Bird Study Unit Lesson 11: Types of Birds

Bird Study Unit Lesson 11: Types of Birds

Objectives:  

• Students will identify animals as birds or not birds.
• Students will be able to identify some common bird species.
• Students will compare and contrast similarities and differences among bird species.

Materials:

• 10 pictures of animals
  • Lesson 11 Bird Types
• Bird Cards (from lesson 9)
  • Lesson 9 Learning Plan What Birds Eat
• Bird Study Journals (Venn Diagram, vocabulary frame- species)
  • Lesson 11 Venn Diagram
  • Lesson 11 Vocabulary Frame Teacker Key
  • Vocabulary Frame
• Vocabulary Card- Species
  • Vocabulary Cards
• Read Aloud: How to Identify Birds
• Matching Game Cards
  • Lesson 11 Matching Card Game

Learning Plan

Engage:

Show students pictures of animals (one at a time) and ask if the animal is a bird.  When the answer is yes, ask students how they know it is a bird.  When the answer is no, ask the students how they know the animal pictured is NOT a bird.  Make a list of features birds have (ex. feathers, wings, lay eggs- oviparous, fly).   Tell students that though it is easy to tell if an animal is a bird, that there are many types or species of birds that can be more challenging to tell apart.

Explore:

Put the bird cards (from lesson 9) and the matching game cards (for this lesson) into a hat or bag.  Pull out two birds.  Ask the students how the birds are different and how they are the same.  Use a Venn Diagram to make the comparison (write similar features in the middle section of the diagram and differences in each circle on the left or right).   After showing students how to compare and contrast birds, divide the students into partners.  Have each partnership pick 2 birds out of the bag and do a similar activity.  Have them do this orally and/or fill out a Venn Diagram in their Bird Study Journals.  Assist as needed.   Select a few partnerships to share their findings with the class.

Explain:

Tell the students that ornithologists enjoy finding birds and trying to figure out what type of bird it is.  The type of bird is also known as the species.  There are many different bird species in the world (about 10,000). Ornithologists have to study the birds closely and look at their features to figure out the species..   Have students fill out the vocabulary frame for the word “species”.   Share the Read Aloud with the students “How to Identify Birds”.

How to Identify Birds

There might be 10,448 bird species out there and while it’s impossible to teach someone every one of them it is easy to start learning how to identify local birds. The following steps will help you identify birds.

Where did you see the bird?

Some birds migrate and some are local residents. Where you see a bird can help you identify them. If you see birds in your backyard they may be local residents. If you see birds in a park they could be local birds or birds that are migrating. 

When did you see the bird?

Different birds can be seen at different times of year. Birds you see in the winter may be different birds than you see in summer. Birds can migrate or move to different areas during the year. 

What size is the bird?

Bird sizes can be very different. Birds can be very small or can be very large like an ostrich. You can also see medium size birds like crows, ducks, herons, owls, and hawks.

What are the colors of the bird?

Looking at the color of the bird can help you identify it. Birds can be black, gray, white, brown, red, yellow, green, blue, and orange. 

What is the bird doing?

Birds do things just like people. To identify a bird you can look at what they are doing. Birds eat at bird feeders. Birds swim and play in the water. Birds walk on the ground. Birds can perch in trees and bushes. Birds fly low and soar in the sky.  You can start making a list of the birds you do know and then find differences and similarities between them.

Elaborate:

To practice naming some common birds of North America, play a matching game.  Have students pick two cards at a time to match the species name to the bird picture.  It may be helpful to review the birds and their names prior to playing the game.   Matching Game Cards: Lesson 11 Matching Card Game

Evaluate:

Keep the matching game picture cards to review throughout the week.  During transitions, flip through the cards to have students name the bird pictured.  Reteach and review as needed to help students identify these bird species and how they are different from each other.