Backyard Birds: Who's Who Out There?

An Activity Using Spreadsheets to Analyze Primary Data




Overview/Introduction:

The diversity of animal life that exists in an area can be considered a measure of its biological richness, productivity and stability. That diversity is in turn dependent upon the diversity of plants, soils, other organisms, and weather in the habitat itself. When humans move into an area, changes in the habitats and ecosystems take place, causing changes in the assortment of plants and animals found there. Some species are driven out altogether, while some increase in number unnaturally. New species are introduced and can, in the absence of natural enemies, take over the niches of species native to the area. In the following activity, students will explore their surroundings to survey their local bird population for its diversity, learning which species are native and which are introduced. Students will then draw conclusions about the "health" of the natural diversity of bird life of the area.

Purpose or Objective:

  1. To practice techniques of field observation and data-gathering while studying the local bird population;

  2. To describe an ecosystem as a complex combination of elements, which can affect or be affected by each other;

  3. To determine the effects of human intrusion on the bird life in their area and make judgments regarding the positive/negative results based on their findings;

  4. To recognize what biodiversity is and its role in the maintenance of life on earth;

  5. To use spreadsheet software to represent graphically the data gathered during the activity

  6. To draw conclusions about the state of native bird life in the area based on the data they gather.

Time Required: About 1.5 hours/day for a minimum of 5 days. Discussion time will vary.

Materials, Tools, and Resources Needed:

For Field Activity: (For each group of 4-5 students)

  • Bird field guides of local area (if available) or other general guide

  • Clipboard, pencil and Data Chart

  • Several sheets of drawing paper

  • Binoculars
Optional:
  • Stopwatch

  • Instant camera/film

For Classroom Activity:
  • Computer with spreadsheet software (i.e., Excel, ClarisWorks, AppleWorks), color printer

  • Books that give information on birds of the Greater Los Angeles area

  • Books that give information on birds of North America

For Assessment:
  • Butcher or Chart paper

  • Markers

Tutorials:

Teacher Preparation:

Scout out an area on the schoolyard or in a nearby park or vacant lot where there are trees and shrubs, and where you can safely take the students to work in small groups. Check the area for bird activity, keeping in mind that the earlier in the morning you go out, the more birds you will see. Recruit parent volunteers to help monitor the groups.

Prerequisite Student Knowledge:

CA Science Content Standards Grade K--LS2a, c

2. Different types of plants and animals inhabit the Earth

    a. how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the appearance and behavior of plants and animals (e.g., seed-bearing plants, birds, fish, insects).

    c. how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g., stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs)

CA Science Content Standards Grade 1--LS2a, Grade 2- IE4e

2. Plants and animals meet their needs in different ways.

    a. different plants and animals inhabit different kinds of environments and have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places.
4. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content of the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

    e. construct bar graphs to record data using appropriately labeled axes.

Procedure:

Opening Discussion:

Ask the students what the world would be like if everyone looked exactly the same. You will probably elicit responses such as, "It would be boring!" and "We wouldn't know one person from another!" Ask them to think about a world where there were just one or two kinds of dogs, cats, and birds, or only a few kinds of animals at all! What would life be like?

Have students think about the value of having a diversity of life forms around them. Discuss the roles various types of animals play in ecosystems, such as consumers of other animals or plants. (Example: if there were no snakes, we would probably have a rodent explosion!) Explain that, as each person has a job to do in the world, so do animals. If we remove one type of animal from an existing ecosystem, that system cannot function the same as it did before. Usually a lack of, or overabundance of something is created in that ecosystem. It is not the same, and other plants and animals are now affected by the loss of that species.

Tell students that they will be carrying out some activities which will help them find out if the area in which they live has been changed from its natural state, and if these changes have been for the good or bad of the ecosystem.

Talk with the class about their knowledge of birds. Ask them if they can describe any birds they have ever seen, name any they are familiar with, and what they know about how birds behave. With older children, they can brainstorm different types of birds they are already acquainted with. Chart their responses for future reference.

Explain to the class that they are going to be "Field Biologists" and gather information (data) on what kinds of birds are found in their local area. Divide the class into groups of 4-5 students, giving each group a clipboard, bird field guide, binoculars, and drawing paper. In each group, designate a Recorder, Timekeeper, Artist, and Observer(s). They will use their senses of sight and hearing to locate and observe the birds, then write down what they find out on the Data Sheet as the group's artist sketches what is seen. Have them take special note of what the birds are eating if they observe them foraging for food.

Outdoor Activity:

Do at least one week of observations, 1/2 hour twice a day, preferably first thing in the morning and as late as possible in the school day. Do the observations at the same times each day.
(Note: More days of observation will refine your study and make the data more significant. The study can be done on a year-round basis to account for migration and seasonal residency of bird populations.)

  • Take the class to the designated area outside and set them to work:

    Observers--Spot and watch the birds, describing to the Recorder what the birds are doing and where they are located (on a tree, on the ground, eating, singing, preening their feathers, etc.) Count the number of each type of bird seen.

    Recorder--Write on the Data Chart the numbers counted and observations made of the birds, naming them if possible.

    Artist--Draw a picture of any bird seen for a long enough period of time.

    Timekeeper--Time how long the team is observing and let the group know when it is time to return.

  • Observers can check in the field guide to see if they can find the birds seen. If enough description is written down while observing them, students can refer to the guide in class to identify them.

  • Many birds are observed in groups. Have the observers count how many of a particular kind of bird is seen in each group.

    [Tip: When one observer spots a bird, the other observer, if there is a second one, should focus on that same bird to get more accurate information.]

    Indoor Activity: -- 30 minutes a day during the study; 1 hour on the last day

  • After the morning observation, bring the groups inside to compile their data. Allow about a half-hour for reviewing field guides and discussing what they saw the previous afternoon and that morning. Groups can make a drawing of their observations, using the sketches of the group artist. Compare their observations to the list the class generated before going outside.

  • Next, have students use the reference books and field guides to find which birds are native (indigenous) and which birds were not native to that area. Depending on the season of the year, some birds may be there because they are migrating through. However, they still are a part of the natural makeup of the seasonal bird life there.

    Some birds are not native to your local area, or for that matter, to the United States at all. Other than being accidental migrants to the area, the birds' presence is due to human intervention, such as captive birds escaping, intentional importation and release, and habitat alteration which can cause native species to decline and exotic types to flourish. Some of these birds commonly seen and their origins are:

    House sparrow (England)

    Starling (Europe)

    Various types of parrot (Africa, Central and South America)

    Pigeon (Europe and Asia)

    Spotted dove (Asia)

    If students are too young to do research to find out which are the native/non-native birds, find pictures of these common birds and show them to students before they go out in the field. (See the Resources List for book titles.)

    Other birds are native, but due to adaptation to other environments, have flourished and increased in numbers in urban areas. Some of these birds are:

    House finch

    Mockingbird

    American crow

    Mallard

    Brewer's blackbird

    Still other birds have recovered from near extinction due to human intervention. The most notables are the brown pelican, observable near the ocean, the peregrine falcon and the bald eagle.

    [Note: The local branch of the Audubon Society is an excellent source for information on the birds of your area.]

  • At the end of the week (or the end of your observation study), have each group report back to the others about the kinds and numbers of birds they saw, and what they observed them doing. After putting their data into spreadsheets and converting them to graphs, go on to the discussion questions below.

    Charting the Data

    Have each student put their group's data on the birds they observed into a spreadsheet, then create graphs of the data. (See Sample Spreadsheet and Graphs for an example)

    Basic Observation Data:

    1. Open the spreadsheet application (Clarisworks, Appleworks, Excel, etc.)

    2. Type a title for the spreadsheet in a cell in the middle of the top row (e.g., Backyard Bird Study).

    3. In Cell A-4, type the title of that column: Type of Birds. In Cell D-3, type: Number of Birds.

    4. In the same row as " Type of Birds," enter the times of the observations: Day 1: a.m.; Day 2: p.m.; etc. in each cell going across the row for each observation.

    5. In Cell A-5, type first bird seen during the observation. In B-5, type the number of that bird which was seen during the first count. Continue entering every other type of bird and number seen.

    6. In the last column (Column L if you made 10 observations), title it "Totals" and calculate the total number of birds of each type seen by adding across each row of observation counts.

    Summary Data:
    1. In an area below the Basic Data, record the species and their total counts in adjacent columns, titling this information: Total Sightings.

    2. In a second area, enter the species of birds seen and the totals for each "a.m." and "p.m." count. (You will have to calculate these totals.) Title this information: Total A.M. and P.M. Sightings.

    Making the Graphs:
    1. To put the data into a graph, highlight the Summary Data of the Total Sightings and create the graph (following the directions for the software you are using). Title the graph: Total Bird Sightings. Label the X axis: Type of Birds and the Y axis: Number of Birds.

    2. Have students try various kinds of graphs to see which display shows their data most clearly.

    3. Follow the same graphing procedure for the Total A.M. and P.M. Sightings, then go on to the discussion questions.

    Student Handouts/ Record Sheets:

    1. Data Chart

    2. Sample Sheet
    Student Discussion Questions: (Students may refer to their graphs for information)

    1. Which birds were most commonly seen? Are they native or non-native species?

    2. Was there a difference in the numbers and kinds of birds seen in your morning and afternoon counts? If so, what reason could you give for the differences?

    3. Was the area where you observed birds a natural area, or had it been changed by people, such as a schoolyard, parking lot, or city park?

    4. If it was an altered area, were native or non-native birds more numerous?

    5. What were the birds feeding on, if they were observed feeding?

    6. Is it better to preserve native species in an area, or bring in non-native types to have more variety?

    7. In Hawaii, none of the birds in the urban areas are native species. What effects could this situation bring about?

    8. How do birds get to an area where they are not found naturally?

    9. Why would people bring birds into an area from somewhere else? Do you think this is a good practice? Why, or why not?

    10. What can people do to preserve native species where they are found?

    Assessment:

    Science content:

    1. In order to determine what the students have learned about their area's native bird species, their environments, and human intrusion, have small groups of students make two murals and label the birds in them, one showing only the species native to your area and one showing non-native species, along with their environment. Show the birds in action foraging for food. Note what students put into the murals that the birds are eating and any evidence of human intrusion in the environment (i.e., buildings, trash, roads, birdhouse, etc.).

    2. Individually, have students generate questions based on the spreadsheet and graph information.

    Technology skills:

    Students will be evaluated based on their accurate completion of the spreadsheets and graphs.

    Rubric:


    		Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4
    MuralsMurals have few birds observed and no distinction between native/non-native species; no bird activity shown; little from the environment is shown; few or no birds are labeled.Murals have some birds seen but distinction between native/non-native species unclear; some environment and bird activity is shown; few birds labeled, or some labeled incorrectly.Murals have most birds from observation shown; each mural is accurate for native/non-native species; environment and bird activity is represented, but not extensive; birds labeled correctly.Murals show all birds observed, correctly put on each mural; environment and bird activities are extensive and accurate, showing evidence of human intrusion and foraging behaviors; all birds are labeled as is evidence of human intrusion.
    QuestionsQuestions are unrelated to the data on the chartQuestions are somewhat related to data, but are very simple.Questions are related to data and show some complexity of thought.Questions are related to data and ask for higher levels of thinking, such as inference and synthesis.
    Spreadsheet/GraphNot all data from the observation sheet is on spreadsheet; inappropriate type of graph is chosen; axes on bar graph are mislabeled or not labeled;Most data from the observation sheet is on spreadsheet; inappropriate type of graph is chosen; axes on bar graph are mislabeled or not labeled.All data from the observation sheet is on spreadsheet; appropriate type of graph is chosen; axes on bar graph are labeled correctly.All data from the observation sheet is on spreadsheet; multiple displays of appropriate types of graphs are chosen; axes on bar graph are labeled correctly.



    • Grade 3-4 Life Sciences

    California Science Content Standards Addressed:

    Grade 3-LS 3b ,c, d, IE5 a, d, f

    3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an organism's chance for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

    b. examples of diverse life forms in different environments...

    c. living things cause changes in the environment where they live; some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, whereas others are beneficial.

    d. when the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move to new locations.

    5. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content of the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

    a. repeat observations to improve accuracy, and know that the results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same (whether due to unexpected differences in the things being investigated, methods being used, or areas of uncertainty in the observation.

    d. use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements.

    f. collect data in an investigations and analyze them to develop a logical conclusion

    Grade 4--LS 3b, IE 6a ,c, e, f

    3. Living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for survival. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

    b. for any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

    6. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content of the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

    a. differentiate observation from inference (interpretation), and know that scientists' explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations.

    c. formulate predictions and justify predictions based on cause and effect relationships.

    e. construct and interpret graphs from measurements

    f. follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation

    National Education Technology Standards for Students Addressed:

    5. Technology Research Tools

  •  
    		• Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

    6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

  •  
    		• Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.


    The Integrating Technology into Science Instruction webpages project is partially funded by grants from The Boeing Company and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Integrating Technology into Instruction is a project of Target Science (target@laep.org) and is displayed on the Los Angeles Educational Partnership Learning Exchange. Target Science is an initiative of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership.
    Updated April 2000