Birds - A Family STEAM & Stories Event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.    

Intro song:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, math, fun, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.   

 

Demonstration and Storytime:

·         Show the word cards for birds.  Talk about what this word means. Be sure to include discussion of feathers and eggs.   

 

 

·         Read: Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

·         Show the common bird photos on the white board. 

·         Hand out the bird silhouettes. Have the children bring them up to the board to the photo they think it matches. 

·         Go over the names of the common birds on the board.  (I used hummingbird, seagull, duck, bald eagle, owl, woodpecker, robin, blue jay, and chickadee.) 

·         Show the word cards for adaptations and habitat.  Talk about the definition of the words.  Be sure to include a talk about beaks and feet. 

·         Instruct on how to use the stations. 

 

Stations: 

 

Station #1- Cheerios bird feeder (as seen at https://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2014/07/preschool-lab-birds.html and https://kidscraftroom.com/diy-bird-feeder-craft-kids/)  

The children make a simple bird feeder with pipe cleaners and Cheerio type cereal.          

 

Station #2 – Bird beaks (as seen at https://web.colby.edu/ch151/files/2015/12/Berry-Bird-Beaks-4-8.pdf and https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2079/2015/12/LessonPlan-Bird-beaks.pdf and https://leftbraincraftbrain.com/bird-beak-tool-challenge-adaptation-experiment/)

I created a beak matching worksheet to match birds with the type of beak that matches the tools on the table.  The tools were pipettes, tweezers, large serving spoons, and chopsticks.  I used colored water as nectar, a handful of uncooked rice as grubs in a tree, a bowl of water with large wood beads as small animals/bugs in water, and cut up rubber bands as worms. 

  

Station #3 – Label the bird (as seen at https://www.powerfulmothering.com/animal-worksheets-birds/) 

I enlarged the worksheet and taped it to the magnet/whiteboard side of my flannelboard.  I then made word magnets for the parts of a bird to label. 

  

 

 

Station #4 – Board game

I put out two board games:

-          Hoot Owl Hoot, which is a simple color game, like Candyland 

-          Pengoloo, a color matching penguin game