Migratory Bird Game and Writing Activity
Games
30 minutesGrades9, 10, 11, 12Science, English Language Arts
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Written by Isabelle Pardew
About this activity
Through this interactive video game and writing activity, students will learn about the impacts of climate change on migratory birds.
Everything you need to teach it
- Migratory Bird Game and Writing ActivityView Activity
Teaching tips
- Teachers can modify the writing assignment by asking students to write a narration from the migratory bird’s perspective. Prompts could include: How did you feel starting out your migration? What was it like when you encountered obstacles? What can you see that humans can’t see? How did you react when you encountered food, water, or shelter? Did you make it to your destination? Describe your destination in as much detail as possible. What message do you have for the humans along your route?
- Instead of the writing assignment, students could select a bird from the game and work in groups to create a mural of the bird’s migration. One side of the mural can depict through art and photos obstacles created by humans, and the other side can represent actions people can take to help the birds.
- Students can work in pairs to record interviews with each other about the game to share on a platform like Padlet, Flip or VoiceThread. Alternatively, students could role-play a conversation between one of the migratory birds and a human, or between two migratory birds.
From the scientist review
This activity has reliable resources to enable students to explore the impact of climate change on migratory birds and write about it. They will also learn how human activities and the built environment can alter the climate and the migratory patterns of birds. We reviewed the activity and recommended it for classroom use.
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About the teacher writer
Isabelle Pardew
Research & Operations Associate
Isabelle Pardew, M.S., is SubjectToClimate's Development Associate, committed to environmental conservation and the growing impact of climate change and human activity on birds. They hold a B.S. and M.S. in Applied and Industrial Mathematics from Towson University and an M.S. in Communication from Stevenson University, and are now pursuing a J.D. at the University of Baltimore School of Law. With four years at SubjectToClimate, they have established campus research groups monitoring bird-window collisions to raise awareness and propose action strategies. Fun fact: based in Maryland, they enjoy spending time outdoors and filling out crossword puzzles.
