Spring Nests
By Caroline Wyman
Objective: The students will be able to read and write about birds and create their own bird's nest. Grades K-2
Initiation: Read the story "Will You Be My Friend?" by Nancy Tafuri and discuss the story about friendship and how the bird built his nest. Talk about birds and the work birds go through to make a nest.
Development: Explain that each student will be making their own nest and will later write about the experience of making a nest as if you were the bird. Tell about the struggles of finding material to make your nest. How did you find your spot for your nest? Why is it important for a bird to make a nest?
Before making the nests have the classroom go outside and find their own items to make up their nest. They will need to collect grass, sticks, straw, string, leaves...they can put their findings in a brown paper bag that they will later use to make the nest. Once they come in have them put newspaper on top of their desk for easy clean-up. Dump their collected nature pieces on the desk and instruct the class to fold their paper bags inward and roll it all the way down until it shapes into a nest shape. They then can glue their grass, leaves, sticks, etc. into the nest. Depending on the level and student ability have the children write about their nest as if they were the bird that made the nest. Tell about the struggle to find the nest materials, where they had to fly to, how long it took, what problems they ran into...
Closure: Share their stories with each other and show the nests.
Materials: Brown paper bags, grass, leaves, sticks, straw, glue, writing materials.
Time: 45 min.
Caroline Wyman has a degree in Sociology and a Masters in Elementary Education and is the administrator for TeacherNet.com.