Zoology II, Week 1: Birds, Rodents

In this second Zoology block we are grouping animals by Function instead of by Form. You may recall that the Form groupings were Head, Trunk, Limbs.

• My New Pile of Zoology Books
• Zoology I, Week 1: Cuttlefish, Nautilus, Snail
• Photos from Zoology I, Week 1
• Zoology I, Week 2: Clam, Jellyfish, Earthworm, Fish
• Photos from the Classroom
• Zoology I, Week 3: Termite, Ant, Wasp, Honeybee
• Zoology I, Week 4: Snake, Seal, Human Hand

The Function groupings are Nervous System, Cardiovascular System, and Digestive System.

Thursday, May 2

I began by reviewing how we had organized our previous block and then asking the students, can you think of an animal that seems to be all nervous system?

They quickly realized that these animals are the Birds and the Rodents, especially after watching me demonstrate moving like an animal which would be all nervous system. (It's really fun to act out!)

Rodents quiver and scurry and twitch their whiskers and look around often; birds also have tiny quick jerky movements and respond swiftly in response to every detail of their enviornment.

For our introductory activity for Birds -- and to practice this constant noticing and responding to their environments -- I had students work in pairs to read, practice, and perform the poems for two voices from I am Phoenix: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleishman. They liked "The Actor," "The Common Egret," "The Phoenix," and "Owls."

Friday, May 3

• share books which students can use to help them draft their Birds two-page spread in the MLB
  
• watch the beautiful 2001 documentary Winged Migration (89 minutes, rated G)

  

• read "Migration" poem from Georgia Heard's Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky, page 15

  

• discuss the various ways birds are able to find their way when they migrate, look at magnetic field of the Earth illustration on page 79 of 175 More Science Experiments to Amuse and Amaze Your Friends, do "Making a Floating Compass" activity by magnetizing a felting needle and placing it in a soda straw whose ends are plugged with modeling beeswax from page 98 of Physics is Fun! by Roberto Trostli

  

• read chapter 5, "The Harvest Mouse," from The Human Being and the Animal World by Charles Kovacs

  

This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!