Engaging elementary students with seniors in a bird feeder project

Abstract

This two-day service-learning project educates elementary students about native birds while engaging them in simple hands-on activities. The project concludes with the children visiting seniors at a nursing home to share what they have learned. AmeriCorps members Chris Kowalski and Jo Anne Britt developed and presented the "It's for the Birds" program for five elementary schools in Lewiston, Idaho. Excerpted from the 1997 Northwest National Service Symposium.

Issue

Finding a way for elementary school children to learn about the environment and participate in community service.

Action

"It's for the Birds" is a two-day service-learning activity for elementary school children. The first day requires two hours of classroom time. Students watch an educational slide show on birds, play a nesting game, and make bird feeders. The second day involves visiting a local nursing home. The service project is designed to get students thinking about ways they can affect animals and the environment. The service component engages young children with seniors by sharing what they have learned about birds and hanging the feeders for the residents. Promising practices from this project include guidelines for how to structure the service activity.

Day One

A slide show on native birds that covers types of birds, camouflage, nesting behavior, habitats, young, food types, and hunting techniques, followed by a short question and answer period.
An activity that teaches about nesting behaviors, gathering food, and importance of protecting the young. Students are paired and given a nest containing eggs (golf balls). During the activity, children must gather food (Lego blocks) from feeding stations around the room. Team members take eggs from unguarded nests. After the game is stopped, it is explained to the students that predators steal eggs from unguarded nests and that black blocks are pesticide-contaminated. It is explained what pesticides are and how they can harm eggs and birds. The game begins again. Students guard nests and avoid pesticide-contaminated food. The game is stopped again and students are told that now the orange blocks have pesticide, so they can understand it isn't possible for a bird to pick and choose its food.
Students make bird feeders from pine cones supplied by a local AmeriCorps team. The projects (pine cone bird feeders) are simple, creative works that all students can do equally well. The team explains that in winter, it can be hard for birds to find food because of the cold weather or snow. The students make two feeders, one to keep and one to hang outside the local nursing home. The bird feeders consist of pine cones smeared with peanut butter and roller in bird seed. A piece of twine is tied around the cone so it can be hung in a tree. When the bird feeders are completed, the students put them in baggies to keep until their day of service.

Day Two

A bus takes students and AmeriCorps members to the nursing home.
Students interact with residents in a large room, talking about birds and sharing memories. All enjoy cookies provided by the nursing home.
Children go outside to hang the bird feeders.
On the way back, team members discuss how children helped not only the birds but also the residents of the nursing home.
Team members hand out bird journals so students can reflect about birds they see at their feeders.

Context

This program, "It's For The Birds," was conducted with more than 150 elementary students at five elementary schools during two months in Lewiston, Idaho. Students were from kindergarten, first-, second-, third-, and fifth-grade.

Citation

Kowalski, Chris and Britt, Jo Anne. "It's For The Birds," Northwest National Service Symposium (Second Annual). Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1997.

Outcome

Allows young children to participate in community service.

Provides an enjoyable intergenerational activity for seniors.

Teaches young children about local birds.

Evidence

Each of the nine teachers whose students were involved completed evaluation forms about the classroom learning aspect. All gave the highest rating to each of the four questions:

The presentation was geared correctly towards the learning level of my class.
The materials used in this presentation were of high quality.
The presentation provided a positive learning experience and was beneficial to my class.
The ISPIE (Idaho State Parks in Education) AmeriCorps members conducted themselves in a professional manner.

The service portion received positive feedback from the nursing home activities director, the retirement center director, and the residents.

Local businesses that donated bird seed and peanut butter expressed appreciation that their donations were helping schoolchildren learn about the environment.

Posted On

October 23, 2001

Resources

Read "It's for the Birds" by Chris Kowalski and Jo Anne Britt.

From The Resource Center library:

Northwest National Service Symposium (Second Annual)

Item number: M1681

Source Documents

It's for the Birds

Related Practices

Related sites

AmeriCorps Network Northwest

Learn and Serve America

Resource Center