Extension Activities

There are many opportunities to extend and expand the activities listed in this module. Several examples are listed below.

Extension 1

The “How Strong are a Bird’s Bones?” activity from education.com demonstrates how strong a hollow structure can be using pennies and hollow paper bones.

Extension 2

“Bird Beak Gallery” from Teachers’ Domain: It is usually possible to look at a tool or a kitchen utensil and tell what the item is used for, based on its shape. The same is true for bird beaks. Each species has a beak with a particular shape and size that says a lot about what and how that type of bird eats. This collection of images provides a sample of the diversity of bird beaks that exists worldwide. Includes discussion questions and standards.

Extension 3

“How Do Populations Change Over Time?” Lesson from San Diego State University: An exercise for exploring population change using birds as the example.

Extension 4

“Bird Beaks Lesson” from Science NetLinks: This thorough lesson explores the relationship between a bird’s beak and its ability to find food and survive in a given environment.

Extension 5

“Nesting Instincts” from DisneyFamily.com: A nest-building exercise for kids.

Extension 6

“How Are Dinosaurs Classified?” from EnchantedLearning.com: Brief info suited for the elementary level about dinosaur classification.

Extension 7

“Bird Boxes: Hints For Attracting Birds With Nesting Boxes” from the Audubon Society: Some basic tips for building bird boxes.

Extension 8

“Building Nest Structures, Feeders, and Photo Blinds for North Dakota Wildlife”: This site includes a typical plan for a nest box designed for black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches (on page 7 of the larger document), as well as a wealth of other info.