100 Days of Science #52- Learning About Birds in Winter

We've studied birds a few times in our homeschool.  Typically we wouldn't be learning about birds in winter but I thought that was actually what made this such a perfect little mini unit.  Even though we live in New England there are still birds that around in winter and I thought it might interest the boys to learn about them.

We read a few picture books about birds.  Here are some suggestions for you:

1.  Welcome, Brown Bird

2.  Backyard Birds of Winter

3.  Birds in Winter 

4.  Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends

 

5.  How Do Birds Find Their Way?

6.  The Peregrine's Journey: A Story of Migration

Once we were finished reading our books we made bird feeders.  We've made a few birdseed crafts in the past and this time settled on making little cups out of orange peels.  

First we cut an orange in half and then scraped out the pulp. 

We poked 4 holes of equal distant in the rind and threaded string through them.

Then we tied the strings together and filled our cups with bird seed.

We brought them outside and hung them on our tree.

Other bird feeder suggestions:

Coat an empty toilet paper roll in honey or peanut butter and roll in seeds then thread string or pipe cleaners through and hang it in a tree. 

A birdseed wreath

Birdseed ornaments

Others in this series:

1.  Bernoulli's Principle

2.  Field Trip to the Ecotarium 
3.  Learning About Air Molecules

4.  Kitchen Science; Baking cupcakes

5.  Corn Maze Field Trip 

6.  Birds of Florida 

7.  Static foil drum

8.  Un-Make it Monday; Seeing Inside our DVD/VCR player

9. Wind Tunnel Experiment 

10. Biomes Marine Biology Center Field Trip  

11. Disappearing Coin Trick and the Science Behind it. 

12.  Snuff Out a Candle with Baking Soda and Vinegar

13.  Making Plastic from Milk
14.  Pencil in the Rice Friction Experiment
15 & 16.  Two Experiments using SNOW
17.  Making an Iceberg 

18.  Making an Egg Float

19.  Looking at Microscopic Organisms 

20.  Eco Plant pals

21&22.  Two Experiments with Cotton Candy
23. Springfield Science Museum Trip

24.  Teaching Children the Signs of Spring

25.  Color Changing Slime

26.  Growing Tickle Me Plants
27.  Learning About Soil Sampling
28.  Making Super Bouncy Balls 

29. Exploring the New England Shoreline
30.  Color Changing Flower Experiment 
31.  Roger Williams Zoo Trip
32.  Edible Silly Putty 
33.  Raising Tadpoles

34. More Microscope Fun

35. Making Homemade Ice Cream

36.  Observing Plants Breathe 

37.  Trip to Save the Bay Exploration Center and Aquarium

38. Making Fresh Peach Preserves 
39.  Making Solar S'mores

40.  Growing a Crystal Garden

41 & 42.  Jolly Rancher Candy Apples and Lollipops
43.  Volcanic Lemons 

44.  Oozing Pumpkins 
45.  Growing a Germ Farm
46.  Looking at the Germ Farm Under a Microscope

47 & 48.  Building Model Molecules Two Ways 

49.  Kitchen Chemistry Experiments 

50.  Fall Leaf Chromatography 

51.  Color Changing Experiments with Iodine 

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