Lesson 1Lesson Title: Birds
Lesson Content Objectives: • Review the topic of birds• Have children become aware of birds in their environment• Use sense of sight, hearing, and touch to learn about birds• Observe birds habitats• Begin to familiarize between different kinds of birds• Give children first hand experience with observing nature in their surroundings so that they can observe birds at home
MA Curriculum Frameworks:Earth and Space Sciences:1. Recognize that water, rocks, soil, and living organisms are found on the earths surfaceInquiry Skills4. Record observations and share ideas through simple forms of representations such as drawingsLiving Things and Their Environment15. Use their sense of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste to explore their environment using sensory vocabulary Language Learning Objectives: The students will become familiar with words used to describe birds, their basic anatomy, and other characteristics of birds.
KeyVocabulary:• bird• beak/bill• claw• feather• flying• nest• egg• habitat• migration
Materials:• Paper• Camera• Binoculars• Pencils• Crayons• Markers• KWL chart• Bird poster• Feathers• Computer• About Birds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill
Planning Background: The children will visit the Bird’s World birdhouse at the Franklin Park Zoo. There they will encounter many different species of birds from around the world. This purpose of this lesson is to further familiarize students with birds in their environment and give them a general knowledge of birds. Procedures/Activities: The purpose of the following activities are to extend students knowledge of birds that we had encountered on our field trip and birds in general. Students will have the opportunity to listen to bird sounds, see and touch birds feathers and eggs, and go on a bird walk to see what types of birds that can be seen around the neighborhood of the school.
• Launch (10 minutes): Using a KWL chart the class will review what they Know about birds, Want to know about birds, and what they have Learned about birds. About Birds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill will be read to the whole class.
• Explore (30 minutes): A bird poster will be presented to the class so they may see all of the different types of birds found around the world. They will be asked to identify any birds they may have seen on the field trip. Students will be able to see and feel different types of feathers from different types of birds. Students will use the computer to listen to bird songs and see bird pictures: www.naturesongs.com/birds.html. We will go on a bird walk around the school building and look for birds using our binoculars, and listen for bird songs that we heard on the naturesongs.cm website. We will also try and capture pictures of birds.
• Summarize (5 minutes): As a whole group, we will share which birds we encountered (saw, heard) on our walk. The children will be provided with art paper to draw pictures of birds they had seen and will be provided with journals to record bird information, new vocabulary, and record information about birds they may encounter at home.
Extensions across the curriculum:• Art: Children will draw and color pictures of birds• Music: Children will listen to different bird sounds and try and mimic bird songs• ELA: Children will learn new vocabulary related to birds• History/Social Science: Students will discuss why they see the birds they see (history of climate, etc).
Assessments: I will assess students by looking at the artwork they created and looking at what they had recorded in their journal. I will also assess them by what they had contributed to the whole class discussion and KWL chart.
Evidence of Student Outcomes: Student outcomes will be evidenced by the work they do in their journals and the art work they create on the topic of birds.
Homework/Home links: Children will be sent home with their journals and asked to document any birds they may see, record any birds songs they may hear, and draw pictures of birds.
Accommodations:ADD/HD student will be designated at the teachers helper to help keep them engaged in the task at hand.ELL student will benefit from hearing the sounds of birds, singing bird songs, and seeing visuals. Bibliography:Massachusetts Department of Education Massachusetts Kindergarten Learning Experiences (MA Curriculum Frameworks)
Lesson 2Lesson Title: Native (New England/Massachusetts) Birds
Lesson Content Objectives: • Students will become familiar with birds that are native to New England• Students will become familiar with the different seasons and what they mean for birds and other life forms• Students will become familiar with how birds survive in different climates• Students will become familiar with the concept of migration
MA Curriculum Frameworks:Living Things and Their Environment6. By the end of grade 2, students will recognize that people and other animals interact with the environment through their senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.7. By the end of grade 2, students will recognize changes in appearance that animals and plants go through as the seasons change.Weather (Earth and Space Science)3. By the end of grade 2, students will describe the weather changes from day to day and over the seasons.Periodic Phenomena (Earth and Space Science)5. By the end of grade 2, students will identify some events around us that have repeating patterns, including the seasons of the year, day and night.
Language Learning Objectives: Students will learn names of different birds species. Students will learn descriptive words about the seasons, climate, and environment.
Key Vocabulary:• seasons• summer• spring• winter• fall• cold• frigid• migration• climate• survival Materials:• Paper• Pencils• Crayons• Markers• KWL chart• Native Bird poster• Bird matching game cards• Map of Massachusetts• Our Seasons by Grace Lin and Ranida T. Mckneally Planning Background: Students will have previously been exposed to different types of birds from both the field trip at the zoo and in the first lesson.
Procedures/Activities:
Launch (10 minutes): Using a poster chart the children will be asked how many birds they counted on their walk (math connection), what type of birds they saw (size, color, etc), what types of bird sounds they heard, and what birds they saw at home and recorded in their journals? These will all be charted on the poster chart. Our Seasons by Grace Lin and Ranida T. Mckneally will be read to the class to introduce different seasons.
Explore (30 minutes): Introduce the poster with different types of birds that we may see in Massachusetts: • Fulvous Whistling-Duck• Snow Goose• Masked Duck• Wild Turkey• Blue Jay• Pigeon• Owl• Black capped chickadee Discuss what may attract these birds to Massachusetts (weather, plant life, food, etc). Q: Do you tend to see more birds in the winter or the warmer months? (segue into the environment, migration, etc.).Discuss the different seasons: cold winters/warm summers. Discuss why some birds migrate or travel to warmer areas during the winter so they can find food, shelter, and water. Some birds do not migrate, these are called winter birds. Winter birds are able to stay warm in winter and find food. Ask the students questions such as: How do birds keep warm in the winter? (wait for answers then introduce feathers (provide insulation), huddling in nests, etc.) How do birds find food? What do they eat? Why do they eat? (Introduce concepts of finding food and why birds, like humans, need nourishment to sustain themselves). The students will play a bird matching game where they match birds to the seasons. We will also sing bird songs.
Summarize (5 minutes): Recap the types of birds we learned about and what types of birds we may see in our bird feeder (which we will make in our next lesson).
Assessments: Students can be assessed by looking at what they wrote in their bird journals at home and what they recalled about what they had previously learned about birds.
Evidence of Student Outcomes: Student outcomes will be evidenced by their contribution to the chart, and how well they did in the bird matching game.
Homework/Home links: Students will continue to work in their journals at home and keep track of any new birds they see. Each student will be asked to bring in a milk carton to make their own bird feeder (the teacher will also bring one in to make the classroom bird feeder).
Accommodations:ADD/HD student will be designated as the chart recorder which will keep them focused on the task at hand.ELL student will benefit from the read aloud, singing songs, and playing the bird matching game which uses pictures along with words. Bibliography:Massachusetts Department of Education Massachusetts Kindergarten Learning Experiences (MA Curriculum Frameworks)
Lesson 3Lesson Title: Building a Bird Feeder Lesson Content Objectives: • Students will be able to identify local birds and their habitats by building a bird feeder and observing the birds that visit the feeder. • Students will identify materials that may be used to build a bird feeder.• Students will figure out how to properly use materials and tools to make a bird feeder• Students will learn how to build a bird feeder MA Curriculum Frameworks:Living Things and Their Environment8. By the end of grade 2, students will identify the ways in which an organism's habitat provides for its basic needs (plants require air, water, nutrients, and light; animals require food, water, air, and shelter).Materials and Tools (Technology/Engineering)1.1: By the end of grade 2, students will identify and describe characteristics of natural materials (e.g., wood, cotton, fur, wool) and human-made materials (e.g., plastic, Styrofoam).1.2: By the end of grade 2, students will identify and explain some possible uses for natural materials (e.g., wood, cotton, fur, wool) and human-made materials (e.g., plastic, Styrofoam).1.3: By the end of grade 2, students will identify and describe safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g., glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct simple structures. Language Learning Objectives: Students will learn the names of familiar birds and birds native to Massachusetts. Key Vocabulary:• Blue Jay• Pigeon• Owl• Black capped chickadee• bird feeder• bird seed• habitat Materials:• 1 large/half-gallon milk carton• Some twine or strong string• 1 hole punch• 1 stapler• 1 small, penknife or pocket knife• 2 wooden dowels about 8" long and 1/3" thick (two old wooden chopsticks would do)• 2 or three colors of non-toxic poster paint and a small brush• 1 package of wild bird feed Planning Background: Students will have previously identified the types of birds typically seen in Massachusetts. Procedures/Activities:Launch (5 minutes): Students will be introduced to the materials they will need to build the bird feeder. They will watch a short introduction video on how to build the feeder.Explore (35 minutes): Students will be provided with the materials they need to build their feeders. Students will work in pairs and after building the structure of their feeder they will paint them. Finally, students will add birdseed to their feeders. Students will also work together as a group to build and paint the classroom feeder.Summary (5 minutes): Students will discuss the best place to hang the class feeder so that they will be able to observe birds while in the classroom. They will also share where they will hang their feeders at home. Students will discuss which birds they expect to see in the feeders. Assessments: Students will be assessed on their ability to follow instruction when building their feeder. Evidence of Student Outcomes: Student outcomes will be evidenced by the way they built their bird feeder. Homework/Home links: Students will bring home their bird feeders and hang them somewhere outside their home where they can observe the birds in the feeder. Students will record data in their bird journals. Accommodations: ADD/HD student will be designated as the teachers assistant and hand out the materials which will keep them focused on the task at hand.ELL student will be provided with pictures of the birds they may see at home, the pictures will also have the name and pronunciation of the name on the back. Bibliography:Massachusetts Department of Education Massachusetts Kindergarten Learning Experiences (MA Curriculum Frameworks)