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NEBRASKA WILDLIFE WEEK

Nebraska Wildlife Federation

March 19-25, 2006

Theme “MIGRATION: Wings on the Move

Table of Contents.

INTRODUCTION

Each year, beginning in February, Nebraska’s central Platte River Valley becomes the most important stopover place for half a million Sandhill cranes. They are migrating from central Mexico, New Mexico and Texas, where they over-winter, to Canada, Alaska and eastern Siberia, their nesting area. Recent research has shown that sandhill cranes are over-wintering in more and more areas of north central Mexico than previously known.

          Individual birds will spend 21 days in the fields and wet meadows at the Platte, eating grains, plant matter, worms, insect larvae, frogs, snails, snakes and mice The birds must gain weight, as much as a pound, in order to continue the journey north and be healthy enough to breed and nest when they arrive. Cranes can be seen along the Platte between Grand Island and Lexington until mid April.

          Whooping cranes visit the Platte River, too, though briefly, in April and October. An endangered species, only 200 birds exist in the wild.  They depend on marshes for food and have not adapted to eating grains as have the sandhill cranes.

          Bald and golden eagles come to the Platte River, also. Their food is fish and sick or injured waterfowl. They are present through February and March.

Monarch butterflies migrate too, although they will not arrive in Nebraska until late April and May. In mid-March they will leave their roosts in the mountains of Mexico where they spent the winter. They will mate, after which the males will die and the females will begin their flight north, laying eggs on milkweed in the southeastern states. Larvae will hatch from the eggs, which will grow and change into chrysalises and finally emerge as butterflies. These butterflies are the ones that will reach Nebraska.

FREE! National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Week Poster !

Use at least one of the activities on this website with your class. Then, send me an email and I will send you a free National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Week poster.

Send your email to: rthorn@alltel.net

Or, send your comments by mail to WildWeek, Box 81437, Lincoln, NE 68501.

LESSONS FOR THE CLASSROOM

Appropriate for 4^th, 5^th & 6^th Grades

I. Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River

II. Whooping Cranes

III. Bird Characteristics

IV. Monarch Butterflies

V. Bald Eagles

I. Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River

A week-long unit on sandhill cranes that includes reading, writing, science, art, math, a review lesson and a Project Wild game.

            A.      Objectives

                   Background

                   Day 1 Activity

B.                Art Project (see Poster Contest Rules)

C.                Science Activity

D.                Day 2, Crossword Puzzle

E.                Day 3, Review Game

F.                Day 4, Graph a Picture

                Solution

G.               Links to Informational Internet Websites:

http://www.savingcranes.org/species/sandhill.cfm

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/migration/migration.asp

http://www.rowesanctuary.org/crane%20facts.htm

II. Whooping Cranes    

Information, videos and crane calls can be accessed on these sites:

http://www.whoopingcrane.org/index2.html

http://www.savingcranes.org/about/links.cfm

http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html

III. Bird Characteristics

Directions and Materials for 3 lessons:

                   Lesson 1: Answer questions in journal

                   Lesson 2: Draw a feather

                   Lesson 3: Preening experiment

IV. Monarch Butterflies

A.  Fall and Spring Migration

B. Why Monarchs are Tagged

C. Raising Monarchs in the Classroom

D. How to Find and Raise Monarch Eggs and Wild Larvae

E. How to Make a Life Stages Wheel: Pattern and Directions

F. Photos of Monarch Life Stages

1.    Larva eating milkweed

2.    Larva in J shape

3.    Chrysalis

4.    Chrysalis

5.    Emerging butterfly

G. Monarch Life Stages Relay

H.  Monarch Facts on this link:

http://www.monarchcanada.org/monarch.htm

Follow the Migration of Monarchs on these links:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/dplex/index.htm

http://www.learner.org/jnorth

V. Bald Eagles

A website with excellent information and lessons is at:

http://www.indiana.edu/%7ebradwood/eagles/1eagles.htm

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website on Viewing Eagles:

http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/guides/migration/eagles.asp

National Wildlife Week, April 22-30, 2006

National Wildlife Federation has fun activities for families, students, and educators on its website, to help you celebrate National Wildlife Week. Click here to learn how you can participate. http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek/index.html

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