Grow Up Great
Note: This lesson requires preparation the day before the activity.
Most birds eat insects, nuts, and seeds, but some birds are meat eaters. Different types of birds have different types of beaks, depending on what they eat. Meat-eating birds, like hawks and owls, have very sharp, curved beaks for tearing meat into small pieces. Nectar-eating birds, such as hummingbirds, have very long, narrow beaks to draw the nectar from flowers. Seed-eating birds, like finches and cardinals, have short, strong beaks that enable them to crack open seeds.
Most birds enjoy fruits, seeds, insects, and nuts throughout the year. Winter can be a difficult time for many birds to find food because much of the food that birds enjoy throughout the rest of the year has been consumed. Many birds change their diet during the winter to eat more readily available seeds and nuts. However, seeds and nuts can be difficult for birds to eat because, in some parts of the world, bird’s food can get covered with or freeze in snow and ice.
You may want to introduce tweezers and have the children practice using them prior to doing this activity.
These lessons are aligned with the Common Core State Standards ("CCSS"). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of the concepts and skills children are expected to learn and guide teachers to provide their students with opportunities to gain these important skills and foundational knowledge.[2]
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There are currently no Common Core Standards for pre-k, but these lessons are aligned as closely as possible to capture the requirements and meet the goals of Common Core Standards. However, these lessons were neither reviewed or approved by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices or the Council of Chief State School Officers, which together are the owners and developers of the Common Core State Standards.
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