Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Amazing Birds
What's so amazing about birds? Find out just how amazing birds are with a physics of animal behavior unit created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Have learners explore and tap into their observational skills and notice how birds fly, what...
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When Ants Fly
Here is a great lesson on constructing line graphs. Learners identify common characteristics of birds, ants common needs of all living things. They also write a story from the perspective of an ant or a bird that has lost its home and...
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Flight Dreams: Birds Flew First
Students observe how bird flight and machine flight are similar. In this aerodynamics lesson, students observe how birds fly and the shapes of their wings, and investigate how observing birds helped develop the concept of machine flight....
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Jump, Glide, or Fly? Exploring Bird Evolution
How have birds evolved from prehistoric animals? With the three-part instructional activity, small groups first research different prehistoric animals and determine whether they are birds. Then, scholars explore different bird...
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Birds and Coffee
Fifth graders identify the changing seasons with how they affect animal and human behavior. They explain what migration is and why many birds migrate south for the winter. They then trace the coffee sold in their neighborhood and in...
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The Great Winged Adventure
Learners identify characteristics of birds, name several species, and explain how birds fly. They make nests and give bird presentations.
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Gliders
Young scholars design and build a small glider. They see how the flight of a bird is similar to the flight of a sailplane. They explain how birds get their thrust and how they control their direction of flight.
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Bird Airport Control
Students visit a local wetland and record observations of waterfowl on downloadable worksheets. They compile class data and list similarities and differences among species of birds observed.
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Flying and Migration
Students listen to a read aloud of an excerpt of Janet Eaton Givens, Just Two Wings, before reviewing what birds use to fly, and the meaning of migration. They use hot lists of websites to research the Internet for information about the...
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Bird Fun Facts
Students read fun facts about birds. In this bird characteristics lesson, students answer questions about the reading. Students complete a worksheet to find the bird nest and the matching bird.
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All About Birds
Students study different kinds of birds, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
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Flight in Nature: Birds!
Young scholars discover how flight works by researching birds. In this animal life instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to find information about the four aspects of flight. Young scholars define the four aspects and...
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As a Bird Flies or as a Submarine Dives...
For this geography worksheet, students look critically at a map containing a variety of different directions. Students answer 2 short answer questions regarding giving someone the best directions from point A to point B.
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Is a bat a bird?
Provide a concise description of why a bat is not a bird by comparing their traits. This presentation defines both birds and flying mammals, explaining how they are similar and how they are different. Note: This PowerPoint is great for...
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How Airplanes Fly?
Fifth graders explore drag, thrust, lift and weight. In this airplane lesson, 5th graders define the forces that effect airplanes and design a model airplane. Students compare their models for the furthest flight.
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Airplanes
Students practice multiplication using factors to 5. They discuss the wings of birds and the wings of airplanes and complete activity sheet. Afterwards, they number and draw groups of airplanes.
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Massive Migrations
Here is an exciting exploration of a fascinating topic for your emerging ecologists: bird migration! They begin by visiting the US Fish & Wildlife Service website to discover which Arctic birds come to their areas. They are assigned...
LABScI
Projectiles: Target Practice
Angry Birds prepared them, but now pupils must prove their skills with projectiles! Scholars test different variables to determine which ones impact the distance the projectile flies. The experiment provides connections to kinetic and...
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Flight Formation: The V's Have It!
Read, revisit, and reflect. Older elementary students summarize main idea 6using key details. They consider the V formation that birds fly in, summarize an informational text, and write critical thinking questions.
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Thinking About Hate
This lesson starts out with a guided discussion about the statement "Birds fly in the sky; airplanes fly in the sky; therefore, airplanes are birds" and goes on to cover logical fallacies and reliable sources, relating these to the topic...
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Bird's Eye View Map
Students explore seeing things from a bird's eye view. They listen to the book, "As the Crow Flies," view various objects from eye level views and standing on a chair, create a drawing of an object from both views, and read "Ben's...
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Investigating Tropical Birds
Students investigate tropical birds. They write letters for rain forest preservation to protect tropical birds. They interview a bird professional from a local bird store or a zoo and discuss how to take care of a parrot. They use Kid...
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Drawing a Bird's Eye View Map
Students make birds-eye view maps and place the compass rose on the map.
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Bats About Stellaluna
Students, after listening to Janelle Cannon's picture book Stellaluna, explore a variety of living things through three distinct activities. They make a list of what they know and want to know about birds and bats. Orally and in writing...