Learning about Birds

Suggestions Instruction:

Do a KWL (I Know-What I Want to Know -What I Learned) activity. Students need to have experiences with birds and the structure and function of their beaks, feathers and feet. There are sheets from the listed websites below that work well. The students also need knowledge of bird’s environment, which will be gained as they learn about the beaks, feathers and feet.

Have the students select 2 birds that they want to find more about. The Internet and the library provide great sources. (Resources Students could use a computer lab session looking up their bird. The high school lends out some of their birds. There may be Birders who would be willing to come in and speak.)

Have the students make out questions on cards.
1. Where does they bird live and what is it's habitat?
2. What does the bird eat and what does its beak look like?
3. What kind of feet does the bird have and how do they help the bird?
4. What kind of wing and feathers does the bird have and how do they help the bird?

Students can give a brief oral and/or written report about one of their bird. They could draw their bird or use build a bird to show what it looks like.

Lesson plans and units are available from several sources including the following Internet sites (***Starred sites are particularly helpful):

• ***http://www.state.nj.us/pinelands/infor/curric/pinecur/wfb.htm Lesson on classifying birds based on beaks and feet.

•***http://www.bonus.com/applets/bigpic/bigpic.cgi?REQUEST=start&MASTERDIR=birds Print your own bird coloring pages - Could be printed out and photocopied

•*** http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/ Information, pictures, and coloring pages of birds

• http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/uphamwoods/programs/animal.cfm Set of activities to introduce students to birds. • A PDF file

• http://naturalsciences.sdsu.edu/classes/lab2.8/lab2.8.html Lesson on adaptation and natural selection - This site provides more in depth instruction than is necessary for this assessment, but parts could be nicely adapted for work with K-2 students.

Literature connections can be made using the following books:

• What Makes a Bird a Bird? May Garlick;

• Birds, Birds, Birds by Sandra Stotksy;

• Beaks and Feet by Sarah O'Neil Birds;

• Golden Guide Book Eastern Birds;

• A Guide to Field Identification of North American Species by Golden Books;

• Have You Seen Birds? by Joanne Oppenheimer;

• About Birds - A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill;

• Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats by Jim Arnosky;

• National Geographic, My First Pocket Guide: Garden Birds by Terence Lindsey;

• Smithsonian Kids' Field Guides: Birds of North America East by Jo S. Kittinger.

Several Internet resources with general information about birds and birding are available.

•*** http://naturalsciences.sdsu.edu/classes/lab2.8/lab2.8.html Teacher background pages - several links for birding educational materials.

• http://www.birding.com/Bird_Identification.asp Teacher background information about birds and some good links at the bottom of the page

• http://www.wildbirds.com/kids_drawings.htm Bird jokes, facts, and stories for children

• http://www.birds.cornell.edu/bow/ Information, drawings, and photographs of many different birds.

• http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/kkvre/units/birds/vertebrate.html A unit on a vertebrate group (birds) includes Internet and print resources. Not all the links work, however there is an interesting activity.

• http://www.cumberlandcoveresort.com/ducklink.htm Site with information about ducks. Good duck drawings on this site

• http://www.state.me.us/sos/kids/ Maine Secretary of State's Kids' Page has information about Maine's State bird, The Black-capped Chickadee. Click All About Maine - State Symbols