Birds: Theme Activities for the Classroom
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Birds are perhaps the most common creatures found in nature. What types of birds can your students name? Brainstorm a class list. Can your students imitate the various sounds made by the birds on your list?
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Select five birds from your classroom bird list and become classroom ornithologists. Identify the following for each type of bird: appearance (size, color), habitat, diet, nesting practices. Use the On the Farm worksheet to help your students reinforce the habitat discussion by identifying which birds are typically found on a farm.
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Pigeons are found in every region of the country. Identify these feathered friends for your curious learners and talk about where they’ve seen them locally. In the park? Near outdoor restaurants? Sitting on power lines? Talk about the common pigeon’s more glamorous cousin, the homing pigeon, and how these birds are trained to send messages. Use the Fly Away Home worksheet to send your curious birders home with a message for Mom and Dad.
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Make pinecone bird feeders with your students. Collect pinecones—one per student—and attach a length of twine or string to one end of each cone. Using plastic knives or craft sticks, smear smooth peanut butter all over the outside of their pine cones. Roll the pine cones in a tub or pan of bird seed, making sure to cover all areas of exposed peanut butter. Bird appetít!
Download On the Farm worksheet
Download Fly Away Home worksheet