The Birds of Michigan
th , Science Duration: One class period to build birdhouses, one day field trip to Belle Isle Nature Center Lesson Overview: After making birdhouses, students will visit Belle Isle Nature Center to observe and hang houses in wooded area around the site. This trip will help prepare the students for our overnight camping trip. They will be able to listen and recognize bird sounds and attributes.  What are some ways other than migration that birds meet the challenges of winter?  How do feathers heal birds? Activities Focus on Feathers Give each child a feather or two to examine. If possible, include flight, contour, and down feathers. a) As the children describe the parts of a feather, the leader draws them on the blackboard to illustrate a typical feather. Make sure to note the hollow shaft. What differences do the children notice between their feathers? What functions do feathers perform? b) Have the children gently pull apart the web of the feather. Use a hand lens to see the tiny barbules that project from the barbs. What function might these serve? Have the children try to zip feathers together by pinching and drawing their fingers along the separated barbs from the shaft to the outer edge. Discuss how birds oil and groom themselves. Mix and Match Give each pair of children a picture of a bird. Ask them to look at the shape of the bird's beak, feet, legs, and with a partner talk about how the bird might use these to obtain food and eat it. Spread out the pictures of possible bird foods. Ask the children to place their bird picture next to an appropriate food. More than one bird may eat the same