Alabama Wildlife Federation
Birding Lane
Birdwatching is a popular hobby. Young scientists test their knowledge of bird characteristics on their own bird-watching expedition. They take their journals on a walk and sketch the key characteristics of the birds they find while...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Adapt-A-Bird
Not every animal has the best features for its environment. Learners study the characteristics of birds and the implications of these characteristics as related to their environments. They use what they learn to create their own new...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Songbird Survey
Serenade your classes with a selection of bird songs. Scholars learn to identify birds by their songs with practice and then take their skills to the outdoors. They identify mating pairs while on a nature walk and repeat their walk over...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Fill the Bill
A hummingbird isn't the only bird with a unique beak. After a discussion about the specific characteristics of bird beaks, pupils complete a station rotation and use different tools to simulate the function of different beaks. They...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Birds are Everywhere
Wildlife includes all animals that have not been domesticated, both big and small. Young scientists search for all types of wildlife and more importantly for evidence that wildlife is present. As they venture in an outdoor space, they...
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Watch the Birdie
Many birds look alike until you focus on their specific characteristics—so let's do a little bird watching! Young scientists build their own binoculars to take on a hike. They then use them to locate and identify different species of birds.
Purdue University
Chirp! Chirp!
If you build it, they will come. Young scholars learn about local birds in an interesting hands-on instructional activity. They begin by identifying birds either from photos or in nature and then build their own bird feeders. The...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Jump, Glide, or Fly? Exploring Bird Evolution
How have birds evolved from prehistoric animals? With the three-part lesson plan, small groups first research different prehistoric animals and determine whether they are birds. Then, scholars explore different bird adaptations using the...
Larson Lab
Animal Classification
How are animals classified? Scholars explore animal classification by observing non-living and living specimens. They learn how to organize animals into vertebrates and invertebrates and identify the five vertebrate groups: mammals,...
Biology Junction
Birds
Birds adapted to almost every climate on the planet, from the Arctic to the rain forests. A presentation focused on birds covers their similarities and differences. It starts with their evolution from reptiles, their many physical...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Living Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?
Are birds descendants of dinosaurs? Learners consider the question as they watch an informative video comparing fossil records of dinosaurs with current species. Following the video, groups ponder the evidence to draw conclusions about...
Biology in Motion
Organize-It
Many pupils struggle to categorize and organize related content. Multiple quizzes on a variety of topics offer practice for these specific skills. Scholars move items around until they think each is placed in the proper position....
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Sorting Finch Species
Don't just tell your class about Darwin's finches ... show them! Sort some of science's most famous birds using an interactive lesson. Learners try their hand at classifying finches using song, sonogram, and beak appearance, as well as...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Vertebrate Circulatorium
When you get to the heart of the matter, you learn a lot about an organism by studying its circulatory system! A perfect resource for a zoology or anatomy class, the simulation gives users a peek inside a variety of vertebrates to...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Comparative Anatomy of the Domestic Chicken
Are chickens and crocodiles really related? Young scientists compare the bone structure of current domestic chickens to other animals throughout evolution. This helps them understand the branches that separate crocodiles and birds as...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Computational Chemistry—Chemistry Now
Can some plants make their own animal repellents? Science sleuths examine the properties of cinnamamide in pear trees using an case study about computational chemistry. The resource discusses how vital computers are to research, how...
Cornell University
Celebrate Urban Birds
Set up a 50x50 square foot area in a space at school and choose three days to go outside and observe the birds seen in a 10 minute span. The activity has learners tapping into their observation skills and creates awareness of the birds...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Amazing Birds
What's so amazing about birds? Find out just how amazing birds are with a physics of animal behavior unit created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Have learners explore and tap into their observational skills and notice how birds fly, what...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Bird Communication
Sing for your dinner! Investigate the purpose of bird songs and strategies birds use to communicate. Through the lessons, individuals learn how to recognize different types of bird communication as well as hypothesize the purpose of...
K5 Learning
The Fishhawk
Read about why the osprey is also known as the fishhawk in a short reading passage that describes where they live, what they eat, and what they look like. After reading, individuals respond to four short answer questions based on what...
Teach Engineering
Adapatations for Bird Flight - Inspiration for Aeronautical Engineering
It's a bird, it's a ... device made to mimic birds. The eighth installment of a nine-part module has pupils read various articles to learn about bird flight. They consider the implications for aeronautical engineering.
Rainforest Alliance
Stop and Smell the Flowers
It's a bird! It's a bee! Actually, it's your learners flying from flower to flower smelling their scents! Using paper flowers and essential oils, pupils flutter between flowers to use their sense of smell to experience how animals use...
Education Outside
Birder - Watcher
Take the class outside with a bird watching lesson. Young ornithologists participate in an outdoor activity that guides them on how to observe and study the feathered animals. After walking around school campus, bird watchers provide a...
WindWise Education
What is Wind Power's Risk to Birds?
How is risk determined? Through the use of a reading passage, individuals or groups learn about bird interactions with man made structures along with wind turbines. Pupils use information from the second reading passage to conduct an...