OVERVIEW:

Students will work cooperatively across grade levels (2-5) to develop an informational booklet about local birds. Older students will use the Internet and other research materials to access information about common R.I. birds.They will share this information with younger students who will then write poems about the birds. The information, poems, and an outline drawing will be compiled into a multi- page booklet which will be scanned into a project webpage. Through a listserve connection, a call to participate will be sent out to invite other elementary classes to add to the bird booklet.

PROJECT GOAL:
To promote an understanding of birds and their habitats around the world by:

• Observation
• Description
• Classification
• Research
• Communication

MATH / SCIENCE STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Let's get started!

ACTIVITIES




INTERNET ACTIVITIES
1. Using the World Wide Web, students will research size, color, habitat, food, and special adaptations of birds.
2. Using the information from the Web, students will design and produce a multi-page information booklet on birds. This booklet can be scanned into a project webpage.
3. Through a listserve connection, a call for participation will be sent out to invite other elementary classes to add to the bird booklet.


WEB SITES


• Flock Shapes (lesson plan) http://www 2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/meas/outreach/fish_school.html#flocks
• African Ringneck Parakeet http://www.poly.eduduane/zoo/birds_mammals/ar_parakeet.html
• Skip's Costa Rica Nature Tour (Pictures of mostly beautiful birds. Good for writing descriptive and comparative paragraphs) http://www.teleport.com/skipr/wrflycat.htm
• Birds R Us (Guide to parrots and exotic pet birds on the net.) http://www.birdsrus.com./
• North Cape Oil Spill Site
  http://www.projo.com/horizons/oilspill/
• All About Owls
  http://www.im.nbs.gov/bbs/pictlist.html
• Pictures of Birds http://owl.trc.purdue.edu/Images/Picture-Gallery.html#pictures
• Old book of poetry on birds http://cygnus.rsabbs.com/~dnewman/How/contents.html
• Pictures of birds http://www.im.nbs.gov/bbs/pictlist.html
• Bird Site-http://mgfx.com/bird/
• http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/zoo/homepage/zooview/smbc/smbchome.htm
• http://www.raptor.cvm.umn.edu/raptor/more.html
• http://www.bev.net/education/SeaWorld/birds/bird.html
• http://www.nceet.snre.umich.edu/Curriculum/birdfacts.html
• Bald Eagle Pictures & Description-http://www.fws.gov/bio-eagl.html
• http://ice.ucdavis.edu/US_National_Park_Service/NPS_birds.html
• Parrots-http://www.ub.tu-clausthal.de/PAhtml/aratingidae/a_pretrei.html
• Parrots-http://www.mecca.org/~rporter/PARROTS/wptproj.html

ASSESSMENT



1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of birds by completing a multi-page information booklet.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of birds by answering oral questions.
3. Synectics Review - (sny/ectics: bringing together diverse elements)
   Think of many responses to: _____________________ are like a ______________ because_____. (topic studied in class) (a familiar object)
   

   Example:
   1.Owls are like potatoes because:
   (a) both have eyes
   (b) both have outer coverings (a potato has skin, an owl has feathers)
   (c) both grow from little to big
   (d) there are different kinds of each one
   (e) both like to live in dark places
   (f) there is an o in each word
   

PROJECT OUTCOME:

For the Birds Student Booklet

Coloring pages, bird information and poems:
Cardinal | Goldfinch | Gull | Jay | Rhode Island Red | Robin

REFERENCES

PROJECT AUTHORS:

Morag Cronkite cronkitm@ride.ri.net Wickford Elementary School, North Kingstown, R.I. (grade 2)

Susan Gamasmart006@ride.ri.net Wickford Elementary School, North Kingstown, R.I. (grade 3)

Joan Hudson hudsonj@ride.ri.net Wickford Elementary School, North Kingstown, R.I. (grade 4)