Here are some resources, activities, books, videos and games for you to enjoy before, after or outside of our YYC's Young Citizen Scientist programs! Check out the links below:
Cross-Curricular Ideas:
Encourage your students to notice birds wherever they are. Start and build a list of birds
observed by your class. Build on math skills by creating tally or bar charts of birds
observed.
Use the students’ “I Wonder” questions as a starting place for inquiry-based science or
research projects.
Create a schoolyard food web based on your students’ discoveries from the Biodiversity
Quest. If students are unable to identify plants, trees, and insects, use the iNaturalist
photo-ID tool to help.
Studying bird calls and songs can enrich your music class. Listen to a bird call or song
on the Merlin Bird ID App and ask your students to sketch the sound. If the pitch of the
sound goes up, draw a line that goes up, etc. Do the notes repeat? Here are some ID tips!
Find out which of the birds your students have observed are introduced species (eg.
House Sparrows and European Starlings). Find out why and when they were brought to
North America and the effects they have had on native species.
Using the range maps on the Merlin Bird ID App or in the Field Guide books included in
your Citizen Science Kits, create a list of birds found in different regions of Alberta (Gr. 4
Social Studies) or Canada (Gr. 5 Social Studies). Which birds migrate and which stay
year-round?
Work on an art project based on your focus bird.
Bird Information and Resources:
All About Birds. Find great information on every species of bird here on this great
website.
Bird Studies Canada. Canada’s national charity for bird research, Citizen Science,
education, and conservation.
Migratory Bird Flight Animations Billions of Birds Migrate. Where Do They Go?
Migratory Birds have Made Their Thousand-Mile Flights for Millenia, But We are Just
Now Learning to Map their Mesmerizing Journeys. Click here to see National Geographic’s site showing
animated bird migrations.
Bird-themed activities:
Science Buddies. Great science projects you can do with kids of all ages to encourage
interest in birds.
Some recent articles, highlighting the importance of this work
A third of North American birds at risk: three-country study The Calgary Herald, 18
May 2016
Fully one-third of all North American bird species need quick help to stop them from
disappearing, says the first continent-wide bird study conducted jointly by Canada, the
United States and Mexico.
Warning of 'ecological Armageddon' after dramatic plunge in insect numbers The
Guardian, 18 Oct 2017
Three-quarters of flying insects in nature reserves across Germany have vanished in 25
years, with serious implications for all life on Earth, scientists say
Beak to beak: The Importance of Bird and Biodiversity Areas and Migratory BirdSanctuaries on Nature Conservancy of Canada Website, 13 Mar 2018
The extinction crisis extends far beyond rare and endangered species.
What is Biodiversity and Why Does it Matter to Us? The Guardian, 12 Mar 2018
The air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat all rely on biodiversity, but
right now it is in crisis – because of us. What does this mean for our future and can we
stop it?
The Radical Otherness of Birds The Guardian, 23 Mar 2018
Birds are not just diverse, vivid and extraordinary. They can also save our souls – let’s
protect them
Teaching Resources and Teaching in the Outdoors:
Worldwide Bird Count Days
The Great Backyard Bird Count. Join birdwatchers from all around the world for the
GBBC every February.
The Global Big Day. Wherever you are in the world, go eBirding on May 5, 2018 to be
part of birding’s biggest day!
Christmas Bird Count. Be a part of the longest running citizen science project ever.
Find a Christmas Bird Count event near you during the holidays.
Apps:
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology
eBird
iNaturalist
Seek by iNaturalist
Recommended Books:
Backyard Birds: An Introduction by Robert Bateman (includes beautiful original artwork
by this beloved Canadian artist)
Why Birds Do That: 40 Distinctive Bird Behaviors Explained & Photographed
by Michael Furtman
Natural Curiosity 2nd edition: A Resource for Educators: The Importance of Indigenous
Perspectives in Children’s Environmental Inquiry by Doug Anderson, Julie Comay, and
Lorraine Chiarotto
Green Birding: How to See More Birds and Protect the Environment at the Same Time
by Richard Gregson
Games, Ideas, and Activities for Primary Outdoor Learning
by Paul Barron
The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior
By David Allen Sibley
Nature Circles: Outdoor Schoolyard adventure cards By Acorn Naturalists
Nature Circles: Outdoor adventure cards By Acorn Naturalists
Educational Videos:
Wild Kratts. “Birds of a Feather” episode.
ale Bird of Paradise uses his showy bright feathers and extraordinary dances to display
to potential female mates that they are healthy and strong.
Wild Kratts. “Falcon City” episode.
See how the peregrine falcon harnesses the power of gravity to reach high speeds.
Wild Kratts. "Raptor Roundup” episode.
Learn about classifications of birds of prey
Wild Kratts. “Osprey” episode.
Animal species adapt and specialize in order to survive in their environments.
Wild Kratts. “To Touch a Hummingbird” episode.
Animals have to maintain a specific diet or lifestyle in order to survive.
Zaboomafoo. “Who’s In the Egg” episode.
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