Children Can Research, Write, and Make a Simple Book about Birds for a Science Lesson During the Coronavirus Shutdown

What can we do to help our children get an education while schools are closed? Any age of child can make a book about birds, and this is a perfect time because many birds can be seen in the yard through the window.  Hummingbirds have returned to my house this week, and I have two very cute new little birds that seem to be checking out the backyard to see if they want to move in.  Birdwatching can be very interesting for children, particularly if the bird lives in their backyard so that they can frequently watch it.  Older students may even try to identify birds from pictures on the Internet.  Here’s one helpful guide.

• Preschool and kindergarten students can sit and watch a video about birds, possibly even a story about a particular bird, and then color a picture of that bird.  There are several free coloring pages available online that you may copy and provide for your child to color.  The child can watch the video and figure out which color each bird should be.  In this way, they are practicing their colors as well as their listening skills.
• First and second graders might also watch a video, color a free coloring page, and then write a sentence or two telling what they learned from the video.  Even if a young child only writes:  “The bird is blue,” that’s a start.  As long as they are writing a complete, correct grammatical sentence, they are learning.
• Third, fourth, and fifth graders can take the next step and write a paragraph about each bird that they view on the video.  Learning to write complete sentences and paragraphs is one of the major learning steps for all elementary students.  This age group may either read an article or watch a video.  Make sure it’s factual and accurate.  Then, have students make a list of the facts they learned and write a paragraph telling what they learned. 
• This could be a project for all ages.  You simply increase the requirements appropriate for the age.  While you work.  They work.  You can make a bird book.  Older students may decide to draw or paint their own pictures.  Use the supplies you have at home and be creative.  Learning really can be fun.

Students can bind their pages with a hole punch and string. They can draw or paint a bird picture on the cover. 
 
Next week, we will look at how to teach beginning letter sounds to young children and how to teach comprehension skills to older children.  Yes, as we pray for everyone’s safety, we can make this time at home an educational time.  Work on a bird report this week and have fun.