Kids learn birds are really tweet
Yearlong program introduced all things avian to fourth- and fifth-graders
By Tom Wharton The Salt Lake Tribune June 1, 2008
When Backman Elementary fourth-grader Darrell Sam goes outdoors these days, he notices birds roosting on trees and knows they possess their own special stories. Sam and other students now view birds in a whole new light, thanks to a Tracy Aviary educational program called Aviation Education in Schools (AVES). "Birds are a vehicle to ideas about how continents are connected and how creatures adapt to other environments," explained Bruce Thompson, the aviary's director of education, who played a key role in developing the bird program. "It doesn't matter if kids walk away knowing a bird. Every plant and animal has a story connected to it. It looks and acts like it does because that helps it survive." The AVES classes, which began in September at 13 schools in the Salt Lake and Granite school districts, encompassed lessons in math, English, geography, creative writing, art, physical education, music, drama, journalism, science, social studies, computers, photography and natural history for fourth- and fifth-graders. As the program ended for the school year last week, Backman kids showed parents and other students the skills they learned from observing birds using feeders outside classroom windows. One skit used dramatic storytelling, artwork and writing to explain bird migrations, environmental threats, predation, pollution, the value of habitat, weather and even the danger birds face from domestic cats. Another group of students performed an original rap song about birds. One class created a television news set complete with "live" shots and a weather person to explain what they learned over the year about birds. Still another used photography and interviews for a PowerPoint presentation complete with sophisticated graphs. Steven Little, a fourth-grade teacher at Backman, said the program was a way for students who might have difficulty learning in a traditional classroom to demonstrate creativity. "What surprised me most was the incredible interest level of the students," said Little. "There was enthusiasm about learning about the birds, ecology, wetlands and civic responsibility." Ciera Vigil, one of Little's students, said she learned that birds migrate and that some are picky eaters. "I liked looking at the birds with binoculars and then hurrying up and identifying them," she said. "I like mysteries." Sam said he liked learning about different birds such as house finches but that European starlings became his favorite. Thompson said teachers took three workshops to learn how to use birds to teach other lessons. The program also included student field trips to the aviary in Salt Lake City's Liberty Park, classroom visits by aviary personnel and complete lesson plans for teachers. "It made a difference in the kids' interest in science," said Thompson. "Science had a context that was interesting."
