Infusion of Literacy into the Science Curriculum

Book Information

Title Unbeatable Beaks

Author Stephen R. Swinburne

Publisher New York: H. Holt

Copyright Year 1999

IBN# 0805048022

Summary Have you ever wondered why birds have different shaped beaks? Many beaks are long and pointy while others are round and smooth. Some beaks have ridges; some are even shaped like spoons. Beaks are to birds what hands are to humans. That's why birds can do the most amazing things with their beaks--from spearing fish to turning eggs.

Stephen R. Swinburne's lyrical, chant-along text and Joan Paley's stunning paper collage illustrations introduce young children to a variety of wonderful birds and their distinctive beaks of all sizes, shapes, and colors.

Availability Arlington Central Library; APS Library system Barcroft, Claremont, Taylor; Amazon (for purchase). How can the book content be infused into the science curriculum?

Grade Level K-5

Strands Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic; Life Processes, Living Systems

Kindergarten Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic K.1; K.2- Five senses, descriptions and sequencing K.6 & K.7 Basic life needs, processes of plants of animals.

Grade 1 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic Classifying, measuring, predicting 1.4 & 1.5 Plants & Animals-needs, parts, characteristics

Grade 2 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic 2.1- Measurement, classification, graphs, unexpected data 2.5 Systems include living and nonliving things.

Grade 3 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic 3.1- Making predications and observations, data charted, drawing conclusion 3.4 Animal Adaptations

Grade 4 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic 4.1- Hypotheses, predictions, measurement

Grade 5 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic 5.1- Classification key, measurement, graphing data, variables Sample Activities

Grade K-2 Bird Beak Buffet: "Beaks" chopsticks (or clothespin), spoons, plastic tweezers "Bird Food" marbles, toothpicks, rubber bands, or use real food like uncooked macaroni, sunflower seeds, raisins, gummy worms, small candies, small cups, pictures of different bird beaks (Avocet- spoon, Sanderling- tweezers, Marbled Godwits-Chopsticks) What to Do: Ask the children, "What kinds of birds have you seen?" Allow them to name or describe the birds they have seen. Ask, "What do birds eat?" and "Does every bird have the same size and shape beak?" Have them describe the types of foods they believe birds eat and the different types of beaks they have seen. Discuss that bird beaks have adapted to suit the animal's environment. Look at pictures of different birds and hypothesize how their beaks may be useful when feeding.

Explain to the child that they will be using different utensils to represent the different sizes and shapes of bird beaks. The task is to pick up various different food items using their "beaks" and deposit them into the small cups. Show the utensils and ask what kind of beak they may represent. Show the food items and ask them what kind of bird food they may represent. Write the observations on the board or a large flip chart.

Give each child one of the utensils, a small cup and small piles of each food item. Allow them to experiment with which utensil is best to pick up each food item. Regroup and discuss his findings. What size utensil picked up the small items best? How about the large food items? Ask him to make a hypothesis as to which utensil is best for gathering each food item. Give them time to test their hypotheses. Testing one food item at a time, give them 30 seconds to gather as many pieces as possible with their test utensil and place them in their small cup. Create a chart to record the results. After testing each food item, review the results with your child. Ask him, "which utensil seems to be better for gathering each food item?" Compare and contrast the size and shape of the utensils to the size of the food item. Write down the child's observations and conclusions on the board or a flip chart.

Allow children to eat the food items collected!

Allow the child to eat the food items she has collected in their cups!

Grade 3-5 Extended Bird Beak Buffet. Same activity as above, but divide the class into groups of three. Trial 1. Each group gets one set of “beaks” (tweezers, chopsticks, spoons) and scatter marbles (snails or clams) on the floor. Discuss high tide and low tide. When you call low tide the “birds” may try to collect as much “food” into their stomachs (cups) until you call out high tide. Students will count the number of food items in its stomach and round off to the nearest multiple of 5, then add each of the food collected. Represent each beak-type to help with the data collection on a graph. Do the trials again using the toothpicks (shrimp) and the rubber bands (worms) and then all three foods at once. Looking at the results of the graph use the following questions to guide the discussion: What statements could we make about the results? Did all three types of birds get enough or something to eat? Did birds seem to concentrate on gathering one type of food? Was it easier to get food when one item or all three were available? Extension: Read the Aesop Fable “The Fox and the Stork. Create and illustration for the fable and write what does this fable have to do with the “Bird Beak Buffet” we did in class?

(Adapted from MARE: Marine Activities, Resources and Education Teacher’s Guide to Wetlands).