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Science is for the Birds
The ability to observe is a key component to the scientific method and bird watching is a great way
to practice observation skills. There are some very simple bird books that can help you identify the
birds that will come to your feeder or be in your backyard. Teach youngsters to look for general size
(little like a sparrow, medium like a Robin, large like a Crow) and colors. Students can also look for
differences in feet and beaks. An easy way to see this is to collect pictures from magazines and calendars.
(calendars usually go on sale in February!) Magazines such as Ranger Rick and Your Big Backyard have
wonderful pictures. Many stores now carry bird identification cards, some have actual photos and some have
drawings. Audubon also makes stuffed toys that have actual song of that particular bird (even Jo-Ann's Crafts
Stores) carries them. Watch out for the dollar store varieties as they may look right but not have the
accurate sounds. You can also buy recordings of bird calls too. Children have a great time imitating the
calls and some become quite good at this.
You don't have to be able to name the birds and in fact don't want to quickly name the birds for the youngsters.
Make it an adventure of discovery. Help decide what facts should be collected in the identification process. If
you model enthusiasm in your own learning you help youngsters to embrace life long learning.
Elementary Science Benchmarks:
1. Generate questions about the world based on observations. (What birds live around
your house? What do they eat? Where do they nest? Why are there so many birds? Are the same birds around school?...)
2. Develop solutions to problems. (What kind of food should we put out for the birds?
How can we attract birds to our school yards? What do we do with a baby bird on the ground?)
3. Manipulate simple devices. (funnel to put seed into the feeder, simple focus binoculars
can be used indoors to practice on pictures in the room, tape recorder to catch the songs of birds as well as digital
cameras)
4. Use simple measurement devices. (measuring cups or scale to measure the amount of food
to give to the birds)
5. Develop strategies and skills for information gathering (how to tell the difference
between birds using books, charts, internet, guest speakers)
6. Construct charts and graphs (comparing the number of different birds that visit the
bird feeder such as two cardinals, one blue jay using actual cut outs of the birds... graphing the results of
trying different cups of seeds to determine the birds feeding preferences.)
Multiple Intelligences Approach
The whole point of this approach is to use the outdoors
as well as models, physical games, and songs to help understand the natural world.
1. Tie in with mathematical: counting the number of birds that
come to the feeder and at what time of day. Is there a pattern for a particular kind of bird? Graph the numbers of
each species to see which food is preferred. You can try thistle, sunflower, (suet in the winter)... Buy sanitized
feathers from craft store as these won't have mites. Have students organize them by size, shape, or type.
2. Tie in with intrapersonal: journal of birds you observe and
reflect on what they are doing and why. (Can only a few feed at a time, do they seem to get along...) For example
children may watch birds spending a lot of time preening (arranging their feathers)... why do they do this? Give
each youngster a sanitized feather and have them tell a story of where the feather has been.
3. Tie in with interpersonal: have the children practice
different calls and then form families according to the calls... they can pretend to be parents of altricial
birds and have to bring food to their babies.... they can play follow the mother as precocial birds (see seperate
fact sheet)
4. Kinesthetic:
Walk like birds: the Robin hops, a Kildeer will pretend to have a broken wing, a chicken or turkey struts, waddle
like a duck or penguin, stand on one leg like a heron or penguin...)
Fly like bird:
-soar and swoop like hawks and eagles
-flap wings and dip and rise as you run like the roller coaster flight of goldfinches
- flap as fast as you can to be a hummingbird!
Buy my CD on birds (has more ideas as well as great songs)
... Okay, take familiar tunes and have students write birds songs like to "I'm a Little Teapot":
I am a bird that can not fly,
My body is too heavy to try.
I have long legs on which to stand.
I can run real fast on sand. (ostrich)
Make a poster or felt board of a tree with bare branches (so birds can be placed on the branches. Each child
is given a bird that is mostly one primary color. As that color bird is sung, then those children bring up
their birds to put on or around the tree. They get to invent the song. (To "London Bridges")
Little red bird in the tree, in the tree, in the tree,
Little red bird in the tree, sing me a song.
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