Teaching Vectors, Scalars, Displacement, and Distance through the amazing migration of the Arctic Tern.

Studying the motion of the longest animal migration ever measured

The research conducted by Carsten Egevang of The Greenland Institute of Natural Resources revealed extraordinary facts about the migration of the Arctic Tern.

“ The Arctic tern is known to make the longest annual migration in the animal kingdom. During its breeding season, it is found far to the north where summer days are long, and it winters far south in the southern hemisphere, where the days are longest during November to February. This means that the Arctic tern probably experiences more sun light during a calendar year than any other creature on Earth. The long-distance travel of the Arctic tern is well-known both amongst researchers and in the broader public. Now, for the first time, technological advances allow us to follow the Arctic tern on its immense journey, practically from pole to pole.”

The information from the The Arctic Tern Migration Project website was used to discuss the following physics subjects:

• Displacement versus traveled distanced
• Average Speed and instantaneous speed
• Vectors

The following are sample lesson plans based on the Arctic Tern migration

• Measuring Speed
• Vectors versus Scalars
• Vector Addition