Come South!

What is Wild Wings: Heading South?
Learning Objectives of Wild Wings: Heading South
Online Details

What is Wild Wings: Heading South?

Wild Wings: Heading South is an exciting learning adventure that witnessed some of the most magnificent bird migrations on the planet! It included three broadcast programs in November 1996 with different themes, the resources at this Web site (both public and non-public), a print Curriculum Guide, a full-color poster/migration game, a Teacher Training Video, and some other related resources. The broadcasts and public areas of this Web site are FREE.

Learning Objectives of Wild Wings: Heading South

By tracking the flight of the Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese in North America and the Bewick's and Whooper Swan Migrations in England, students will:

• Experience firsthand the phenomenon of migration.
• Learn scientific principles behind the flight of birds thousands of miles from their summer nesting grounds in the far north to their wintering grounds in New Mexico and England.
• Participate in fun educational activities related to bird migration.
• Explore issues such as global warming and the preservation of vital bird habitats.
• Learn from fellow students about the birds' progress on their journey back north in the spring.

Online Details

This Web site has numerous resources and activities to facilitate classroom learning:

• Hotlinks to resources about the Bewick's and Whooper Swan migrations and their habitats in England (courtesy of the BBC).
• A glossary and important background information on wetlands, species interdependence, national wildlife refuges, global climate change, specific bird species, and migration.
• Classroom Activities

Migration Activation!
Students learn the promises and pitfalls of annual migration in this dynamic, action-packed game!

Migrating With the Birds
In this cooperative learning activity, students practice an amazing ability employed by migrating animals navigating via the Earth's magnetic field!

The Web of Life
What plants and animals do you depend on for food? Explore the connections in wetlands and discover what can happen to the whole system when parts of it are changed.

Name That Wetland!
Students learn about a variety of wetlands, including dense Cyprus swamps and serene coastal marshes.

Log of Straws: Dendrochronology
Students learn how to interpret tree rings to determine basic changes in past climate.

Calories: The Airfare of Migration
Students will use graphs to calculate the energy costs in calories required for traveling great distances.

Where in the World?
Students explore the global importance of wetlands in this interdisciplinary, multicultural activity.

Modeling the Greenhouse Effect
This hands-on, scientific experiment helps students understand how atmospheric gases can turn our planet into a giant greenhouse, causing global warming.