Project Ovenbird – 3rd Grade Lesson Plans and Videos
Lesson Plan – Ovenbird Color Banding
Learning Objectives (What will the students know or be able to do at the end of the lesson?):
- Students will be able to explain the purpose of color banding birds.
- Students will learn how to read the color combinations on a color banded bird.
- Students will take photos of Ovenbird model and video tape one partner explaining how to identify a color banded bird & why it is important.
Introduction/Attention Grabber (What can I do or use to get the students’ attention?):
Open the discussion with a photo of a group of birds and ask the question, “How can you identify one individual bird from this group? Why would a scientists want/need to be able to do that?”
Then show a few photos of different types of birds with color bands on their legs.
Equipment/Materials Needed:
- iPads/Cases
- Computer with digital projector
- Ovenbird models with color bands
- Color banding activity work sheet
Reflection: (Note what worked well and what did not. What would you change? Keep the same?)
- Save time at the end for students to share why color banding birds is important
- Review answers as a group after everyone has worked through the worksheet with the ovenbird models reinforcing how to read the color bands on each bird
- May need to divide the lesson into 2 class periods to allow more time
- Emphasize with the students that it is not a race to see who gets finished first (they rushed through)
Resources:
Visit these websites for background information and images to use with your class:
- http://amoywg.org/banding-re-sighting/how-to- identify-banded-birds/
- http://ternandplover.unl.edu/monitor/banding.asp
- https://www.birdscaribbean.org/2018/08/celebrate- world-shorebirds-day-and-join-the-global- shorebird-count-september-8-9-2018/
Ovenbird model
Activity Procedures, including assessment of objectives: (Detail how you will implement the lesson and note any way you may assess students during and after the lesson.)
Classroom:
- Start with photos of different color banded birds on the board. Discuss the types of bands and why it is important.
- Activity: Show the model Ovenbird and draw on the board the color band combination. Explain how to read and write the combinations starting with the right leg and reading them from top to bottom.
- Explain that each team will get a model and a bag of color bands. They are to take turns arranging the color bands to match what is on the worksheet. When they get one done, call for the teacher to stamp their paper if it is correct. When they have completed all the samples and the final example (projected on the board) they can check out their iPads to take pictures of their model and do a short video explaining why color banding is important.
