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1 Welcome to Suzy Homeschooler s Nature Study E-Course. This class is available free to print at the web address on the top of this page and is geared towards summer learning fun for children aged 3-8. Some outside supplies may be necessary to complete the projects in this class however the expenses will be minimal as most of the projects can be made from readily available recycling and/or found items in nature. Each week we ll be covering a different theme, this week is birds and squirrels. The following is an index of what can be found in this week s packet: Pg 1. Index Pg 2. Teacher s Guide Pg 3. Written Lecture for Read-Aloud in Class Pg 4. Stations Pg 5,6,7. Backyard Birds Nomenclature Cards Pg 8. Parts of a Feather Guide Sheet Pg 9. Birds Guide Sheet Pg 10. Squirrels Guide Sheet Pg 11. Suggested Vocabulary Words

2 Week Six Teacher s Guide If you are just now joining us, I encourage you to go back and read the Week One Teacher s Guide which discusses the basic introductory material for this nature study course. nature-study-week-one/ In other weeks of this nature study course I have encouraged direct interaction with wildlife via catching bugs, hunting worms, picking wild plants, etc.. however this week it is important to encourage children to observe from afar. I feel that this should be common sense, yet I unfortunately know many people who think it is cute or fun to train a wild squirrel to eat directly from their hands and/or to invade a wild bird s nest in an effort to see their young. These things are not in fact cute nor fun, they are dangerous. Most squirrels and birds will not bother you unless they feel threatened, however if you get too close to them, their nests, or their young, then you may very well find yourself being pecked, bitten, and otherwise injured as a result. Beyond that, it would be very stressful for the wild animals if you insisted upon being so close to them. Please observe from a respectful and safe distance. As always, begin the class with a circle time, reading a loud the lecture and discussion questions (page 3), and when that is complete dismiss the children to explore the various work stations (page 4). Ideally, the circle time would be a casual conversation in which the children are active participants, however if you have an excess of students then you may need to implement some rules such as hand raising. The individual stations are designed for 1-4 children to use at a time, this gives them room to spread out and get comfortable. If you find that you don t have enough stations for the number of children in your class then you may want to create duplicate stations to give them all some elbow room. Ideally the children would be free to roam about, choosing the stations that most interest them and working at each station for as long as they feel the desire to do so, however if you find the children need a bit more structure then you might put a timer on the work stations and have the children rotate through them. Nature journal entries should be based on the child s personal observations of the day and should include whatever pictures or words the child chooses to include.

3 Week Six Lecture Who can tell me some differences between birds and squirrels? *pause for answer* There are quite a lot of differences! Squirrels are mammals so they give live birth and make milk for their babies. Birds lay eggs and can usually fly. But there are a lot of similarities too! They both live in nests that they often build in trees, they both eat seeds and insects, they both are common in North American backyards. Can you think of any other similarities between birds and squirrels? *pause for answer* Now there is a type of squirrel known as a flying squirrel. This squirrel can t actually fly like a bird, it can only glide, still it is very impressive to see. The two most common squirrels however can t even glide. They are known as the grey squirrel and the red squirrel. These two squirrels look very similar. Besides being different colors, the only other noticeable difference is that the red squirrel is slightly smaller than the grey squirrel. Birds on the other hand, have many many different species which you are probably familiar with and which look very different from one another. Can you think of any birds that you know? *pause for answer* Lots of different birds with lots of different features. Robins with their redish-orange chests and their light blue eggs. Cardinals with their dull brown females and their bold red males. Indigo Buntings are tricky! Like Cardinals, the females are dull in color however unlike Cardinals the males are only brightly colored during mating season! The rest of the year, Indigo Bunting males are a dull brown just like the females. And Blue Jays are another bird with a fun feature, the crest on top of their head changes position with their mood. If you see a Blue Jay with a fluffed out crest, that means he s agitated so let him be! *Ask discussion prompting questions like: What came first, the bird or the egg? Why do you think there are so many different species of birds? How do you think birds and squirrels make their nests comfy for their babies? If you were a bird or a squirrel, what sort of tree would you build your nest in? Whats the funniest thing you ve ever seen a squirrel try to do? How do you think squirrels get such fluffy nice tails? Do you see very many birds and squirrels during the winter? If not, where do you think they go? If so, how do you think they stay warm?*

4 Week Six Stations Display Board: The display board will be the main hub of the class. Circle time should be gathered around it, nature journals and observation supplies should be located near it. Nature Journals: For week six, hole punch the Parts of a Feather Guide Sheet (page 8), Birds Guide Sheet (page 9), Squirrels Guide Sheet (page 10), Suggested Vocabulary Words (page 11) and include them at the front of the nature journal. Encourage the children to observe the world around them and then to draw or write their observations in their nature journal. Tray One: Backyard Birds Nomenclature Cards (page 5, 6, &7) Print on cardstock, laminate if desire, cut along black lines. These cards are designed to be compatible with Safari LTD Backyard Birds TOOB however can be used solo. Tray Two: Feather Dissection Layout the Parts of a Feather Guide Sheet (page 8) along with some feathers (found outside for free or purchased from a craft supply shop for frugal), tweezers and/or small scissors also recommended. Sensory Bin: Bird Sensory Bin Use a base of bird seed, include feathers, (washed) egg shells, bird s nest (real or fake). Consider including toy birds, scoops, etc.. Make & Take: Nesting Bag Gather mesh material (from an old potatoe sack, bath loofa, or tutu) and fill it with soft nesting materials such as loose string, pet hair, cotton fluff, grass clippings, etc.. String up the mesh like a parcel with the nesting materials inside and hang it in a tree for birds and squirrels to find. They ll use it to line their nests and make a soft, warm home for their young.

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11 Week Six Vocabulary Glide- unpowered flight Nest- structure woven together by wildlife for the purposes of sheltering their young Migrate- to move from one region or habitat to another, usually due to change in seasons Hibernate- to spend winter in a dormant state Crest- a tuft of feathers, fur, or skin on the top of an animal s head Quill- the main wing or tail feathers of a bird, also part of a feather Whiskers- long projecting hair or bristle growing from the face or snout of many mammals Claws- curved pointed horny nail on each digit of the foot in birds, lizards, and some mammals, also known as talon or nail