Description
Students participate in a series of learning activities culminating in the production of specifically designed birdhouses to meet the needs of dwindling populations of many Iowa birds.
This project will begin by visiting a local nature center or trail. This field trip will serve as an opportunity to spark interest and allow students to explore and take note of Iowa’s natural environment. Following the field trip, the class will invite a local conservationist in to share insight on Iowa’s natural environment and how society has impacted this environment. As the prominent example, he or she will speak to the dwindling population of many Iowa birds. Being familiar with the local environment, the conservationist will be able to identify 8-10 birds that are viewable within the area, but are diminishing in population. The conservationist will conclude his or her presentation with a call to action for the students to become valuable problem-solving partners.
After the presentation, students will work in teams to learn more about their bird of interest, including nesting requirements and it’s estimated population. Connecting with the in-class learning about using random sampling to draw inferences about a population, students will return to the nature center or trail one additional time to bird watch and collect their needed sample data for statistical analysis. After this visit and later on within the unit, the class will travel to a second nature center or trail further away to collect sample data, allowing the students to draw informal comparative inferences about two populations.
As a team, students will then be asked to design and create a nesting box or birdhouse that meets the specific needs of their bird. This task will again support in-class learning about solving real-life mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume. In collaboration with the CTE department, students will then build their nesting boxes.
Students will host a “What’s your Bird?” gallery walk for parents and fellow classmates to share their learning. The nesting houses will then be disseminated between the nature center or trail and district grounds.
Possible partners: County Conservation Office, Iowa DNR Iowa's Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Program, Local Lumber Yard
This project will begin by visiting a local nature center or trail. This field trip will serve as an opportunity to spark interest and allow students to explore and take note of Iowa’s natural environment. Following the field trip, the class will invite a local conservationist in to share insight on Iowa’s natural environment and how society has impacted this environment. As the prominent example, he or she will speak to the dwindling population of many Iowa birds. Being familiar with the local environment, the conservationist will be able to identify 8-10 birds that are viewable within the area, but are diminishing in population. The conservationist will conclude his or her presentation with a call to action for the students to become valuable problem-solving partners.
After the presentation, students will work in teams to learn more about their bird of interest, including nesting requirements and it’s estimated population. Connecting with the in-class learning about using random sampling to draw inferences about a population, students will return to the nature center or trail one additional time to bird watch and collect their needed sample data for statistical analysis. After this visit and later on within the unit, the class will travel to a second nature center or trail further away to collect sample data, allowing the students to draw informal comparative inferences about two populations.
As a team, students will then be asked to design and create a nesting box or birdhouse that meets the specific needs of their bird. This task will again support in-class learning about solving real-life mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume. In collaboration with the CTE department, students will then build their nesting boxes.
Students will host a “What’s your Bird?” gallery walk for parents and fellow classmates to share their learning. The nesting houses will then be disseminated between the nature center or trail and district grounds.
Possible partners: County Conservation Office, Iowa DNR Iowa's Bird Conservation Area (BCA) Program, Local Lumber Yard