Keywords: Habitat, Ornithology, Recreation; Grade Level: 4th; Total Time Required: 43 minutes over 1-2 classes; Setting: Classroom, Nature Trail-Outdoors
Goals for Lesson
- Students will be able to describe how habitat determines which birds live in that area
- Students will be able to describe the habitat of the birds of the northeast-specifically Pennsylvania
- Students will engage in physical activity while identifying various birds
Materials Needed
Notebooks or tablets,pencils, field guide for identifying birds. Cardboard, foamboard, or thin plywood, tape, paper cloth or adhesive paper. Stapler, glue.
State Standards Addressed:
- 4.1.4A Ecology-Living things are dependent on other living and nonliving things for survival
- 10.4.3A-Engaging in activities that promote health and physical fitness
Subjects Covered: Environmental Science, Physical Education
Topics Covered: Habitat, Ornithology
Teaching Model: none utilized
Methods
- Discuss with class the definition of ornithology
- Discuss the meaning of habitat
- Discuss what a bird needs to survive in its habitat-food supply,access to water, shelter
- Brainstorm -What birds are common in our area, where do you most often see these birds
- Students may work with a partner to identify birds. They will bring along a tablet or notebook, pencil and reference. Remind students that for the best sightings the need to be quiet.
- Students will record species of birds sighted and the habitat where they were located.
- Have Students discuss their favorite bird on return to the classroom.
- Students then make a three-sided display of their favorite bird including where the bird nests, how many eggs it usually has, color of eggs, what it eats. Students could also make poster with this information. Display projects.
Enrichment:
- Students could brainstorm and discuss ways of improving their birds habitat,
- Students could listen to birdsongs to try to identify various birdsongs.
Evaluation
Three-Sided Displays, Posters
Literature/Sources
"Advancing in Forestry" 4-H Resources Advanced Guide by Penn State Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension
"Wildlife is All Around Us" by 4-H Wildlife Conservation Program, Unit 1
"The Backyard Bird Lover's Field Guide by Sally Roth
Enrichment: Birdsong Indentiflier - For the Birds LLC. www.identiflier.com
Author
Carol Wojtowich, Moshannon Valley Elementary School Grades K-6