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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
The Great Winged Adventure
Learners identify characteristics of birds, name several species, and explain how birds fly. They make nests and give bird presentations.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
All About Birds
Students study different kinds of birds, and demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including reading strategies, inference, literal meaning, and critical analysis.
Curated OER
Flight in Nature: Birds!
Students discover how flight works by researching birds. In this animal life lesson, students utilize the Internet to find information about the four aspects of flight. Students define the four aspects and label a worksheet based on...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
How do engineless planes stay aloft?
Fifth graders explore how a plane can stay aloft. In this engineless airplane flying lesson, 5th graders experiment to find how the design of a plane and Bernoulli's principle keep planes in the air. Student's create a plane and answer...
Curated OER
Science: Birds in Flight
Students identify and examine adaptations in birds that enable them to fly. They conduct Internet research to relate these adaptations to the physics of flight. Students observe birds in flight and describe their behavior and flight...
Rainforest Alliance
Stop and Smell the Flowers
It's a bird! It's a bee! Actually, it's your learners flying from flower to flower smelling their scents! Using paper flowers and essential oils, pupils flutter between flowers to use their sense of smell to experience how animals use...
Curated OER
The Selection and Variation in the Egyptian Origami Bird
Students participate in a contrived natural selection simulation in which they build and modify simple paper airplanes. They study divergent and convergent evolution and how it is isolated in sub-populations.
Curated OER
Birds of Wisconsin
First graders explore the job done by ornithologists. They role play identifying the characteristics that make a bird a bird. They discuss what makes each bird species unique. Students are introduced to Wisconsin's most common and rare...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Unit 3 Pre-Test, Grades 7–9
Earth's systems respond to changes in environments in all types of ways including migration, extinction, adaptation, immigration, and emigration to name a few. Part one in a series of seven is a pre-test consisting of 14 questions. Some...