Materials
cardboard boxes of varying sizes
plastic laundry detergent jugs or gallon milk jugs
bundles of news paper
recycling bins
aluminum cans
kite string
collection of smaller recyclables such as aluminum cans, plastic
yogurt containers, water bottles, and so on
Instructions
* Select five or more local birds for the children to learn about. Be sure the calls
and songs are distinctive enough for the children to easily recognize.
* Write the bird names on cardboard or poster board in capital letters, using
large permanent markers.
* Display bird pictures with names underneath. Have a CD or other recording
of each bird's call or song.
What to Do
1. Teach the children the importance of birds. Birds control insect and vermin
population; reforest trees and fruit plants by dropping seeds; pollinate plants
(hummingbirds); and so on.
2. Discuss how the overuse of herbicides and pesticides poisons and sickens birds.
3. Teach the children how to identify selected birds by sight and sound.
4. Play selected bird calls and songs, holding up the appropriate picture and bird
name.
5. After a few days, the children should be starting to differentiate between
the bird calls and songs, matching the correct bird and even the name.
Discretionary listening is essential for prereading skills, to hear the difference
between a "b" and a "d," for example. This is one way to make it both
interesting and educational.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Do the children show an interest in listening to birds outdoors?
* Can the children correctly match bird pictures to bird calls and songs?
