Free Online Project: Students Track Seasons, Animal Migrations, Climate Change
Teachers and students in K-12 classrooms are invited to participate this fall in Journey North’s 15th annual global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. One of the nation’s premier Internet-based “citizen science” projects, Journey North enables students in 11,000 schools to track the seasons on a real-time basis. Students monitor migration patterns of monarch butterflies, bald eagles, whooping cranes, and other animals; the budding of plants, changing sunlight, temperature patterns, other natural events. They share their local observations with classmates across North America and analyze current and long-term data from other classroom and professional scientists. As they do so, participants are better prepared to recognize indicators of climate change and consider its implications. Each Journey North study features many entry points and resources that address learning standards: Journey North for Kids reading booklets and lessons with stunning photos and video clips, weekly migration updates, interactive maps, connections with field scientists, and compelling migration “stories.” The studies help students fit local observations and inquiries into a global context. Thanks to a grant from Annenberg Media, Journey North Web site access and participation is free. Visit the Journey North Web site for details: http://www.learner.org/jnorth.
