Interest Area Changes to Environment
Bird Identifier Pictures of Birds Bird Nest Feathers Stuffed Animal Birds Veterinarian Outfit Veterinarian Kit (like a Doctor Kit) Bird Stencils Bird Stamps Pine Cones Bird Lacing Cards Bird File Folder Game Plastic Eggs Bird Puppets Bird Cutouts for Flannel Board Binoculars Twigs Camera Pom Poms Plastic Bowl Paper Strips Paper Plates Rubber Ducks Bird House Egg Carton Fake Flowers Pine Cones Easter Grass Real Grass Fake Worms
** Set up a Veterinarian Office in Science or Dramatic Play - Provide children with stuffed birds, play stethoscopes, and bandages. ** Set up an Observatory - If you have a window in your classroom set up an observatory next to it. Place binoculars and bird books next to the window so that children can view real birds. See if you can see any of the birds from the books..
Teaching Concepts for Large Group
1. What birds do we see around our house? Show pictures of these birds.
2. What do birds eat? Where do they live? How do birds make their nests?
3. Do all birds fly? What birds do not fly? Show pictures of these birds along with fun facts of the birds.
4. What does migrate mean? Do all birds migrate?
5. What makes a bird a bird? Feathers! Why do birds have feathers?
6. What do birds eat? What animals eat birds? Do we eat birds?
7. How do birds help us? They help pest and weed control. For example, some birds eat bad bugs, owl catches field mice.
Link with more activities: http://prek-8.com/preschool/lessonPlans_birds.php
Below is a list of fun bird facts:
Birds have feathers, wings, lay eggs and are warm blooded.
There are around 10000 different species of birds worldwide.
The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It also lays the largest eggs and has the fastest maximum running speed (97 kph).
Scientists believe that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.
Birds have hollow bones which help them fly.
Some bird species are intelligent enough to create and use tools.
The chicken is the most common species of bird found in the world.
Kiwis are endangered, flightless birds that live in New Zealand. They lay the largest eggs relative to their body size of any bird in the world.
Hummingbirds can fly backwards and visit up to 2000 flowers a day.
The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest living bird in the world, with a length of just 5 cm (2 in).
Around 20% of bird species migrate long distances every year.
Homing pigeons are bred to find their way home from long distances away and have been used for thousands of years to carry messages.
Ostriches and penguins are birds that cannot fly.
Birds have a special "egg tooth" to break open the eggs.
Teaching Concepts for Small Group 1. Egg Match - Get an egg carton and color the inside (where the eggs sit) various colors. Have the children match the colors with those of plastic Easter eggs. 2. Science Experiment - Show your children how the feathers repel water by putting them on the table and squirting a small amount of water on them. 3. Provide you children with mud, sticks, grass, leaves, twigs, pine needles, and pebbles. Let them create their own bird nest. Talk about why birds use these things in order to keep their eggs warm. 4. Cut out a lot of pictures of different birds. Let your children identify which one flies and which ones do not. 5. Paint with feathers. 6. Feather sorting. 7. Egg Matching - Materials: Make a variety of paper eggs. Decorate each egg with a different design (circles, colors, zig zags, etc.). Cut the eggs in half (zig zag shape cut across the middle to make them look cracked). Have the children match the eggs. VARIATION: Use plastic Easter eggs and decorate with permanent markers. The kids have to match the designs or colors. 8. Nest Number and Counting Game - In advance, make 5 (or more) nest shapes and 10 or more egg shapes. Glue a different number of eggs on each nest and laminate. Make birds and number them to match the number of eggs (one bird for each nest) and the children match the correct bird to each nest. 9. Stamping patterns. 10. Graph children’s favorite bird. 11. Nesting Hen - Place some plastic eggs under a pillow. Have the child sit on the pillow and guess how many eggs are under the pillow. Count the eggs with the child. 12. Make a bird nest. Teaching Concepts for Music Movement Wellness IMIL 1. Two Little Birds Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. One named Jack and one named Jill. Fly away Jack. Fly away Jill. Come back Jack. Come back Jill. Two little blue birds sitting on a hill. One named Jack and one named Jill. Fly away Jack. Fly away Jill. Come back Jack. Come back Jill. Two little red birds sitting on a hill. One named Jack and one named Jill. Fly away Jack. Fly away Jill. Come back Jack. Come back Jill. 2. Robin in the Rain Robin in the rain such a saucy fellow Robin in the rain mind your spots of yellow Running through the garden, on your nimble feet Digging for your dinner with your long strong beak Robin in the rain, you don’t mind the weather showers They always make you gay But the worms wish you could stay at home on a rainy day 3. Flying Friends Charades - Play music and have the children move in a way they think the bird you describe would move such as: I’m big, big, big, with big wings and I fly slowly through the air. I land with a thump! 4. The Chicken Dance Teaching Concepts for Finger-plays 1. Hummingbirds Five hummingbirds flying in the air. (Hold up five fingers) The first one landed in my hair. (Grab little finger) The second and third were a pair. (Touch index finger and thumb together.) The fourth hummingbird didn’t care. (grab ring finger.) The fifth hummingbird hummed everywhere (Touch middle finger and hum loudly) 2. Ostrich An ostrich has two long legs (Hold up two fingers) And can lay many large eggs (Make large circle with hands) She’s the largest of all the birds (Hold hands up as high as you can) And she can’t fly (Flap arms like wings) Isn’t that absurd? (Put hands on hips) 3. Feathered Birds Five feathered birds sitting on the door; One flew away and then there were four. Four feathered birds singing in the tree, One flew away and then there were three. Three feathered birds looking at you, One flew away and then there were two. Two feathered birds sitting in the sun, One flew away and then there was one. One feathered bird looking like a hero, He flew away and now there are zero! Teaching Concepts for Outdoor Experiences 1. Bluebird, Bluebird Have the children join hands and stand in a circle. The child on one end is the bluebird and he or she weaves in and out of the other children's arms while singing the Bluebird song: Bluebird, Bluebird through my window. Bluebird, Bluebird through my window. Bluebird, Bluebird through my window. Who will the next Bluebird be? This child then taps a child on their shoulder grab their hand and weaves in and out together while children singing the Bluebird song, and this continues until there no longer a circle but a line.
2. Duck, Duck, Goose 3. Bird Story Parachute Game Tell a story about a bird in an egg. The egg starts to move (gently move parachute up and down) It breaks out of its shell. (Move the chute all the way up then all the way down) The baby is trying to fly! It’s flapping its wings so, so fast! You get the picture! EXTENSION: Have plastic eggs or colored balls to put on the chute and see how long it takes to get them all off the “nest”! 5. Bird Watch CLASS Concepts Children can use a clothespin as a bird beak to pick up “worms”. Make assorted sized, shaped, and colored worms from chenille stems. As the children pick up the “worms”, encourage them to sort them based on an attribute. When finished, ask them to describe another way they could be sorted. Advanced Language: Observatory, Veterinarian, repel, migrate
Teaching Concepts for Distance Learning
Nesting Hen - Place some plastic eggs under a pillow. Have the child sit on the pillow and guess how many eggs are under the pillow. Count the eggs with the child.
Birds nest-
materials needed- small paper bags, glue, feathers, twigs and crayons
Roll paper bag down to a small bowl like look, color bag to desire of child's choice, glue on feather and twigs to desire. Allow to dry and you have yourself a birds nest
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