For January and February thematic
unit, the students learned about the birds in our back woods. Even on the coldest days, we could hear
chirping as we walked the trails and see flocks of birds with “puffed up”
feathers hopping around in the trees and on the ground.
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| Walking the trails at Double Creek School |
First,
we learned to identify our local birds, by sight, sound and behavior. The favorites were black-capped chickadees,
Anna’s hummingbirds, barred owls, red tailed hawks, and Steller’s jays. Through recognizing what is commonly found in
our backyard, we were able to identify when any unusual species passed through-
we unexpectedly saw an acorn woodpecker and a varied thrush. We also learned when and how to find
birds. The crows were especially helpful
for finding raptors, as they make quite a fuss when one is near. With their ears attenuated to the bird
sounds, our backyard transformed into a wildlife paradise- that was always
there, but never noticed.
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| Watching for wildlife |
Next,
we began to think like the birds (our students have bird brains!) In early
spring, what is important to birds? Food
and water, of course, but what else? The
children learned how pairs of birds make nests and what they need to safely
raise their young. We put out
bird feeders, a bird bath, and hung mesh bags of hair and string for the busy nest builders. We learned about the
importance of choosing native
plantings to support native insect
activity, which supports our native
birds. This also reinforced the
importance of removing any invasive species in our woods which does not support
biodiversity.
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| D. and V. nail sidewalls for the barred owl birdhouse |
Finally,
we culminated our learning with each student choosing a native bird to support
through building a custom birdhouse. We
learned that only cavity nesters use birdhouses, which ruled out some of the
initial selections of hummingbirds, robins, or red tailed hawks. Each type of bird has specific needs in mind
as they look for a place to raise their young, so the students designed their
birdhouse with their chosen species in mind.
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| L. uses a power screwdriver to attach her western bluebird birdhouse to a mounting pole |
The students were very excited to
try out some new tools while they improved their woodworking skills. The students marked where to cut the cedar,
and adults cut them. They assembled
their birdhouses (each with varied amounts of adult support vs. supervision),
and problem-solved any building challenges they encountered. Grandpa Gary, a retired engineer, regularly
came to trouble shoot and help students through the entire native bird unit.
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| M's Violet-green swallow birdhouse with V's Pygmy nuthatch birdhouse |
The birdhouses are currently
mounted around the Double Creek School property. We are keeping our eyes out, and hoping that
we will have some new feathered residents soon!
Double Creek School is a small private school in Southwest Portland / Beaverton Oregon for gifted
elementary school children. 
