Each year Linda Daniel’s class participates in the Great Backyard Bird Count (a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society). [Editor’s Note: The next Great Backyard Bird Count is February 17-20, 2012.] She sends home a copy of Mark Trail, a cartoon that announces the competition, and a “Might See List” of birds from the Palm Harbor Garden Club. Each student counts birds with their families, draws pictures and writes stories on their experiences. The collaboration of pictures and stories is mailed into the competition.
Another bird activity is Project Feeder Watch. Students hang bird feeders in the schoolyard and keep a scrapbook of all the different birds they see. Students also make posters using pictures cut from magazines and newspapers. The students enjoy the activities and can’t wait to count birds.