This week's LIO is all about the birds! As spring quickly approaches, so does nesting time for all kinds of birds.

The activities below will introduce students to exploring some of the nesting habits we can see during this time of the year and shows students how we can examine how birds interact with their environment. March is also the perfect time of the year to attract birds into our schoolyard by building nesting boxes - as they typically look to 'move in' by the end of the month. This is an amazing opportunity for students to begin monitoring and examining bird behavior for the remainder of the school year!

Be sure to check out our Step Outside Nature Guide to learn more about understanding bird calls and to read about other happenings during this time of the year!

Grades K-2

Nesting, Nests and Building a Home for Birds

The nesting habits of birds are examined in this inquiry-based lesson that cultivates curiosity and promotes respect for the natural world. As students explore the unique features of bird nests, they actively participate in the learning process through a series of introductory STEM activities. The activities involve creating models of bird nests, comparing and contrasting bird nests to human homes and describing how birds interact with their environment.

Activities

• Read Birds by Kevin Henkes. Complete the Verb Bird poem and art activity
• Participate in a bird-watching walk, identify the different bird behaviours
• Birds converse with each other throughout the day to say and share messages! This Table Talk activity challenges students to communicate with another student using bird sounds
• Get outside and look for twigs, rocks, any material you can pick up easily and build a bird's nest
• Try to build a bird nest with artificial materials instead of natural materials. How do your two nests compare?

Grades 3-6

Olivia's Birds and the Oil Spill

Eleven-year-old Olivia is a naturalist and ardent birdwatcher who delights in the extraordinary biodiversity surrounding her home along the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, she also experienced the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the most catastrophic environmental disasters in history. The devastation spurred Olivia into action. By combining her love of birds with her artistic talents, she created an outpouring of support for the Audubon Society, one of the front-line organizations involved in the cleanup. Wise beyond her years, Olivia believes that youth have the power to enact change, and she challenges all students to become active participants in environmental conservation.

Activities

• Watch Olivia's Birds and the Oil Spill to learn how one student made a huge difference
• Sit in the schoolyard or nearby park and observe the birds you see. Make a list. Choose a few birds from your list and learn more about them
• Spring is nesting time for birds of all kinds. Go on a quest to see what nests you can find
• Look for robins in your neighbourhood and keep a record of what you observe
• Train your brain to identify bird songs and calls using bird song hero
• Create a bird mural with your students that tells the story of birds in your community

Grades 7-12

School Nest Watch Program Guide

This resource provides information for teachers on registering and participating in the national monitoring program; it also contains instructions on building and locating nesting boxes to attract these and other bird species to the schoolyard. March is a perfect time to build as the birds will be looking to 'move in' by the end of the month. Students can place the boxes around the schoolyard as soon as the ground has thawed and begin monitoring and studying bird behaviour for the remainder of the school year.

Activities

• Learn to build and maintain nesting boxes in your schoolyard or nearby park
• In spring, many birds are on the lookout for materials to build their nests. Learn how you can offer birds nesting materials. Take it one step further by growing bird-nesting material in your schoolyard
• Participate in a bird-focused citizen science program to learn more about birds in your area and contribute observations for science and conservation. Use the Merlin app to help you identify your bird sightings
• Learn how to identify bird sounds and calls, then get outside and test your bird skills
• Play the Climate Challenge game where students assume the role of a bird and then figure out how climate change is affecting their lives in their food, habitat and migration
• Investigate a human-related threat to birds and present information in a creative communication such as an infographic, news article, skit, memes, comic or game