At the beginning of the school year, the AP Environmental Science classes took part in a Migration lab with Mrs. Lozada to examine how animal migration works, why it happens, and how the animals have to avoid different types of obstacles. We were assigned to write a reflection about the experience, which is shown below.
Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one place to another. This could be because of changes in the temperature in an environment, ecosystem factors, or other habits that lead to animals migrating. Around this time, birds begin to migrate from NYC towards Rockaway Beach and down south. For our AP Environmental Science class, we did a Bird Migration Obstacle Course, which involved lots of different locations and places. There were power lines (ropes), buildings (cardboard boxes), a body of water, and a windmill in the obstacle course. The cats were the predators that were attempting to kill the birds (the other people) before they migrated. The goal for the birds was to migrate safely and get fresh water without being killed/tagged! Our class played several games with everyone changing roles before we went inside and discussed the purpose of the obstacle course.
This activity could help me write and discuss more efficiently because I can use this activity to prove ideas and concepts that I am being asked. For example, I can mention the purpose of the bird obstacle course if I was asked about migration and how it connects to the environment. Also, I can draw out ideas from performing the obstacle course, such as how birds migrate and why they do it. To make this activity even better, we could implement more items/objects, such as more predators or buildings. In addition, we could implement a timer and say that the birds have to “migrate” in under 20 seconds or they are dead. This could make the game faster and more interesting, as you will have to move to the other side in a quicker time. This rule can also make it better for the predators, as they know that the birds have to move to the other side, which makes it easier for them. In conclusion, this is what migration is, how we performed the obstacle course, and what we could do to make the activity even better.