About This Lesson
Students trace the incredible 3,000-mile journey ospreys make each fall from Long Island Sound to South America — and learn real map skills while they do it.
Using a blank printable map, students label U.S. states and South American countries, trace the migration route, and mark key landmarks including Long Island Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Amazon River. A completed answer key and teacher guide are included, so no prep or background knowledge is required.
Skills practiced: Map reading, spatial reasoning, geography vocabulary, and understanding how coastlines and waterways support animal migration.
Great for: Science units on animal adaptations and life cycles, geography and map-skills blocks, Earth Day and migration season.
This activity can pair with Soar, an award-winning chapter book about twin ospreys on their first migration by Letitia B. Burton. Free companion resources — study guide, writing prompts, science lessons, and a full curriculum guide — are available at letitiabburton.com/teacher-resources/soar
Subjects: Science, Social Studies/Geography, ELA
Resource type: Activity / Worksheet
Topics: Migration, ospreys, birds, map skills, geography, animal adaptations
