Lesson: Pip's Big Trip! A Migration Adventure

Materials Needed:

• A bird puppet or a small bird toy (We'll call him "Pip")
• 4-5 pictures of birds that migrate (e.g., goose, swallow, hummingbird)
• 4-5 pictures of birds that do not migrate (e.g., cardinal, blue jay, woodpecker)
• One blue piece of construction paper (for "Cold Winter")
• One yellow or orange piece of construction paper (for "Warm South")
• A small doll-sized bag or a small box to act as a "suitcase"

Lesson Plan (10 Minutes)

Part 1: Meet Pip the Bird (2 minutes)

Teacher: "(Bring out the bird puppet) Hello! I'd like you to meet my friend, Pip. Can you say hi to Pip?"

Teacher (as Pip): "Hi! It's getting a little chilly outside. Brrr! My family told me it's almost time for our big trip. We have to pack our suitcase!"

Teacher: "A big trip? Where are you going, Pip?"

Teacher (as Pip): "We're flying south! Where it's warm and there's lots of yummy bugs to eat. When it gets cold, some birds fly to a warm place. It's called migration. Can you say mi-gra-tion?"

Teacher: "Pip is migrating. He's taking a trip to a warmer home for the winter, just like sometimes we go on a vacation to the beach!"

Part 2: The Sorting Game: Who is Packing a Suitcase? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Pip needs help figuring out which of his friends are coming with him. Not all birds migrate. Some birds are tough and stay here all winter! Let's help him."

1. Lay out the blue paper ("Cold Winter") and the yellow paper ("Warm South") on the floor.
2. Place Pip's "suitcase" on the yellow paper.
3. Show the student the pile of bird pictures.
4. Teacher: "Let's make two groups. If the bird migrates, we'll put its picture on the yellow paper, because it's packing its suitcase to go south. If it stays here in the cold, we'll put it on the blue paper."
5. Pick up the first picture (e.g., a goose). Teacher: "This is a goose. Geese fly in a big 'V' shape when they migrate. Is he staying or going?" (Guide the child to place it on the yellow paper).
6. Pick up the next picture (e.g., a cardinal). Teacher: "This is a bright red cardinal. He loves the snow! He has special feathers to keep him warm. Is he staying or going?" (Guide the child to place it on the blue paper).
7. Continue sorting the rest of the cards, asking simple guiding questions about whether the bird looks ready for sun or snow. Let the child make the final choice for each one.

Part 3: Time to Fly! (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Great job! You figured out all of Pip's friends. Look at all the birds who are migrating!" (Point to the yellow paper).

Teacher (as Pip): "Thank you so much! It's time for us to go! Goodbye! We'll see you in the spring when the weather is warm again!"

Teacher: "Let's help them fly. Can you pick up all the 'going south' birds and make them fly around the room?"

(Encourage the child to pretend to be a bird, flying the pictures around the room and landing them back on the yellow paper for a rest.)

Teacher: "And what about these brave birds?" (Point to the blue paper). "They are staying here with us for the winter. When we look out our window, we might see them!"

Lesson Conclusion: "You did a wonderful job learning why some birds take a big trip, or migrate, for the winter. Now, let's go see if we can spot any stay-at-home birds outside!"