The World of Birds!

The first grade has embarked on a new thematic study: BIRDS!

Our urban habitat is coming alive with spring and with it more birds are making themselves heard and seen! We enjoy seeing the starlings, robins, pigeons, sparrows, and more as we spend time outdoors.

We spend time each day checking in on several live nest cameras around the world. We observe bald eagle chicks growing daily, songbirds visiting bird feeders, and even have checked in on several zoo habitats to see parrots and penguins. Some reading groups are also focusing on fiction and nonfiction texts about birds.

During the first week of the study, the students began to activate prior knowledge by painting, building, and creating birds from their own memories and experiences.

They also spent time brainstorming words they would need to know for their writing. Some students chatted with classmates learning at home as they added words to lists about habitats, types of birds, and bird bodies.

This week, children are selecting individual birds to study in class. In Art with Mr. Johnson, they are considering bird movements and how to draw them. In the Shared Space, they are using tracing paper to research the shape of bird bodies, feet, beaks, and feathers.