Birds

This Birds unit was designed for my 3rd grader's science, and fulfilled literature for grades 3, 5, and 7 in the form of a read-aloud, which we discussed as we read.  We kicked off the unit with a trip to the San Diego Natural History Museum to watch the film Wings Over Water, for which there is a companion educator's guide, and to look at John Audubon's work, which is part of their permanent exhibit.

Our read-aloud for this unit was A Nest for Celeste, whose main character is a mouse that befriends Audubon's assistant.  I also make sure to have a variety of picture books available.

In addition to the lessons within the film educator's guide, we completed hands-on science options - owl pellet dissection and an egg study.  

Check out the materials below for your Birds unit!

Resources:

The Wings Over Water film and educator's guide are the main organizer for this unit, but I pick and choose what will work for us in terms of interest and age-appropriateness.

You can find owl pellets many places, Tanglewood Hollow often has them in stock.  If you find some without support materials, you can download bone identification diagrams from CornellLab.

In addition to owl pellet materials, CornellLab has a variety of other lessons for different grade levels.

We have a LOT of fun with the Merlin Bird ID app!

The egg dissection lesson is an excerpt from Real Science Odyssey Life.

Fieldtrips: 

We are fortunate that our local San Diego Natural History Museum houses a copy of Audubon's The Birds of America, alongside an interactive exhibit of bird calls.  Check out the short video below for an overview.

Books:

The picture book The Boy who Drew Birds is a great introduction to the unit, the study of birds, and John James Audubon.

A Nest for Celeste is a great read aloud for this unit!  Beyond that the illustrations are detailed and bring the story to life; it includes a unique point of view.  You can read more in the Read Aloud Books section of this site.

Games:

Wingspan is a well-known option for bird-loving gamers!

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