Help Save the Birds

Help Save the Birds
created by Rhonda Schmidt

Grade level: 2/3

Critical Task: How will you help save the birds?

Overview: Students will image they have the power to create and change laws to try and protect birds. Students will be given a realistic issue and will be asked to decide upon some solutions having the power to change or create new laws.

Requisite Tools:

Background Knowledge:

knowledge of some dangers to birds caused by people
knowledge of laws and rules

Criteria For Judgement:

logical and reasonable solutions to the problem

Thinking Strategies:

Issue	What Will You Do?

Critical Thinking Vocabulary:

environmental point of view
cause and effect

Habits of Mind:

is willing to tackle the issue
is committed to thinking through the issue carefully

Suggested Activities:

Do the following activities to gain the requisite background knowledge:

Ask students what are rules? List some examples of the rules in the classroom. Why do we have rules?
Ask students what are laws? List some laws e.g. seat belts or driving on the right side of the road.
Ask students what would happen if we did not have laws?

Tell students that there are laws which help the existence of animals. Ask for some examples. For example laws around hunting. However, even though we have these laws many birds are killed or hurt because of people.

Have the class brainstorm some examples:

oil spills
hunters
flying into buildings
perching on live wires and being electrocuted
drowned in fishermen’ discarded nets
plastic around pop and beer cans
cats without bells

Each issue would be thoroughly discussed.

Each student would be given an issue (see thinking strategies) and would be asked to come up with a reasonable solution. The students would be allowed to change or create new laws to protect birds. Pay particular attention to the reasonable solution of the problems.

Knowing that some students will need more time than others, take a small group of students who finished the activity first and ask each student to explain what he/she came up with.

Meet with each student in a small group to discuss their issues and solutions.

Once all students have met with the teacher, ask for students to volunteer their solutions to the whole class.

Evaluation:

Did the students come up with reasonable rules or laws to help solve the determined problem?
How well were the students able to give clear and thoughtful reasons for their answers?

Extension Activities:

Have a guest speaker in to talk about some of the dangers to birds and their habitats.
Watch a video on environmental issues.

Grade 2/3

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