App review by Mark Raby, Common Sense Education | Updated December 2013
Mission Migration

Mission Migration

Fun mini-games help teach about bird ecosystems

Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
Community rating
Based on 2 reviews
Privacy rating
Not yet rated Expert evaluation by Common Sense
Grades
3–4 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
Science, Critical Thinking
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Mac, Windows
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Take a look inside

4 images
In the game, players join a flock of birds as they fly across various terrains and environments.
There are a handful of mini-games, including one where players need to land on top of an area filled with various environmental hazards.
Players are scored based on how well they do in each round. If they fail to complete a goal, they can start the round over again without penalty.
Most of the game involves navigating a flock of birds in an arcade-style mini-game where players avoid oncoming obstacles like planes and storm clouds.

Pros: Fun and engaging game about birds coming from a trusted source of educational material.

Cons: Mini-games do not align perfectly with actual learning content.

Bottom Line: This official game of the National Audubon Society is a good tool for grade schoolers

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

This game is presented as a single-player game. Its application in the classroom would be most applicable in a computer lab or similar setting, where each student can play along on his or her own. Additionally, teachers could encourage kids to play through the game at home, and be prepared to discuss what they learned in class the next day.

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Standards:

Kids are presented with information about birds, their migration patterns, and general details about their ecosystem, as they play through mini-games that are loosely connected to this material. For example, there is an arcade-style mini-game where kids have to avoid crashing into airplanes and other hazards, which is not exactly a realistic depiction of the typical bird migration practice. However, these mini-games keep kids engaged and focused, which helps when the game interrupts the mini-games to present factual content.

The educational material in this game comes directly from the National Audubon Society, so it can be trusted and used alongside any relevant curriculum. It is not built specifically as a classroom tool, but if kids play through the game on their own, they are likely to learn something about the complex ecosystem and migration patterns of birds. Unfortunately, most of this learning is placed on top of the gaming, instead of being baked into the gameplay.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

This game strikes a good balance between educational content and interactive gameplay. The use of fun mini-games in between the learning content helps with maintaining the engagement level.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

The gameplay mechanics and mini-games are loosely connected to the actual educational material in the game. These mini-games keep kids engaged and focused, which helps when the game interrupts the mini-games to present factual content.

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

The game is presented with little in the way of tutorials or other guidance. However, kids can continue to play through each segment until they are able to complete it.

Common Sense reviewer
Mark Raby
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Key Standards Supported

Reading Informational Text

  • RI.3.1

    Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

  • RI.3.2

    Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

  • RI.4.1

    Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

  • RI.4.2

    Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

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Community Rating

(See all 2 reviews) (2 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Jennifer V. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Gallego Basic Elementary School
Tucson, United States
extremely informative game conveys key information about migratory birds
I like this game a great deal because it engages kids without sacrificing content for flashy animations. It's keeps the kids engaged (clicking, manipulating birds with arrows) without allowing the game play parts of the game to subsume the content. Again, if the students don't read the blurbs, much of the value will be lost, so you need to find some way to hold them accountable for this.
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