Bird Study Unit Lesson 4: Bird Feet

Bird Study Unit Lesson 4: Bird Feet

Objectives:  

• Students will understand some functions of bird feet.
• Students will be able to match bird feet to the correct species.

Materials:

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• Bird Feet pictures (one each of robin, goose, owl, heron)
  • Lesson 4 Bird Feet Type
• Head shot pictures (one each of robin, goose, owl, heron)
  • Lesson 4 Journal Bird Feet and Body Types
• Bird Study Journal
  • Lesson 4 Bird Feet Journal Page
• Vocabulary card: talons
  • Vocabulary Cards
  • Lesson 4 Vocabulary Frame Teacher Key
  • Vocabulary Frame

Learning Plan

Engage:

Show students a short video clip of a bird grabbing prey (or perching)  and ask the students to observe how the birds are using their feet.   Video Example:

Explore: 

Display the four pictures of different bird feet (robin, goose, owl, heron).  Tell the students that their challenge today is to figure out which bird each pair of feet belong to. Divide students into small groups or partners.  Provide each group a set of pictures of the 4 bird feet. 

• How many toes does each one have?
• Are the toes long or short?
• Which feet have claws?
• What do you think they use the claws for?
• Which animal feet look like they are built for swimming?
• How are the feet different from each other?  How are they the same?
• What bird or kind of bird do you think the feet belong to and why?

Explain:

Have students discuss their predictions.  Read the short description below as you hold up pictures of each bird.   Say, “Bird feet are designed to help the bird survive where it lives.  As I describe what each animal does using its feet, we may be able to figure out which feet belong to which bird.”

• Goose: A goose uses its feet for swimming.  It needs webbed feet to push through the water and help it swim.  It has 3 toes in the front and one in the back. The back toe doesn’t always touch the ground since it is higher up on the leg.  The toes have little claws on them for scratching. Goose can grow pretty big, so they need big feet to help hold them up and balance.  Which feet belong to a goose?
• Robin: A robin uses its feet for hopping and perching.  It needs long skinny toes to wrap around tree branches and hold on.  Robins have 4 toes with little claws at the ends for scratching and gripping.  Robins are small birds, so they have smaller feet. Which feet belong to a robin?
• Owl:  Owl feet usually have feathers on them to keep them warm. Owls need sharp, curved claws called talons to grab and hold on to the animals they eat (like mice).   Owls have three toes pointing backward and one toe pointing forward.  When an owl perches, they can move one of the front toes to the back so they’ll have two in front and two in back for good grip and balance.  Which feet belong to the owl?
• Great Blue Heron:

Show the vocabulary card TALONS.  Pass out vocabulary frame for students to complete. Vocabulary Frame

Evaluate:

  Have students write the bird names under each pair of bird feet in their bird study journals. Lesson 4 Bird Feet Journal Page Check journals for accuracy and correct as needed. As students work in journals, check for understanding and ask how they decided their answers.  Reteach and clarify as needed.