THEME: Birds
TEACHER: Dora Farmer
GRADE:     First
SCHOOL:  Edge Elementary

Broad Goals:

• To teach an understanding of a variety of birds and the conditions under which they thrive.
• To utilize computers and other technology as an integral part of the curriculum.
• To use multiple intelligences theory for developing a learning environment for all  children.
• To use age appropriate and authentic assessments.
• To support the writing process with technology.

• Students will successfully complete one activity/project using multimedia tools on the  Birds theme.
• The activity/product will demonstrate the following criteria:
• At least 5 characteristics or facts about a specific bird and the habitat under which one thrives will be demonstrated in the activity/product.
• At least 3 sources of information research and literature about  birds will be used, with one or more of the sources involving technology.

 

• TV/VCR
• CD/ROM
• GeoSafari
• QuickCam
• Visual Displays
• Written Information
• Tape Recorder

• Teaching Kids About Birds and An Identification Guide to Common Backyard Birds both from Bird Watcher’s Digest,
• A First Look at Birds by Millicent E. Selsam and Joyce Hunt
• Birds We Know by Margaret Friskey
• Birds at Night by Roma Gans
• Sunset’s An Illustrated Guide to Attracting Birds
• Audobon’s Guide to Bird Identification
• Florida’s Fabulous Birds by W. Williams

• Big Books:  Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones, Hattie and the Fox, Rosie’s Walk
• Read Alouds: The After Christmas Tree, Stickybeak
• Predicable Books Hattie and the Fox, Rosie’s Walk
• Age appropriate Fiction:  Feathers for Lunch, Fred’s TV, Are You My Mother? Flap Your Wings,
• Age appropriate Non-Fiction:  Birds by Carolyn MacLulich, Eggs and Baby Birds and How Birds Live both by The Wright Group

Length of Unit:  Will vary 2-3 weeks
The Unit:
Multimedia Learning Activity Stations
Teacher Directed Whole or Small Group Activities:
In order for participants to use multimedia learning stations, they must first receive instruction on the use of the equipment.  After that initial instruction, participants will work through the stations to complete research on birds.

Whole Group

• Instruction of basic operation of GeoSafari, the TV/VCR unit, and CD/ROM.
• K-W-L charts were completed before we began our thematic unit on birds.  The children each gave a statement about one fact that they KNOW about birds.  Next various children stated one question about WHAT they hoped to learn about birds.  At the end of the unit, we completed the last chart about what we LEARNED about birds.
• Explanation of The Birds thematic project.  Each participant will research the bird he or she picked at random from a list of backyard birds found in our area.
• Explanation of research station management system.  Each group will begin working with the same group that corresponds with their daily reading stations.  The groups are named after the days of the week  e.g.  Monday’s Group, Tuesday’s Group, etc.  The groups will rotate through all of the stations until all of the activities are completed.
• Participants share with the group the finished product they have researched.
• See Culminating Activities for expansion of this project.

• Participants complete research on birds by working in activity stations

Station 1:  Listening
Materials:  Tape recorder, earphone, Eggs and Baby Birds book and tape, activity card pencils, crayons, markers, drawing paper, station sign
Time to Complete:  15-30 minutes

Station 2:  Dramatic Arts
Materials:    Be a Bird, Fish, Tree (yoga exercises for children) Activity cards showing specific body movements, station sign.
Time to Complete:  15-30 minutes.

Station 3:  Computer
Materials:  computer, station sign, Kid’s Net Resource Book, activity card..
Time to Complete:  30 minutes

Station 4:  GeoSafari
Materisls:  GeoSafari machine, Science cards, power source, activity card, station sign.
Time to Complete: 30 minutes

Station 5:  TV/VCR
Materials: Peckers, Peepers, and Cheepers video, TV/VCR,  power source, activity card, station sign.
Time to Complete:  45-50 minutes

Station 6:  Art/Design
Materials:  Crayons, markers, paper, pencils, construction paper, glue, paints, paint brushes, tape, staples,  stapler, paper tubes, plastic bottles, margarine lids, string, birdseed, activity cards, and station sign.
Time to Complete:  30 minutes

Station 7:  Researcher/Scientist
Materials:  Student journals, pencils, calculators, binoculars, bird guides, microscopes, activity card, and station sign.
Time to Complete: 30 minutes
 
Station 8:  Discovery:
Materials:  games, puzzles, books, pencils, journals, activity card, and station sign.
Time to Complete:  will vary

Station 9:  Quiet Center
Materials:  Books on birds, journals, pencils, binoculars, activity card, and station sign.

CULMINATING ACTIVITIES:

• The children kept an illustrated bird watching journal of all the birds that they observed at our bird feeders and in our outdoor classroom area.
• The children invited Allan Kunothe of the Audobon Society to come and speak about his most recent bird watching adventures.
• Each child constructed a bird feeder which they took home to hang in their own backyard.
• The class did a group bulletin board which displayed all of the birds that we had researched during our study.
• Each child will write an acrostic poem about his/her specific bird complete with an illustration.

Teacher Directed Whole or Small Group Activities:
In order for participants to use the writing process strategy, instruction is first modeled on the five stages of the writing process.

Prewriting
Children will find pictures of their bird for ideas for their poem.

Writing
Ideas obtained from picture is used to create the words for the poem.

Small Group

• Revising - Discuss poem with partner to get feedback on how it sounds.
• Editing - Discuss poem with partner to get feedback on the final draft.

• Publish - Share poem with whole group.

Teacher Directed Whole or Small Group Activities
In order for participants to produce a Multiple Intelligence Activity and a Technology Learning Activity, they must first receive instruction on background research and successful strategies for implementation.  After that initial instruction, participants will engage in a practice on their assigned topic.

Whole Group
Instruction on:   TLA Format
Small Group
Participants will engage in a series of Multiple Intelligences activities including:
Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Body/Kinesthetic, Rhythmic/Musical, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal.
 
Whole Group
Participants will complete a TLA which will focus on designing a bird feeder that is squirrel resistant.  Students will draw their picture first onto paper.  Next they will build a bird feeder out of a given collection of materials.  They will collectively have to determine what unique feature will need to be added to their feeder which will deter a squirrel from climbing onto the feeder and eating the bird food.

Evaluation:
Activity/Product Evaluation
1.  Did each group draw a design of a feeder which had an added feature which prevented a squirrel from getting to the bird food?

2.  Did each group actually design a feeder with a  squirrel deterrant?
 
3.  Could each group verbalize and show how their device keeps a squirrel from getting at the bird food?
 
Rubric Evaluation of Writing
Students will be required to meet specific requirements on their acrostic poems.
 
TOOLS 2000 WRITING RUBRIC

ACROSTIC BIRD POEM

Expression of ideas

 Original      1 2 3
 Makes sense

Mechanics
 
Appropriate use of capitals          1 2 3

Appropriate use of punctuation
 
Correct spelling

Ellaboration

Use of details   1 2 3

Descriptive words

Final Copy   1 2 3

Picture

Border

Color Text
 
Form        1 2 3

Score  (1-5)   (6-9)   (10-15)
     U      N       S