Birds of the Artic
Learning Sequence
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Introduction
As we delve into the study of birds we want children to understand the importance of their existence and what they bring to the ecosystems of the world.
During this course, we will begin to understand the crucial role that birds play in the finely balanced ecosystems of the Arctic and the wider world.
Children will discover ways in which they can attract birds into their local community and attempt to find out the breed and more details of the species. One of these initiatives will be to install plants and trees to attract insects and birds in your school area.
We want to inspire your children to want to know more about the life of birds.
During this course, we are going to spend our day with the amazing Snowy. He’s an ornithologist and bird enthusiast. We are going to take a journey to the cliff faces of the Arctic to experience some of the most amazing birds on Earth.
We are going to study birds and how they have evolved to survive in such cold and harsh conditions.
Birds are all over the world but as the climate changes and habitats are removed due to the development of cities, they are becoming scarce. Our job in this course is to study them and then try our very best to attract some birds to our local community.
Your goal is to become astounded by the life of birds, to invite birds into your community and then find out about where they came from and why they have arrived.
Keywords
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Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
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Copy the words into a spelling list/Vocabulary book for later reference.
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Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
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Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
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Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
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Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
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Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
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Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
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Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
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These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Read and Discuss: Warm-Up Activity
The children will read all about birds and the way that each and every species is unique and highly adaptable to the conditions of the Arctic.
Your children will learn about these species and start to understand how important they are in preserving the Arctic region and the world further afield.
Children will find all of the information needed on the task card above.
Listen to the video with Snowy and read the following document and try to answer the following questions.
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What three things allow Arctic birds to withstand the extreme cold?
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Why do some birds huddle together in the Arctic Region?
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How many species of birds live in the Arctic?
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What is special about the Arctic Tern?
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When it gets cold in the Arctic, some birds leave, but where do they go?
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How many species of bird live in the Arctic all year and how do they survive?
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How do birds help plants grow on the side of cliffs?
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Guillemots are in danger when they first fly. Why is that?
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Which bird is the most common in the North?
How Birds Survive: Watch and Think!
During this video, we want your children to be amazed by how birds have evolved to survive in this part of the world.
They will use this video as a stimulus for them to conduct their very own research on a local bird of their choice in the next activity. The children are requested to jot down any questions they may have as the video is played.
Teachers are requested to encourage this as the video plays.
Disclaimer – During this video, our guide is holding a gun over his shoulder. This gun is used purely as a deterrent to warn off polar bears and is not used or fired during this clip.
Watch this amazing video with Snowy as he explains how the birds in the Arctic survive in such a dangerous part of the world. Watch carefully as the guillemot takes its first leap into adulthood from the high cliffs above the sea.
As you watch the video start to think about what questions you have about birds and write them down. These will be used in the next activity during our bird research.
Bird Research: Gather the Facts
The children are requested to choose a bird that resides in the local area. They are then encouraged to work in pairs or groups to conduct thorough research on the bird of their choice.
Because there are so many birds on Earth, the choice should be completely up to the children. We want them to discover that even the simplest of birds have the most amazing life and the story of their evolution is gob-smacking.
You may wish to ask the children to share their research with the class once finished.
NB – If children wish to add their research on birds to the class book on amazing animals then this should be encouraged.
After finding out more information about various birds in the Arctic, It is now time for you to research a bird that lives in your local community. With over 10,000 species of birds worldwide, the choice is yours.
Think back to the video with Snowy and remember that we found out more information on some of the most famous birds in the Arctic region.
Take a look at the research booklet opposite and use it to find out all the interesting information about a bird that lives close to you.
You can work in pairs or individually to complete this task.
Once complete you may wish to add another page to your ‘Animals of the World’ class book. If you do want to add another page to your class book and include your bird, then you will need to speak to the class manager and let them know.
Every bird is amazing, you just need to find out why!
Ongoing Follow-Up Activities
Extension Activity #1 - Leadership Program
We request that your older students over the age of eight buddy up, or partner up, with a younger child in your school, and pass on the knowledge they have gained from this course and take it to the younger cohorts within your school and develop their own leadership skills.
Please take a look at the very simple and child-friendly lesson plan. This should be read and understood by the students before they prepare their lesson and their learning for a younger child.
The reasoning behind this methodology is to develop leadership, confidence, responsibility and communication skills between the older and younger students within your school. This will bring the cohort closer together and build a sense of community throughout your entire educational establishment.
Charles S. Lauer said ‘Leaders don’t force people to follow—they invite them on a journey.’ It is now time for you to invite a younger child to take a journey with you. A journey of discovery!
We ask you, as an older student, to buddy up with a younger student in your school.
We want you to pass on the knowledge you have gained during this course to a younger student whilst developing leadership mentorship and with the responsibility of working with the youngest student in the school.
You may think that this is a task which has no meaning. However, to the younger child in the school, it will have a huge influence on the way that they approach education and the way they feel within school.
You will be a continuous safety net, almost like a Big Brother or sister to a younger student in the school whilst also developing leadership communication and the confidence to be able to lead into the future.
Use this template to help you plan your lesson and gather your resources before you head down to the younger children’s classroom to reteach what you have just learned.
Attracting a Bird to Your Community - Planting a Forest
This task is a very big one and may take the whole school to come together to create such a mission to be successful.
A mass planting can be something that can bring a whole school together to create a space for insects and birds to thrive.
Use this extension activity to create an ongoing movement within your school where the children understand that the success of their work is much bigger than grades, points, or scores. The success of this activity will be when the first bird arrives.
Teachers may wish to set up a daily birdwatching club to help look out for the first bird that arrives.
Once it does arrive, try to find out the species of the bird and why it arrived in your sanctuary.
Birds play such a crucial role in the ecosystems of the world, that we need as many of them as possible in our local environment. They not only fertilise the soil and pollinate plants, but they also make up a huge part of the global food chain and help our planet to sustain balance.
Your task is to attempt to attract a bird into your local community.
Your task is very specific and will involve a lot of time and patience. It may take several weeks until the first bird arrives, but when it does, you know that you have succeeded in helping the world become a better place for everyone.
Are you ready to take on the challenge?
If so, then watch the video and follow the task card opposite, and keep an eye out for the first feathery visitor to your school community.
Extension Activity #3 - Bird Collage
This creative art activity allows students to use the knowledge they have just gained in a meaningful and creative way.
It is also important to emphasise to the students that this method of art allows them to recycle waste material that would ordinarily go into the bin or rubbish dump.
During this creative art activity, we want you to find used magazines and start to create your very own bird collage.
The magazines must be old magazines that are about to be thrown away and the bird you choose must be the bird you have previously researched.
Watch the following time-lapse video to help you see how you can recycle the magazines in your home or classroom to create something beautiful.
Once your whole class has completed their bird collages, you may wish to organise a school art show where members of the community can come along and learn more about birds of the world.