Migration

Migration is a pattern of behavior in which animals travel from one habitat to another in search of food, better conditions, or reproductive needs. There are two important factors that make migration different from other types of animal movement: First, migration happens seasonally, and second, migration involves a return journey. This makes it different from emigration, when animals travel to find a new, permanent place to live. Many animal species migrate, including species of fish, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and mammals. These animals might journey by land, sea, or air to reach their destination, often crossing vast distances and in large numbers. One of the main reasons animals migrate is to find food. In Tanzania, wildebeests ( Connochaetes taurinus), zebras ( Equus quagga), and gazelles ( Eudorcas thomsonii) migrate in huge herds. They roam the Serengeti looking for fresh grass and water, which are hard to find during the dry season. Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate for food as well. In the summer, they travel to feeding grounds near the polar ice, where the water is full of krill and small fish. In the winter, they migrate back to warmer waters to raise their calves. Other animals migrate because of the climate or seasons. For example, monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus) migrate to avoid cold temperatures in the winter. These butterflies cannot survive freezing temperatures, so they fly from Canada all the way to Mexico, where t...

Recent Examples on the Web According to the authors, the study had some limitations in that the people included would have had a range of actual exposure to the dangerous gas and the researchers’ calculations could be affected by migration and mortality. — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2023 This quick yet massive shift placed a substantial amount of stress on traditional infrastructures and systems, which further accelerated migration to the cloud. — Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023 How to survive a shark attack -- or better yet, avoid one entirely OCEARCH, a nonprofit marine research group which provides open-source data about shark migration, recently recorded four male great white sharks around New York and New Jersey. — Zoe Sottile, CNN, 28 May 2023 In the leadup to the end of Title 42, the U.S. introduced tough enforcement measures to discourage people from just arriving at the border, encouraging them instead to use one of the pathways the U.S. has created to facilitate migration. — Rebecca Santana, BostonGlobe.com, 15 May 2023 Rising temperatures are forcing increasing amounts of migration. — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 15 May 2023 Okay, is speaker McCarthy leading on migration and border reform? REP. — CBS News, 14 May 2023 Elsewhere, the hiss of a rain stick underlines footage of atmospheric rivers, and a plodding glockenspiel trails animal migration patterns. — Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 May 2023 In the lead-up to the en...

1. Build background about Explain to students that human migration is the movement of people from one place in the world to another. Ask: What are some different types of human movements? Then tell students that people move for many reasons, and that types of human migration include: • internal migration: moving within a state, country, or continent • external migration: moving to a different state, country, or continent • emigration: leaving one country to move to another • immigration: moving into a new country • return migration: moving back to where you came from • seasonal migration: moving with each season or in response to labor or climate conditions 2. Discuss people who migrate. Tell students that people who migrate fall into several categories: • An emigrant is a person who is leaving one country to live in another. • An immigrant is a person who is entering a country from another to make a new home. • A refugee is a person who has moved to a new country because of a problem in their former home. Have students provide specific examples of each to demonstrate understanding of the differences between the three terms. 3. Brainstorm reasons for migrating. Ask: Why do people move? What forces do you think drive human migration? Then explain to students that people move for many reasons and that those reasons are called What effect does a region’s economy, climate, politics, and culture have on migration to and from the area? Have students brainstorm additional reasons...