Eagles: A Shared Resource

Just as each classroom and each family has its own rules that define order and

How many invisible political borders do the eagles cross?

reflect values, so do cities, provinces, states, and nations make their own rules. Political units along the eagle migration trail may have different rules; no single person or country is in charge.

Migrating adult Bald eagles cross many invisible political boundaries in yearly migrations to their nesting grounds. How might crossing through neighboring political units, each with its own rules, affect an eagle as it migrates? (Consider the need for food, roosting places, clean water, clean air, and safety from hazards such as traffic, predators, and pesticides.)

Do you think there are different rules in Canada and the United States that affect the eagles? What reasons might account for these differences? (Sample answers might include: differences in standard of living that result in different priorities for whose needs come first; differences in value placed upon natural resources; differences in availability of funding or in attitudes of law makers; lack of awareness about what eagles need for survival.)


Journaling Questions
  1. What can you do as an individual to be a good neighbor for the eagles as they pass through your community?
  2. What kinds of rules would you make to provide for the needs of the eagles?
  3. Compile a class list of the borders. Point out that for each border the eagle crosses, it relies on good neighbors for survival. Because eagles migrate and travel freely among borders, they are treasured resources shared by all of us; we are all responsible for their safe passage.