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I was just sitting in my apartment and watching a swarm of birds pass by when I had an idea.
Bird observations could also be integrated into science classrooms, especially in rural areas where it is easy to find many individuals.
Here are the opportunities I see:
Firstly, students might familiarize themselves with an environment they haven't been in contact with before. Especially for elementary kids, doing a forest expedition or even going to a lake to watch the birds could be a valuable experience.
Secondly, bird watching can be embedded in many STEAM categories. Birds are exceptional examples of adaptation and evolutionary theory because of their ability to travel long distances. In addition, birds not only conquer the air but also have a significant presence on the ground and, in some cases, even underwater. This can be a fascinating way to grab students' attention and show them the complexity of biological systems.
In urban centers, I could imagine doing a project to build bird shelters. Even pigeons, hated by many people, can serve a purpose. Pigeons have adapted to life in cities and could be a model for how humans influence animal populations.
Bird watching can also be used in a cross-curricular context when counting bird populations leads into calculus. I would teach population ecology with older grade levels.
I hope that, with this little thought experiment, I could inspire you to use bird watching in your classroom!
Feel free to share alternative ideas on how bird watching can be used in science-class!
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