PBL in Science: Do Birds Have Teeth?

Get curious

5 min

Video/ Slide show (5 min)

Watch a film.

What do hummingbirds eat?
How do they eat? What do their beaks look like?
Do all birds drink nectar?

Clicking play will redirect you to YouTube website.

Get going

5 min

Observing (5 min)

Invite students to come to the tables where bird food has been set out before the lesson. Tell them about foods that are good for birds.

You can find details of how to prepare the classroom and how to place bird food on tables at the end of the lesson plan in the Get Ready section (the "Bird canteen" button).
Discuss what kinds of food are edible for birds and which aren’t. How do birds get food? How do they fish food out of water, pick it out of tree bark, etc.?

Foods that are good for birds

7 min

Movement game (7 min)

Time to take on the role of birds. How would you “handle” food if you couldn’t use your hands, but had beaks instead? Try!

Students will try to collect food using tools that simulate beaks, thanks to which they will find out that you can’t collect every type of food with every type of beak, and they will learn how many different types of beaks birds can have – depending on what they eat.

Instructions

13 min

Conclusions (13 min)

Students look at the “nests” to which they have carried food and match the corresponding species of birds to the tools they have used. They should justify their choices.

The purpose of this task is to learn about food collecting mechanisms using different tools (beaks). Show photos of birds and talk with each team, asking questions such as:
What types of food did you collect with your tool? Why these types in particular?
Which bird has a beak with a similar shape to your tool?
What in its structure makes it easy to collect food?
Could this beak collect various types of food?
Do birds need teeth? Do birds have teeth?

Birds and their beaks

Birds' photos

5 min

Conclusions (5 min)

Discuss the significance of the diversity of birds' beaks.

You can ask auxiliary questions: is it good that birds have such diverse beaks? What does it give them? What would happen if they didn't?

Diversity of birds’ beaks

Get practicing

Observing

PBL: How to feed neighborhood birds? After making observations, the students build a feeder for birds living in the neighborhood. They learn to identify different birds and recognize their habits.

Tips for carrying out the project: How to feed neighborhood birds?

Providing birds with additional food

Project Sheet 1

Project Sheet 2

Feedback Ticket

Get ready

At the front of the classroom, set up two rows of benches – they will form a “canteen” with food for birds. The main activity of the lesson – the movement game - will take place in this part of the classroom. At the back of the class, arrange chairs in a semi-circle.

Prepare materials for the 'Bird canteen'.

"Bird canteen"

Tools photos

Get Going

Movement game: Birds’ beaks
1. Objects for the “Bird canteen”: 4 bowls or containers representing with water, 6-8 disposable plates, 4 glasses or small disposable cups, 4 drawings of flowers, pieces of bark, fresh and dry leaves, a few pine cones. 2. Imitation bird food (amount needed for the whole class): 3,5 oz of various types of grains, e.g., sunflower, corn, 10 toy mice – toys for cats or you can make them out of a sponge, 10 small pieces of aluminium foil – cut them out in the shape of fish 7 fl oz water dyed yellow or orange a handful of grass/little green plants 50 pieces (each approx. 2 inches) of yarn, tape or tissue paper in each of the following colors: green, brown or pink, red, orange, and blue 3. Objects representing bird beaks (ideally, 1 implement per student; 2 per team is good enough) tea infusers, small pliers, droppers, hairpins, tweezers, staple removers. We provide: Tools photos
Conclusions: Birds and their beaks
We provide: Birds' photos - multimedia presentation

Download Get Ready List

PBL in Science: Do Birds Have Teeth?

Get curious

Watch a film.

Get going

Invite students to come to the tables where bird food has been set out before the lesson. Tell them about foods that are good for birds.

Time to take on the role of birds. How would you “handle” food if you couldn’t use your hands, but had beaks instead? Try!

Students look at the “nests” to which they have carried food and match the corresponding species of birds to the tools they have used. They should justify their choices.

Discuss the significance of the diversity of birds' beaks.

Get practicing

PBL: How to feed neighborhood birds? After making observations, the students build a feeder for birds living in the neighborhood. They learn to identify different birds and recognize their habits.

Get ready

Get Going

Life Skills:

Authors

Source

PBL in Science: Do Birds Have Teeth?

Get curious

Watch a film.

Get going

Invite students to come to the tables where bird food has been set out before the lesson. Tell them about foods that are good for birds.

Time to take on the role of birds. How would you “handle” food if you couldn’t use your hands, but had beaks instead? Try!

Students look at the “nests” to which they have carried food and match the corresponding species of birds to the tools they have used. They should justify their choices.

Discuss the significance of the diversity of birds' beaks.

Get practicing

PBL: How to feed neighborhood birds? After making observations, the students build a feeder for birds living in the neighborhood. They learn to identify different birds and recognize their habits.

Get ready

Get Going

Life Skills:

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PBL in Science: Do Birds Have Teeth?