How Are an Owl's Adaptations Different From Other Birds'?

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Grace Wilkerson
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1 How Are an Owl's Adaptations Different From Other Birds'? We have been learning about owls habits, hearing, use of talons, life cycles, nesting habits, prey choices and camouflage coloring. Now, we will compare owls features and habits with those of other familiar birds. First, your group will find or draw pictures of different birds. These will go on charts showing examples of beaks, feet, feather colors, sizes, wingspans, nesting habits, food preferences and life cycles. Your final recording sheet, What Is the Difference?, will show differences between an owl and another species of bird. 1 of 14

2 Suggested Grade Span K 2 Task We have been learning about owls habits, hearing, use of talons, life cycles, nesting habits, prey choices and camouflage coloring. Now, we will compare owls features and habits with those of other familiar birds. First, your group will find or draw pictures of different birds. These will go on charts showing examples of beaks, feet, feather colors, sizes, wingspans, nesting habits, food preferences and life cycles. Your final recording sheet, What Is the Difference?, will show differences between an owl and another species of bird. Big Ideas and Unifying Concepts Evolution and equilibrium Form and function Interdependence Scale Life Science Concepts Evolution, diversity and adaptations Structure and function Mathematics Concept Graphs, tables and representations Time Required for the Task Approximately 45 minutes. Context This scientific investigation grew from a fall study about owls in the northeastern United States. My first graders were focusing on the unique adaptations and habits that categorize them as raptors. The children had been learning about eight species of owls, including their night habits, distance hearing, use of talons, life cycles, nesting habits, prey choices and camouflage coloring. The students examined barn owl pellets, and Outreach for Earth Stewardship provided an opportunity for the children to see a live rescued screech owl in our classroom. Through 2 of 14

3 neighborhood walks and nature videos, children were able to compare the features and habits of other familiar birds, such as the chickadee, blue jay, crow, song sparrow, blackbird, downy woodpecker, osprey, eagle and geese. What the Task Accomplishes This investigation demonstrates how young children apply observation skills in the immediate environment and use prior knowledge to make connections about owls and different types of birds. They will be able to compare and contrast the adaptations and habitats of owls with other birds, which helps children understand the form and functions of different features, as well as the diversity and interdependence among birds in their habitats. Through this investigation of owls and other species of birds, children will also better understand connections to food webs. How the Student Will Investigate This investigation followed the task, "How Are Talons a Tool for Survival?" (located on this CD.) The students were asked to find pictures of different, familiar birds in nature magazines and/or use drawings to illustrate several features for cooperative charts. The charts asked for examples of beaks, feet, feather coloration, size, wingspan, nesting habits, food preferences and life cycles. Nature videos, from a nature series produced by the Disney Channel for Partridge Films, were integrated to illustrate as many of these categories as possible. (This series can be found at some Showtime Video locations.) Students were also asked to present short skits, in cooperative groups of three, to show how the habits/adaptations of an owl were similar/different from another species of bird. A final recording sheet, What is the Difference?, was used to demonstrate each child s scientific understanding of as many different adaptations/habits as possible between an owl of their choice and a different species of familiar bird (not a raptor). Interdisciplinary Links and Extensions Science Students can create murals of favorite birds in their habitats. You can create a bird attribute game to be played with the whole class after collecting a variety of bird pictures that are glued on 6x9 brown envelopes. Yarn can be attached to slide over the heads of the children. Ask one child to come up and not look at the bird s picture as it is hung on his/her back. The child needs to ask the class five different questions about his/her bird, while trying to figure out what bird s/he has. The class may only respond with a yes, no or sometimes answer. You can use the same game to learn attributes about mammals, dinosaurs, marsupials and other wildlife. Ask the children to illustrate food webs/chains for three different kinds of birds and compare the similarities and differences. Investigate birds such as the wild turkey, peregrine falcon, bald eagle and loon as to why their numbers are now increasing. A scientific investigation could be created around the natural oils the on feathers of water fowl and how the feathers are affected by oil spills. 3 of 14

4 Social Studies Students could be involved with a global study of habitats where owls exist. Have children study their own neighborhood or backyard for sightings of particular birds during a given week. Construct bird feeders for the winter to help the bird population as a contribution toward making a difference. Find out which birds are helpful or harmful to farmers locally or in different parts of the United States. Research how the puffins were depleted from many islands off the coast of Maine for the millinery trade. Have children do tasks for several weeks at home in order to raise money to adopt an owl at a rehabilitation center. Visit a raptor center. Literacy Students can write humorous stories inspired by Bird Feeder Banquet, which is about backyard birds that become overweight and begin to cause all kinds of problems for the town. There are several types of poetry (such as acrostic or haiku) that could be written about different birds and their habits. Favorite books in this unit included: Owl Moon, Whoo-Oo Is It?, A Kettle of Hawks, In Good Hands, and Animals That Live in Trees. An excellent resource book about ornithology is Kids & Science: BIRDS, by Ellen Doris. It is filled with bird classification, bird identification, bird behavior, projects, field trip ideas, migration and many other aspects of bird study. Perhaps children could work in partners to create bird identification booklets to share with other classrooms. Mathematics Students can create charts of birds' beaks, feet, food preferences, size and habitats. Venn diagrams could be made based on the information gathered. Food webs could be illustrated at computer stations or in a computer lab. The class could be shown how to take a tally (bird census) that compares different locations over a certain span of time or that compare two seasons. Partners could work together in mapping migration routes of familiar birds they are interested in (such as geese, ducks, hummingbirds, swallows or the bald eagle). Music/Movement/Art Ask the music teacher to work with the children in representing different types of birds through different instruments. For example, an instrument to simulate a crow would be very different from that for a cardinal. Students could use drama with music to represent the making of a nest, the hatching adventures of a baby bird, and learning to fly. Different art mediums could be used to illustrate the life cycle of a particular bird. Eggs made from papier-mâché eggs and birds designed from scraps of materials with real feathers glued on would make the process more real for the children. Borrow an incubator and raise chicks from eggs in the classroom. Purchase bird tapes of songs or make your own tapes with the children for identification activities. 4 of 14

5 Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions It is important to guide the scientific inquiry process before, during and after each activity. While children are exploring, open-ended questions help to guide their thinking and lead them to the big ideas. What makes a bird a bird? How are birds different from other animals? How are they alike? What are some different ways birds can use their legs? feet? How are mouthparts different for different species of birds? (shapes, sizes, colors, etc.) How are flightless birds unique from other birds? How do the attributes of an aquatic bird family differ from the perching bird family? Why is the coloring of male birds often brighter and more colorful than that of female birds? How could we keep track of which birds appear more often at different times of the day? How could we find out which foods they prefer? What tools and behavior will give you the best bird-watching results? When you are observing birds on field trips, what shapes, color patterns and ways of behaving can you recognize? How can a change in the habitat affect a certain species of bird? How do a raptor s feet function differently from the feet of a perching bird? What hazards can affect the migration of the Canada goose? What purpose do the different layers of feathers have? How do the wingspans/flying patterns of different birds determine their survival or habits? How do birds construct their nests in different habitats? What materials do they use? Concepts to be Assessed (Unifying concepts/big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Science Exemplars Rubric under the criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content) Life Science Structure and Function: Students identify characteristics of organisms (needs, structures, senses, behaviors) and categorize living organisms as plant eaters or meat eaters. Life Science Evolution, Diversity and Adaptations: Students describe and show examples of the interdependence of organisms such as food chains and life cycles. Students look for evidence and describe how human actions can cause changes in vegetation, ecosystems and/or entire landscapes. Mathematics: Students use graphs, tables and representations appropriately. 5 of 14

6 Skills to be Developed (Science process skills to be assessed using the Science Exemplars Rubric under the criteria: Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies, and Scientific Communication Using Data) Scientific Method: Observing, predicting, collecting and recording data, manipulation of tools, drawing conclusions, communicating findings, challenging misconceptions, measuring and raising new questions. Other Science Standards and Concepts Addressed Scientific Theory: Students look for evidence that explains why things happen and modify explanations when new observations are made. Life Science Structure and Function: Students describe and group animals by what they eat and where they live. Students understand that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and are interdependent, and that each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival and reproduction. Life Science Evolution, Diversity and Adaptations: Students understand that many characteristics of organisms are inherited from parents and that others are a result of interactions with the environment. Students can explain that species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which includes changes in structures, behaviors or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment. Life Science Regulation and Behavior: Students know that an organism s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment and that how a species moves, obtains food, reproduces and responds to danger are based in the species evolutionary history. Communication: Students use verbal and nonverbal skills to express themselves effectively. Suggested Materials Provide a wide variety of color photos/magazine pictures of birds to be mounted for the children to use independently and in cooperative groups. Nature videos can demonstrate the attributes of birds and their habits. Access a game warden, a rehabilitation center and/or an ornithologist to discuss their important roles in preserving/studying populations of birds. Ask someone to bring in a live bird for observation. A game warden or local museum might have access to a bird skeleton or to preserved bird models. Collect natural materials for constructing nests in order to make comparisons between human strategies and real bird construction. (Remind children not to remove existing nests in their habitats.) 6 of 14

7 Possible Solutions In a student s solution, I am assessing the depth of knowledge that is illustrated in his/her comparison of an owl with a different species of bird that is tame or wild. I am looking for attributes that have been explored, such as beak structure, eye size, food relationships, structure and function of feet, habitats, and nesting habits with a reasonable number of eggs. Task-Specific Assessment Notes Novice This student completes many comparisons between an owl and blue jay but demonstrates a lack of understanding of how birds of prey differ from other species of birds. The birds' features are not represented accurately enough to illustrate the differences between owls and a different species of bird. Tree habitats do not demonstrate enough detail to show evidence of scientific understanding. Apprentice This student was able to demonstrate some evidence of scientific reasoning and understanding, but not all of the data are correct. The student shows evidence of understanding that the food preferences of the owl is connected to the use of talons. The owl has returned to the upper part of the tree to share the squirrel with the baby owlet, and it is watching the skunk below. (A skunk is also a food source for this owl.) The duck is shown with a nest of eggs in a tree, which is incorrect. On the second recording sheet, the eyes and feet of the owl and duck demonstrate some understanding of the differences in structure. The beak representation with the worm as a food source for the duck shows a lack of understanding for using this beak for the appropriate food source. Practitioner This student s solution is complete, includes organized details, and shows clear evidence of scientific reasoning while making comparisons between an owl and another bird. The shape of the different birds foot and beak structures and sizes of the eyes are represented accurately to scale. The student shows a clear difference in nesting habits, and the food choice provides an understanding of scientific concepts and knowledge about these two different species of birds. Expert This student s comparisons are complete and detailed, with illustrations and vocabulary, and demonstrate evidence of extended thinking and scientific connections. There is clear evidence that the student used prior knowledge and experience to explain the relationships and comparisons between an owl and a different bird in their natural environment, using detailed and accurate differences in wing structure, beak structure, eggs, nesting habits and food sources for each. 7 of 14

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