Which are birds?

Which are birds?

Pencil and paper
Overview
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
a) Draw a circle around all the animals that are birds.

'Tuatara' picture source: www.tellhicks.com (February 2005)
'Pukeko' picture source: www.wceet.org.nz (March 2005)  
 
b)
 
Write down 2 ways you can tell that the animals you circled are birds.
 
 
1.
 
 
 
  2.
 
 
Level:
2
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Living World
Keywords: 
evolution, classification, birds
Description of task: 
Task: circle the animals that are birds, then write two ways to tell they are birds. Assessment focus: classification.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using sufficient evidence to make a classification judgement.
 
 
Science capabilities: 
Use evidence
Answers/responses: 
  Y4 (11/04)
a) Circles around:
pukeko, parrot, ostrich, duck, sparrow, penguin.		 All correct - easy
1 error - very easy
b)

 

 Any 2 of:

  • feathers
  • beak
  • wings (accept "they can fly" - but refer to Teaching and learning section)
  • 2 feet/legs

[Do not accept "because they look like birds".] NOTE: Students may give features that cannot be observed from the pictures, for example, lays (hard-shelled) eggs, is warm-blooded, has a backbone, has hollow bones. These answers are acceptable.

 2 correct – easy
1 correct – very easy
Diagnostic and formative information: 

a) The bird that trial students were least likely to identify was the penguin. Only one student circled animals that were not birds.
b) Of the 145 students trialled at Year 4, 70% identified wings or flying as a way to recognise birds, 52% identified beaks, 41% feathers, and 4% two legs/feet. 94% of students identified at least one correct feature.

Questions
Encourage students to consider all the features that classify an animal as a bird. Challenge them if they give just one feature by questioning, for example: A butterfly flies. Is it a bird? Why not?
Challenge the idea that all birds fly, encouraging them instead to talk about wings. A kiwi does not fly. Is it a bird? How do you know?
With students, list all the features of birds and encourage them to use this as a check.
NOTE: the feature that is peculiar to birds is feathers. However, in some birds, for example penguins, students may have difficulty recognising their covering as feathers.
  • There are a number of ARB resources about classification. Use the key words classification and birds to find those that complement this resource.
  • Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts Book 39, Is this an animal? Wellington: Learning Media. The focus of this book is classification of animals, and could be used if investigating different sorts of animals.
  • Ministry of Education (2000). Building Science Concepts Book 3, Birds. Wellington: Learning Media. This book focuses on structure, function and adaptation, and could be used after students are clear about the classification of birds, if birds is the general topic.
  • Garelick and Hill (1995). What makes a bird a bird? New York: Mondo Publishing.