Duration: 1-3 days Subject: Biology or Ecology Audience: High School
Objectives:
* Explain how bird adaptations
make them best suited to life in a wetland or local ecosystem?
* Relate bird adaptations and
their ability to fly.
Set:
Bring in recordings
of wetland birds and allow students to listen. Speculate the species of
bird. This might
give the instructor
some idea as to what students know about birds. Students will then observe
a live bird or
examine photographs
of birds. Have students speculate how the bird uses its beak for feeding
or drinking.
Ask students to observe
coloration, perching, reactions to objects in the cage. Students will then
write a
brief observation
summary in their journals or at the top of the day's notes. You may want
to take up
journal entries to
see what student's already know or to identify misconceptions
Content:
I. What is a bird?
a. vertebrate that
evolved at the beginning of the Paleozoic Era, 544 mya
b. the only organism
with feathers which provide insulation and allow flight
c. birds are endotherms,
they maintain a constant body temperature regardless of surroundings
d. reproduce by internal
fertilization, lay amniotic eggs and incubate the eggs
e. over 8400 species
in the class, Aves
2. Diversity of Birds
a. diversity depends
on environment, ecology (legs, feet, beaks, feathers, feeding, size, habitat,
weather,
etc.)
ptarmigans
have feathered legs and snowshow-like feet for cold
conditions,
penguins are flightless birds with feet and feathers modified
for swimming,
owls have large eyes and sharp claws for nocturnal
activity,
hummingbirds have long beaks for obtaining nectar, etc.
Possible Activities:
The following activities
can be applied to birds in wetlands or any local ecosystem.
1. Students can be given a list
of facts concerning wetland birds to keep in their notebooks. This list
could
be added
to using texts, library books, or the Internet. Students could share their
lists and make a compiled
class
list. Students could then discuss each fact and contemplate the adaptive
benefit related to each fact.
2. Have students examine, draw
and diagram bird feathers. Discuss contour feathers vs. downy feathers.
How does
the structure of these feathers help the bird to fly? Make a collection
of feathers.
3. Have students bring in bones
from meals at home. Compare the bone densities by finding the mass and
dividing
by the volume. Volume can be found using water displacement in a graduated
cylinder. What's the
difference
and why?
4. Obtain slides of birds in flight.
Ask students to examine the wing shapes and determine the type of flight
pattern
unique to each bird (soaring, flapping, diving, hovering, quick turning,
etc.).
5. Ask students to photograph local
or wetland birds and prepare a slide show for the class. Discuss a
particular
adaptation such as feet or beak size and function. Identify the birds by
common name.
6. Have students observe bird feeders
or birds at the zoo and report to the rest of the class on findings. Use
field
guides to correctly identify the species. Make a flip book of a favorite
local bird observed engaged in
flying,
feeding, building a nest, or courtship.
7. Arrange a class trip to a museum
that has a dinosaur exhibit. Develop a time line that traces the
development
of animals from the earliest reptiles to birds. Have students include as
many animals and plants
as possible.
Various Assessments:
Assessment depends
on which instructional activities are chosen. Be sure that your assessment
is aligned
with your instruction
and choice of activities. Here are some examples.
1. Have students list five or more
characteristics of birds. Ask students to describe the adaptive value of
each characteristic.
2. Make a list of different types of flight patterns on the board. Show
students slides
and have
them record matching flight patterns.
3. Give a wetland bird identification
quiz. Use slides from class or go into the school yard.
Closure:
Watch a video on birds.
National Geographic's Galapagos is an excellent choice and can easily be
found in
video stores or your
local mall. This movie discusses the findings of Peter and Rosemary Grant,
ornithologists who
have spent their lives observing Darwin's Finches.