Birds in Pennsylvania's Forests and Waterways

Keywords: Habitat, Ornithology, Recreation; Grade Level: 4th; Total Time Required: 43 minutes over 1-2 classes; Setting: Classroom, Nature Trail-Outdoors

Goals for Lesson

  1. Students will be able to describe how habitat determines which birds live in that area
  2. Students will be able to describe the habitat of the birds of the northeast-specifically Pennsylvania
  3. 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

  1. Discuss with class the definition of ornithology
  2. Discuss the meaning of habitat
  3. Discuss what a bird needs to survive in its habitat-food supply,access to water, shelter
  4. Brainstorm -What birds are common in our area, where do you most often see these birds
  5. 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.
  6. Students will record species of birds sighted and the habitat where they were located.
  7. Have Students discuss their favorite bird on return to the classroom.
  8. 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