Bird Up Activity
Other than trying not to be pooped on by them, have you ever thought about birds? What messages they're calling to each other? What they really eat? Where they sleep or hide from the rain? Why they can't bend their knees the way we do? Why some birds like pigeons move their heads back-and-forth when they walk? How they chew their food without teeth? Why they come in so many different colors and shapes?
One place to find answers to these and other questions is on the Internet. On the Internet, you can find all types of web sites related to birds-what they look like, how to watch them, what they eat, what types of sounds they make, and where they go during the winter.
In this activity, you and your partner or group will choose a type of bird and find out all you can about it by visiting web sites. You will record this information on a bird profile worksheet. A profile is a description or a list of features. You will list and describe your bird's features in your bird profile. What features does your bird profile worksheet cover? Are you asked to draw a picture of your bird?
The first place you might want to check for information on birds is at the Animal Diversity Web. This web site contains a huge amount of information on all types of animals. Just click on the word birds at the bottom of the screen for bird information and a list of birds. Or, type in the name of your bird in the Quick Search box and then click on the Search button. You should get a list of places to find information on your bird. Click on the first place listed. When you find information on your bird, be sure to click on the word "Media" at the top of the screen. This will take you to a screen with a large photograph of your bird and you can click on "Listen" to hear the sounds your bird makes! Remember to write down any information you find for your bird profile and don't forget to draw a picture of your bird.
Now, go to Peterson Onlineto find more information on your bird. Click on Identifications to see a list of birds, or type your bird's name into the box on the left side of the screen under "Search Peterson Online" and then click the Search button.
Another place to look for bird information is at Bird Watcher's Digest . Also, check out USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. This web site has information on many different types of birds. Click on Bird Identification Info Center near the box called Learning About Birds! On the new page, scroll down until you see your bird's name and then click on it.
Two additional web sites that you may want to visit are the California Natural History Museum for bird information and songs and an online encyclopedia called Encarta, where you can search for general information using your bird's general name. For example, if you are looking up American crow, type in crow.
If during your search you find a word that you don't know, you can look it up at the California Natural History Museum (click on Vocabulary in the left column), Find a Bird Topic Dictionary (click on the first letter of the word), or in the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Glossary. (scroll down until you find your word.)
[A really fun site for younger students is called "Little Explorers". Here, students have access to general bird information, a picture dictionary, and several science dictionaries. Unfortunately, I have found a few spelling errors on the site but it is much more accessible for younger students than the glossaries listed above. Let me know if I should add it to the list.]
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 May 2000