Beaks and Feet

Come soar into the world of birds and find out what structures they have to help them survive. Students will get to “try out” different beaks to see how successful they are and handle bird biofacts. Students will also take a short hike and use binoculars to identify some birds' special structures. Best times for this program are in the Summer or Spring.

PROGRAM LENGTH:

4 hours, 9:30am-1:30pm (2 Coastal Education Programs back to back- see sample schedule below)

PLEASE PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS

We have chosen one lesson for you to do with your students before you come, titled READING A BIRD and corresponding BOOKLET so they will have the optimal experience when they are here. Please use it to prepare your students. Please teach the second lesson, titled BEAK MIMICS, within a week of completing your Coastal Education Program to expand on the material learned during the Beaks and Feet Program. There are many more resources for you and your students listed below as well!

PLAN OF THE DAY: (If only one class, just see 9:30am-11:30am Group A)

Your students will be able to participate in the Beaks and Feet Lesson, a Docent-led Tour around the Living Coast to see birds, turtles and touch stingrays, complete a scavenger hunt and go for a hike or listen to a Read Aloud. Half of the day you will be with a Teacher or Docent and the other half of the day you will be leading your class through provided activities.

EXAMPLE SCHEDULE - Detailed Schedule Link (Actual schedule may vary)

Additional Resources

Below are other optional activities and resources related to the Beaks and Feet Program

Student Information:

Beaks in the mud

Teacher Background:

Birds of San Diego County website

Activities and Lessons:

Reading A Bird & Reading A Bird Booklet

Beak Mimics

Birds Beaks Worksheet

Birds Feet Worksheet

Observation Lesson

Bird Olympics

Games, Songs and Crafts:

A Bird Watching Tool

Native Birds Coloring Sheets

Paper Bag Mallards

Standards:

NGSS

  • LS1.A. All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow.

  • LS1.D. Animals have body parts that capture and convey different kinds of information needed for growth and survival. Animals respond to these inputs with behaviors that help them survive. Plants also respond to some external inputs.

  • LS3.B. Individuals of the same kind of plant or animal are recognizable as similar but can also vary in many ways.

Common Core

ELA-Literacy.

  • SL.1.1. Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups

  • SL.1.2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media

  • SL.1.3. Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.

  • L.1.6. Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships

Math

  • 1.OA.C.5. Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g. by counting on 2 to add 2).