An Inquiry Into Backyard Birds:
Students take ownership of the projects through preparation of their own bird feeders, maintaining a journal, and designing and conducting a research project.
We read the story A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood. It talked about finding a space to feel calm in. We learned that Natures Place is in front of our school, and we found a place to observe and be quiet in.
The students are beginning to examine how plants and animals belong in their natural environment. We have begun this through looking at birds indigenous to our local area.
Activities:
Make a Birdfeeder:
Make Ice Birdfeeders. Using muffin trays, sprinkle bird seeds and dried fruit into the water filled tins and freeze. Have students hang the ice-birdfeeders outside on their favorite trees. Have students observe the birdfeeders everyday for a week and note any changes.
Create a bird sounds -sound map:
Have your students go outside on a bird-walk. Look and listen for signs of birds. Sign out the binocular kit. Create a soundmap wrap up your time outside, listening to birds.
Community Walks:
Students observed birds through our community walk and our visit to our local Bird Sanctuary. Students have developed skills for: describing and classifying, recording observations and making predictions.
We had a visit from a guest who is very excited about birds –Andrew Styles. He inspired us to become passionate about birds and their environments!
We are enthusiastically waiting for our visit from Oberon, a great horned owl, who will be brought in from the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. He is an owl that was injured and is now used for education and to bring awareness to the Rehab Centre.
As children made observations, vocabulary to describe birds were introduced to aid them in making accurate observations.
“The Canadian Geese look like they are racing in the Olympics as they circle in the air!” Noah
Journaling is an important part of our work. Through sketches and written observations, students engaged in the scientific process as they observed the world.
This project would also allow us to share our data into a national project. Project FeederWatch is an ongoing scientific research project that involves thousands of North American students. Each winter, participants collect and submit data on the numbers of each species of bird using their feeders. By analyzing these data scientists can monitor the winter distribution and population status of various bird species. These data are particularly useful for monitoring populations of northern nesting species.
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/learning-games/
Students take ownership of the projects through preparation of their own bird feeders, maintaining a journal, and designing and conducting a research project.
- To foster real-world inquiry based scientific investigations (guided and open) within our classroom.
- To foster the realization that the respect of the natural world is not separate from our urban environment.
- To understand how are birds and humans lives interconnected through their shared environments.
We read the story A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood. It talked about finding a space to feel calm in. We learned that Natures Place is in front of our school, and we found a place to observe and be quiet in.
The students are beginning to examine how plants and animals belong in their natural environment. We have begun this through looking at birds indigenous to our local area.
Activities:
Make a Birdfeeder:
Make Ice Birdfeeders. Using muffin trays, sprinkle bird seeds and dried fruit into the water filled tins and freeze. Have students hang the ice-birdfeeders outside on their favorite trees. Have students observe the birdfeeders everyday for a week and note any changes.
Create a bird sounds -sound map:
Have your students go outside on a bird-walk. Look and listen for signs of birds. Sign out the binocular kit. Create a soundmap wrap up your time outside, listening to birds.
Community Walks:
Students observed birds through our community walk and our visit to our local Bird Sanctuary. Students have developed skills for: describing and classifying, recording observations and making predictions.
We had a visit from a guest who is very excited about birds –Andrew Styles. He inspired us to become passionate about birds and their environments!
We are enthusiastically waiting for our visit from Oberon, a great horned owl, who will be brought in from the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. He is an owl that was injured and is now used for education and to bring awareness to the Rehab Centre.
As children made observations, vocabulary to describe birds were introduced to aid them in making accurate observations.
“The Canadian Geese look like they are racing in the Olympics as they circle in the air!” Noah
Journaling is an important part of our work. Through sketches and written observations, students engaged in the scientific process as they observed the world.
This project would also allow us to share our data into a national project. Project FeederWatch is an ongoing scientific research project that involves thousands of North American students. Each winter, participants collect and submit data on the numbers of each species of bird using their feeders. By analyzing these data scientists can monitor the winter distribution and population status of various bird species. These data are particularly useful for monitoring populations of northern nesting species.
https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/learning-games/