Title
Schoolyard Bird Project

Grade Level
6-8

Protocol
Birds

Abstract
Due to the large number of students in most classes this activity has been divided into two groups. The activity is designed to encompass two days allowing each group to experience each activity.
Group 1 - Students will set up bird count sites in the school yard and compare the numbers of birds seen at the same site at different times of the day, throughout the school year (once per quarter).
Group 2 - Students will observe and record bird sightings around the schoolyard.

Authors
Bette Hanscom (McKemy Middle School) and Pam Whitaker (Thunder Mountain Middle School)

AZ Standards
Science

• 1SC-E1 Identify a question, formulate a hypothesis, control and manipulate variables, devise experiments, predict outcomes, compare and analyze results, and defend conclusions. (PO1, PO3, PO4)
• 1SC-E3 Organize and present data gathered from their own experiences, using appropriate mathematical analyses and graphical representations. (PO1, PO2)
• 2SC-E4 Identify characteristics of scientific ways of thinking. (PO1)
• 2SC-E5 Explain how scientific theory, hypothesis generation, and experimentation are interrelated. (PO1-3)

• 1M-E5 Represent and use numbers in equivalent form (integers, fractions, percent, decimals, exponents, scientific notation and square roots) (PO2)
• 2M-E1 Construct, read, analyze and interpret tables, charts, graphs, and data plots (e.g., box-and-whisker, stem-and-leaf, and scatter plots) (PO1-3)
• 2M-E2 Make valid inferences, predictions, and arguments based on statistical analysis (PO1-PO4)
• 2M-E3 Display and use measures of range and central tendency (i.e., mean, median and mode) (PO1-PO4)
• 1M-E6 Recognize that the degree of precision needed in calculating a number depends on how the results will be used and the instruments used to generate the measurements (PO2)
• 5M-E1 Estimate, make and use measurements (U.S. customary and metric) to describe and make comparisons.
• 5M-E2 Select and use appropriate units and tools to measure to the degree of accuracy required in a particular problem-solving situation
• 5M-E4 Develop and use formulas and procedures to solve problems involving measurement (PO2)
• 5M-E6 Use calculators and computers to perform basic recursive and iterative processes

View this Lesson
Click here to view this lesson. (You must have the Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer to read this file.)