Bird Unit: Chicken Week

Last week was chicken week here, and frankly it was a dud. The kids and I spent the entire week sick with a virus, first them, and then about the time they got better, I got sick.  About the only school related thing we managed was reading several books about chickens.
That's how it goes, sometimes, right?

Bird unit: Week 2 Owls

This week our focus was on owls. We had several interruptions in the routine this week, namely the passing of our dog, and a morning doctor appointment. We didn't get to everything I had planned, but here are some of the owl related activities we did do:

We dissected a synthetic owl pellet. It was a neat experience, but not quite the same as a real one. Someday we'll do a real one.

Afterward, L drew a picture of the pellet and it's contents.

L did some bird related puzzles.

He laced a homemade owl card. (Easily made from the cardboard backing from a notebook, a sharpie, and a hole punch.)

Below are some of the resources we used this week:

Bird Unit, Week 1: Penguins

This week was our first week learning about birds, penguins specifically.

At the beginning of the week I set up a little "learning center" with the materials we were going to use. I used a project board to make a little display. I put pictures of penguins, the Spanish word for penguins, and little library pockets to hold some math manipulatives. I figured we'd add to it as the week progressed, mounting L's work as he completed it. (Sort of like a huge lapbook.)

Here are some of the activities we did this week:

Goldfish math. We added and subtracted goldfish crackers. (You know, because penguins eat fish...)

Penguin math game, from Lapbook Lessons. (We got several other activities from there also.)

L and I drew some penguins.

L decorated a bird feeder, (barely visible in this lousy picture,) and we hung it in the front yard. (Clearly we don't have penguins in our yard, but I though we could observe our native birds.)

We used a yard stick to measure the relative heights of various types of penguins on the wall, and then compared them to the kids' heights. (Didn't get a picture of this activity.)

L practiced spelling and handwriting on a chalkboard.

L and I also spent several hours putting together a 300 piece puzzle together. Although it wasn't bird related, I thought I'd mention it, because he was so proud when we got finished.

He's able to do 100 piece ones by himself, but this was pretty challenging for both of us. When we finished, he asked what the puzzle had to do with school. I told him he had learned a little about not giving up, and he agreed.
Below you'll find some of the resources we used this week:

Bird Themed Sensory Bin

We're starting a unit on birds here, and I put together a little sensory bin, mainly for 2 year old V. The filler is sunflower seed bird feed. I picked up the little nest and the wooden eggs at Hobby Lobby. They had neat little birds constructed of real feathers and styrofoam, but I know my (rough) kids would break them. I settled on these little plush duck cat toys. Throughout the month, I'm going to add other things to it to maintain interest: feathers, other birds, smaller eggs, maybe some felt or pipe cleaner worms.