written by Joanne O’Sullivan
2015 (Imagine Publishing)
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
It’s a wild trip through rushing rivers, across frozen ice floes,
and through stormy skies.
Going to the grocery store that is three minutes down the road from my house is my version of migrating to find food. I would be a lousy polar bear. They travel up to 1,000 miles from the Arctic ice to the southernmost tip of the Hudson Bay. Migration Nation tells the tale of twelve different North American animals (e.g. bison, cranes, gray whales) that set off on journeys each year in order to survive. As opposed to me hopping in the car because we’re low on milk.
One of the strengths of this book is the variety of ways that information is presented. You get interesting narratives that take a few paragraphs to explain why the animals migrate and what goes into making their journeys. There’s also a map with additional “quick facts” that add information that might not fit into the narrative. The author also points out the hazards that the animals face in traveling and how humans are trying to help improve these journeys. Check out this link to get a great preview of the style of the book. With the Ranger Rick brand, you’re getting eye-catching photographs as well.
Migration Nation is the nonfiction report after which you would want older students (4th-12th grade) to model their writing. In addition, you could show a section and talk about the text features that you see. Don’t hate me for saying this but the narratives are also the perfect size for practicing reading for a standardized test. You should migrate to your local book store or library and find a copy.
STEM Friday 