KC U4 R3 “Operation Migration”

“Operation Migration”

This article tells about the efforts of scientists to protect the population of endangered whooping cranes in North America. The cranes all migrate together in one flock, and scientists are worried that disease might kill them. They started a ten-year plan to start a second flock that would nest in Wisconsin and winter in
Florida. First, they needed to see if young cranes could successfully make the 1,250-mile flight. They decided to test this with young sandhill cranes, which are not endangered. The scientists trained the birds to follow a slow-moving “ultralight” plane. On October 3, 2000, the plane and thirteen sandhill cranes left
from Wisconsin. Forty days later, eleven cranes landed in Florida. The first part of Operation Migration was a success.

Key Words

• endangered species: a kind of animal whose numbers are so small, it risks becoming extinct
• migration: the movement of animals from one region to another
• monitor: to carefully watch for changes
• population: the number of animals living in an area
• rare: not seen or found very often
• refuge: a safe place set aside for people or animals

Academic Words

interaction = the activity of talking with
other people and working together with them ➡ There was constant interaction between the
scientists as they performed the experiment.
outcome = the final result of a meeting,
process, etc. ➡ The experiment’s outcome was successful—
the birds completed their migration.
route = the way from one place to another ➡ Migrating animals follow the same route home
year after year.
substitute = someone who does someone
else’s job ➡ The scientist fed the chicks. He acted as a
substitute for the chicks’ mother.

Word Study: Suffi x -ion

Spelling and Pronouncing the Suffix -ion
Some students may have difficulty spelling and pronouncing words with the suffix
-ion. Students may spell the words the way they sound and write educashon
instead of education, or migrashan instead of migration, or expressian instead
of expression. By the same token, students may read the words the way they
are spelled and say eh-du-ca-tee-ohn or mi-gray-tee-ohn or ex-pres-ee-ohn.
Point out that by far the most words that end like shon are spelled -tion or
-sion. Examples are: tense/tension, react/reaction, pollute/pollution, and
imitate/imitation. Write a few verbs on the board and ask volunteers to form the
noun. Then read a few nouns ending on -ion and ask volunteers to write them on
the board.

Highlighted Words

ultralight, airplane with a single seat that weighs less than
115 kilograms (254 lbs.)
publicity stunt, action performed to get attention
naturalists, people who study nature, or who work to preserve nature
biologists, scientists who study living things
flock, group of birds
disaster, sudden, terrible event
hatching, breaking through an egg in order to be born
stay shy of, avoid
breeze, gentle wind
glide, easily move through the air
aloft, high up in the air
veterinary, relating to health care for animals
trailblazing, first ever

GRAMMAR, USAGE, AND MECHANICS

Subject-Verb Agreement
In order to convey a clear message when you write, it’s important that subjects and verbs agree in your sentences.
A plural subject takes a plural verb.