ALEX Learning Activity

  

Bird Beak Adaptation Activity

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Colby Malloy
System:Lee County
School:East Smiths Station Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2337
Title:
Bird Beak Adaptation Activity
Digital Tool/Resource:
Bird Beak Adaptation Activity Student Sheet
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This learning activity should be used during a lesson or unit on variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species. Students will use various tools to replicate bird beaks and decide which one works best for each food type and situation. 

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 3
10 ) Investigate how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing (e.g., plants having larger thorns being less likely to be eaten by predators, animals having better camouflage coloration being more likely to survive and bear offspring).

NAEP Framework
NAEP Statement::
L4.4: When the environment changes, some plants and animals survive and reproduce; others die or move to new locations.

NAEP Statement::
L4.7: Different kinds of organisms have characteristics that enable them to survive in different environments. Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

Unpacked Content
Scientific And Engineering Practices:
Planning and Carrying out Investigations
Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect
Disciplinary Core Idea: Unity and Diversity
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Identify given characteristics of a species (e.g., thorns on a plant).
  • Describe the patterns of variation of a given characteristic among individuals in a species (e.g., longer or shorter thorns on an individual plant).
  • Describe potential benefits of a given variation of a characteristic.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Investigate
  • Evidence
  • Explanation
  • Variation
  • Characteristics
  • Individuals
  • Species (plants and animals)
  • Advantages
  • Surviving
  • Finding mates
  • Reproducing
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Patterns of variation of a given characteristic among individuals in a species (e.g., longer or shorter thorns on individual plants, dark or light coloration of animals).
  • Potential benefits of a given variation of the characteristic (e.g. the light coloration of some moths makes them difficult to see on the bark of a tree).
  • Certain variations in characteristics makes it harder or easier for an animal to survive, find mates, and reproduce (e.g., longer thorns prevent predators more effectively and increase the likelihood of survival; light coloration of some moths provides camouflage in certain environments, making it more likely that they will live long enough to be able to mate and reproduce).
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Collaboratively investigate the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species.
  • Describe evidence needed to explain the cause-and-effect relationship between a specific variation in a characteristic and its effect on the individual to survive, find mates, and reproduce.
  • Use reasoning to connect the evidence to support the explanation
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Cause and effect relationships exist between a specific variation in a characteristic (e.g., longer thorns, coloration of moths) and its effect on the ability of the individual organism to survive and reproduce (e.g., plants with longer thorns are less likely to be eaten, darker moths are less likely to be seen and eaten on dark trees).
AMSTI Resources:
AMSTI Module:
Heredity and Diversity
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.3.10- Sort common plants and animals by observable characteristics needed for survival.
Learning Objectives:

Students will investigate how variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide an advantage in surviving. 
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

Instructions for learning the activity:

Divide the class into five groups. Explain to the class that they are going to visit stations today during rotations. They will experiment with each type of "beak" at each station to transfer the "food" to the bird's "stomach". They need to record, on their activity sheet, the usefulness of each beak on a scale of 1-5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the best). Tell the students they will have five minutes at each station to complete the experiment. Set a timer and begin. The teacher will need to walk around to ensure the students are staying on task. Once students have traveled to all five stations, have them return to their desks for class discussions.  
Assessment Strategies:

The teacher and the class will discuss the students' findings. Example questions to ask students are as follows:

  1. What beaks worked best for each food?

  2. Which ones worked the least?

  3. Why would one work over the other?

  4. What characteristics made one "beak" more useful than the other?

  5. Why would a woodpecker not need a beak like the slotted spoon?

  6. Why do ducks need beaks that can filter?

  7. If a hummingbird was put in an environment that didn't have flowers or nectar producing plants how would this effect it?

The activity, Bird Beak Adaptations, can be used to assess students' understanding of variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species and how they may provide an advantage in surviving.
Advanced Preparation:

Prior to the activity, you will need to set up each station for the students to use. You will also need to print out a copy of the Bird Beak Adaptation Activity page for each group to use or print out a copy for each student to complete. The choice is yours!

Materials needed for the experiment:

  • Pencils

  • Slotted spoon or mesh fish scooper (1 for each station)

  • Chopsticks (1 for each station)

  • Tweezers (1 for each station)

  • Pliers (1 for each station)

  • Eyedropper (1 for each station)

  • 1 Paper plate

  • 6 plastic cups – 5 to serve as the “stomach” and one for the punch

  • 3 Sandwich-sized plastic container (or any other small-medium container will work)

  • Walnuts

  • Beans (any dried beans work)

  • Rice

  • Rubber bands

  • Red punch

  • Water

  • Soil

  • Paper towels 

The teacher will need to gather materials listed above and set up the stations prior to the experiment.

Setup:

Station 1- Place the dried beans in a small plastic container and fill about halfway with water. You want to make sure there is enough water to fully cover the beans. Place a plastic cup for the “stomach”. Place one of each “beak” at this station.

Station 2- Place the walnuts on the paper plate and place a plastic cup for the “stomach”. Place one of each “beak” at this station.

Station 3- Place the rice in a small plastic container and fill about halfway with water. You want to make sure there is enough water to fully cover the rice. Place a plastic cup for the “stomach”. Place one of each “beak” at this station.

Station 4- At this station, you will not need a plate, only two cups-one with the punch and one empty for the “stomach”. I suggest filling the cup with a small amount of punch so that the students are not able to scoop it with the spoon. Place one of each “beak” at this station.

Station 5- Hide rubber bands in a small container of soil. Place the container of soil and a plastic cup for the "stomach" at this station. Place one of each type of “beak” at this station.
Variation Tips (optional):

If you are not able to do stations, you could do the activity as a whole group activity and have students record their answers individually. 

Math could be incorporated by turning their data into a bar graph.

Students could also go to the playground and notate what birds they see and how they are using their beaks. 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: adaptation, beaks, birds, experiment, hands on