BIRDS
Directions: Answer the questions, write observations and make the drawings in your journal.
Materials:
Activity sheet for each student
Journal for each student
Feather for each student (or shared by several students)
Squares of construction paper; one for each pair of students.
Dropper and source of water for each pair of students.
Vaseline on a square of paper for each pair of students.
Lesson 1: Answer these questions in your journal.
1. What are some problems that birds have when they migrate?
2. How can people help migrating birds to survive?
Lesson 2:
3. In your journal, draw a contour feather by looking at a real feather. Use the diagram below to label the parts with these words: shaft, vane, barbs.
Birds continued
Lesson 3:
4. How do birds clean and waterproof their feathers? Write your ideas in your journal.
Then, conduct the preening experiment.
Preening Experiment
Directions: Select two squares of construction paper. Smear a layer of vaseline on one, covering the entire area. Using the dropper, place drops of water on both squares and observe.
5. Write your observations in your journal.
6. To participate in the tracking of bird migration, access JOURNEY NORTH.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
REFERENCES
Keepers of the Animals, p. 1; Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden Colorado