Flying Creatures, Lesson 2: What Makes a Bird a Bird?

Lesson 2: What Makes a Bird a Bird?
How we implemented "Exploring Creation through Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, Lesson 1
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Links will be updated as we add new blogs and web pages. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but an List of the activities, projects and resources that we actually used to complete the lesson (like a window into our science class!).

Please check back for web pages on key concepts, strategies and skills as I write them.
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Key Concepts: field identification, anatomy, field marks, behavior, communication, experiment, variable, measurement, scientific and common names

Key Strategies: using field marks, keeping a journal, making an organized list, mapping

Key Skills: identifying birds, using a field guide, following a procedure, measuring
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Subtopics
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(includes links to correspond web pages and blog entries, as we complete each and post about it)

• Bird Watching (pp. 22-23)
• Benefits of Birds (pp. 23-24)
• Identifying Birds (p. 24)
• Field Guides (p. 25)
• Do You Reside Here? (pp. 25-26)
• Field Marks (pp. 26-27)
• Wings (p. 28)
• Crests (p. 29)
• What's in a Name? (p. 29)
• Passerines (pp. 29-30)
• From Large to Small (p. 30)
• Bird Behavior (pp. 30-31)
• Habitats (p. 31)
• Bird Banter (pp. 31-32)
• Songs & Calls (pp. 32-33)
• Claims to Territory (p. 33)
• The Purpose of Calls (p. 34)
• Other Communications (p. 34)
• Bird Banding (pp. 34-36)
• Nature Points (p. 36)

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Additional Readings
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Sparrows Nature Study:

• The Burgess Bird Book for Children: (Stories 1-4)
• Handbook of Nature Study (pp.83-91)
• National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

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Activities, Experiments and Projects

 Showing and Telling --

• Daily oral narration
• "Fascinating Facts About Birds" notetaking activity
• Written narration: "What Do You Remember?"
• Scripture copywork
• Vocabulary crossword
• Notebook activity: "Map a Bird"
• Notebooking pages --  house sparrow, song sparrow, white-throat sparrow, white-crowned sparrow

Strategies to Learn --

• Try This! - (Using field markings to identify)
• Try This! - (Using field markings to describe)
• Try This! - (Using bird songs, calls and sounds to identify)
• Mapping field markings

Experiments to Conduct --

• Scientific Experiment: Which Food Do the Birds in Your Yard Prefer?

Things to Create --

• Project: Build Two Bird Feeders
• Birds Mini-book

Other Things to Do --

• Nature Points: Birds in My Yard (life list) [NOTE: We created ours online, using Birdstack]

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Other Links and Internet Resources
Handbook of Nature Study (Harmony Arts)
WhatBird -- the Ultimate Field Guide
Birdstack