Biodiversity & Birds Exploration Guide
Activity - Outdoors
GradesK, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Science
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by The Nature Conservancy
What it is
- This resource from Nature Lab by The Nature Conservancy includes a list of activities students can do to become familiar with the birds around them and appreciate the biodiversity provided by different kinds of birds.
- Students will listen to and record bird calls, record the birds they see at a given time, model different kinds of beaks and their purposes, create bird feeders, and adapt their windows to be more bird-friendly.
Teaching tips
Positives
- These activities require few materials and can be done anywhere.
- Through these activities, students will gain a connection to and an appreciation for birds and their importance.
Prerequisites
- Students may need nature journals for some of the activities.
- Students should have a basic understanding of climate change and its impacts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Teachers can use these activities in a unit or lesson discussing the need for biodiversity and how climate change threatens that biodiversity. The video Why Is Biodiversity So Important can help students understand this topic.
- After watching for birds, students and teachers can discuss how climate change may impact the type of birds students will see and how often they see them.
- Teachers can give this handout to students over spring break or the weekend as optional activities for students to do and report back on.
- Before class, teachers can use these Hummingbird and Warbler Coloring Pages as bell work or morning work to get students thinking about birds before doing these activities.
From the scientist review
This resource features several activities to engage students with birds in the wild. All instructions are clear, and a link to the USGS page includes complete instructions for an activity to understand birds’ beaks. The activities are all framed by a focus on biodiversity and how climate change is threatening birds’ diet and habitat. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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