PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Birds in Flight, What a Sight!
This lesson has been designed to show students the unique structure that birds possess--feathers--and how they maneuver them in flight.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Biology: Bird Structure and Function
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] An overview of flight structures in birds.
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Museum of Nature: How Do Birds Fly?
Have you ever wondered about how birds are able to fly? View three 3D animations to see a bird take off, flap in flight and glide. This is an excellent resource to develop an understanding of the physical forces that make this one of the...
University of California
Ucmp: The Evolution of Flight in Birds
Evidence from the fossil record is used to support bird evolution from small carnivorous dinosaurs. In the student module, feathers, behavior, and skeletal structure are examined in an interactive lesson designed to impart a complete...
University of Wisconsin
The Why Files: Flying South for the Winter?
A look at long-distance migration reveals a surprising pattern. Migration did not originate in the tropics, home to bird diversity.
San Diego Zoo Global
San Diego Zoo: Birds
This resource provides detailed information about birds, as well as several pictures.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Life Science: Birds
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] There is an amazingly wide variety of birds. Birds are vertebrates. Almost all have forelimbs modified as wings, but not all birds can fly. Learn more about birds in...
Other
National Aviary: Curriculum: Wings to Fly
Richly illustrated interactive activity leads you through an investigation of bird wings. Includes interesting comparisons of the bones in a bird's wings with those in human arms and of the design of wings in birds versus planes.
DLTK
Kidzone: All About Birds
This is comprehensive site covers the characteristics of birds and looks at various birds through pictures and words. Several puzzles are included and the degree of difficultly can be changed.
Other
Australian Museum: Birds in Backyards: Bird Finder
Need to identify a bird you saw flying through the sky while you were in Australia? This is the place to go. Choose a the size, color, then a shape and finally add any distinguishing marks. Then read about the bird you saw.
Other
Council for Environmental Education: Flying Wild: The Birding Beat [Pdf]
Activity that teaches students how to identify birds. Some useful characteristics to watch for include silhouette, habitat, plumage, sounds, and behavior.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Projectile Motion With Angry Birds
Analyze the path of a bird's flight as it attempts to obliterate pigs in the well-known game, Angry Birds. Comes with lab activities, a video, and a simulation. The latter requires software called Tracker, which is free to download.
Other
Ornithology: Bird Flight
Excellent coverage of the adaptations and actions of birds in regard to flight. Contains specific information, diagrams, and pictures.
University of California
Ucmp: Vertebrate Flight
A very solid Berkeley site on the structure and function of bird flight. Topics include skeletal and muscular adaptations for flight.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Can't Some Birds Fly?
Gillian Gibb explores what makes birds give up the power of flight.
Canadian Wildlife Federation
Hinterland Who's Who: Canvasback
Get the facts about the Canvasback, a wild duck who only lives in North America. Besides finding a detailed physical description of one of the fastest flying ducks, you?ll also learn about some of this bird?s unique facts and...
PBS
Pbs Nova: Flying Casanovas
Here's another great website that is a companion to a PBS television series. This time the show was called "Flying Casanovas" and the topic is bowerbirds. A lot about courtship and behavior in these bird groups. There's even a matching...
Other
National Aviary: Curriculum: Bird or Dinosaur? The Feather: Three Jobs
Activity leads you through an investigation of three key functions of feathers: insulation, flight, and display.
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University
De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: A Proud Flight [Pdf]
"A Proud Flight" is a one page, Greek myth about Icarus and Daedelus. The father and son were imprisoned, and in order to escape, Daedelus made wings using bird feathers covered with wax. He warned Icarus not to get too near the sun or...
University of California
Ucmp: Are Birds Really Dinosaurs?
A great essay that illustrates how science is done as well as the relationship between dinosaurs and modern birds. Includes a picture to illustrate this concept, and contains many links to related sites.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Flying High: Bird Man
Investigate and demonstrate principles of flight with the Flying Tim Bird. Draw a hypothetical model of the mechanism inside the toy bird that makes the wings flap, then experiment with and videotape its flight to explain how lift works...
DOGO Media
Dogo News: Week of 3 10 14: Orphaned Pelican Learns to Fly With Some Human Help
Article reports on how humans are helping an injured and orphaned Great White pelican learn to fly and care for himself in the wild. Includes a brief video.
Other
Pacifier Online: Bird Flight Basics
This site provides a simplified explanation of the physics of flight. Site provides information about lift, drag, weight, thrust, Bernoulli's Principle, and much more.
PBS
Pbs the Life of Birds: Evolution and Anatomy of Flight
This lesson plan, designed to accompany the PBS series "Life of Birds," explores how environmental pressures influenced the evolution of wings, how natural selection resulted in the diversity of bird species, and the mechanics of bird...
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