As the crisp air signals the end of fall and the approach of winter, many wildlife species begin their seasonal journey. Whether it’s birds soaring overhead, caribou trekking across the tundra, or whales gliding along coastal routes, migration is happening all around us! It’s a great reason to get outside, observe, and move with purpose. Encourage students to track sightings, follow migration maps, or even mimic animal movements to connect learning with the changing season.

Explore the teaching resources and student action ideas below to inspire meaningful learning around the theme of migration!

Teaching Resources

  • Hinterland Who’s Who – countless critters migrate, and Hinterland Who’s Who has the stories behind some of them, including many species at risk. Go to HWW to learn about American eels, Coho salmon, North American right whales, Monarch butterflies, Caribou, and more.
  • Mighty Migrators – Create a mural depicting Caribou migration. Discuss how human actions effect wildlife migration patterns. 
  • Migrators – This lesson plan discusses the different ways that birds adapt to winter.
  • Extraordinary Caterpillar movie – Monarch butterflies are well known for their incredible migration between North America and Mexico, but what about the work that goes into becoming the monarch? In this video, discover the remarkable world of caterpillars.

WILD Education workshops

CWF offers three dynamic Wild Education workshops designed to connect students with nature through hands-on learning: Project WILD, Below Zero, and WILD About Sports. Each program supports educators in fostering curiosity and learning through experiential education both in the classroom and outdoors. Check out some of the ready-made lesson plans on migration found in these workshops.

Project WILD:

  • Whale of a tail (pg. 92) – Research different types of whales, their history, migration routes, and current status. Draw life-sized replicas of whales. 
  • Migration Headache (pg. 395) – This interactive game follows water birds travelling between nesting habitats and wintering grounds. 
  • Migration Barriers (pg. 521) – Draw murals showing migration routes and the impact human activities have on the wildlife who use them.
  • To Dam or Not to Dam (pg.535) – Dive in further to this fun role-playing activity that explores the benefits and consequences of dams across waterways.

Wild About Sports:

  • Leatherback turtle Migration game (pg. 24) – This quick and lively game simulates the journey of migratory aquatic animals.

Want to join a workshop? Add your name to our waitlist.

Student Action Projects

Student action projects empower learners to make a real-world impact. There are many types of actions students can take; each offering a unique way to connect with nature and make a difference. Check out the list below for different ways that you can make an impact for migratory wildlife.

  • Stewardship action – Conserve a flyaway: Identify birds that migrate through your area, map out the flyaway, conserve key habitat along the flyaway, and get on the “information flyaway”.
  • Social action – CWF created entanglement prevention fishing gear to help save the North Atlantic Right Whale. Create a visual project to educate others about entanglement prevention.
  • Lifestyle action – Learn about how aquaculture is hurting salmon and pledge to avoid eating farmed salmon unless you know it was farmed in a closed containment system.
  • Citizenship action – Urge the government to Help the American eel by signing your name and telling others to do the same.

For more educational resources, projects, and lesson plans, check out our Online Learning Library and sign up for our monthly education newsletter.