying in a “V”
The last one says, “Come on, follow me!”
Down she flies to take a little swim.
Three little geese ignore her little whim

Three little geese flying in a “V”
The last one says, “Come on, follow me!” 
Down he flies to have a sip to drink
Two little geese continue on without a blink

Two little geese flying in a row,
The second one says, “Are we getting close to home?”
Down she flies.  She needs a little rest.
One little goose flies on without the rest.

One little goose flying all alone.
He says to himself, “Look!  I’m almost home!”
Down he flies to a meadow of clover.
Home until he has to do it all over. 


We then read a lovely story about a girl who migrated with a flock of Canada Geese in Mick Manning and Britta Grandtrom's "Honk Honk:  A Story of Migration." 

We finished our day by making our own little paper bird to migrate home with us.