Why Come Back North in the Spring? Migration, Geography, and the Seasons (Back to Lesson) Grades: 3+ Standards Overview: Your students will soon have a chance to experience the thrill of the ruby-throated hummingbird's remarkable migration. In the meantime, use this lesson to explore why these and other birds come back north at all. Learning Outcomes Observe a hummingbird distribution map. Understand that the hummingbird's northern breeding range is much larger than its winter range. Identify basic needs that hummingbirds have to survive and raise young. Recognize the role of increasing sunlight, a rebuilt foodchain, and the large landmass of the United States and Canada in the ruby-throated hummingbird's spring migration. Teaching Note This lesson presents a simplified view of why birds head north in the spring. Depending on your students' ages, you might explore this concept: Ruby-throated hummers are born with the urge and ability to migrate north. Scientists think the geography of our hemisphere has a lot to do with why this instinct developed. Over millions of years, ruby-throated hummingbirds evolved to take advantage of the land and resources of the expansive north during the summer. Related Lesson Does Earth Have More Land or Water (Game)? >> In this activity, students "toss" or spin a globe to explore this question. They also examine where the bulk of the land is (Northern Hemisphere). This helps them grasp why so many creatures migrate north in the spring. This Season Teachers Kids Orientation Registration Search Copyright 1997-2008 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.