One sparkling fall day, a preschool class placed corn kernels and pumpkin seeds outside in the meadow near their school. The children soon became curious about what animals were eating the food. "Someone ate the seeds from the pumpkin!" Keli exclaimed.
So Ms. Mary, one of the teachers, asked the children, "Who do you think ate the seeds?"
Alicia was uncertain. "The deer ate the pumpkin seeds. We saw lots of bird nests, too."
"I think the deer ate it," suggested Trevor.
"I think a bird," said Emma.
"I think a squirrel," contributed Cierra.
"I saw a big duck when I was going home. Maybe the duck ate it," chimed in Robert.
After the class observed many birds in the area, they grew more and more interested in them, leading to more discussions about them and ultimately to a full-fledged investigation of birds.
The children's newly found interest in birds produced a number of exciting class activities. The preschoolers took walks to see birds and made binoculars to carry along with them. They constructed several types of birdfeeders for the hungry birds. In the classroom, the children observed the pet lovebird, Angelina, and drew, painted, and sculpted images of her.
The class read books about birds and watched a bird video. A bird expert visited the youngsters and showed them nests, eggs, and a model of a bird's insides and taught them some sounds that birds make. Because they were often outdoors watching birds, the children created several maps of their birding areas. They also made individual bird books and produced a graph with information about their favorite birds. In the spring, as a culminating event, the preschoolers invited their parents on a bird walk and bird celebration outdoors by the school, where they observed birds.
The bird project included several walks with parents by the school and several field site trips. The class took a guided hike at a Cleveland metro park to learn about chickadees. The youngsters also visited the Lake Erie Nature Center, where they observed many different native Ohio birds.
The topic of birds covered an extensive range of Ohio Early Learning Content Standards. The children's activities naturally flowed from their curiosity about birds. They fulfilled literacy requirements by reading books about birds, keeping bird journals, creating a KWL chart, making labels and signs, and learning new vocabulary, such as beak, crop, and wing feathers. The students accomplished mathematical standards by creating a bird graph. They used critical thinking and problem solving to make maps.
The investigation of birds provided many opportunities for scientific inquiry. The class explored the natural world and learned about the common needs of living things. In this way, they studied the environment and the impact of human beings. They fulfilled social studies content standards by working cooperatively, sharing, taking turns, and collaborating on many of the activities. The children also explored the immediate community of the school and the broader community in which they lived.
A word about our school: It's located in a church building whose grounds contain a wooded area, a stream, a meadow, and an outdoor worship area we use as an outdoor classroom. It turned out to be the perfect place for a study of birds.