Curated OER
Prairie Field Trip
Students study prairie conservation and the plant and animal life within. In this prairie life lesson students divide into groups and complete a lab activity.
Curated OER
Self Reliance
Students thinking is stimulated and has them reflect on looking after themselves and to not always rely on others for your needs. A story is read to them or they read it and reflect on the it. They put on a play in a small group and...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Life Science: Birds
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] There is an amazingly wide variety of birds. Birds are vertebrates. Almost all have forelimbs modified as wings, but not all birds can fly. Learn more about birds in...
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: Birds
This site from Enchanted Learning can answer your questions about birds. What type of scientist studies birds? What is the fastest running bird? Which bird lays the largest birds' eggs? Come and find out the answer to these questions and...
PBS
Pbs: Champion Birds
The PBS video series "The Life of Birds" is accompanied with this site. There are articles about several aspects of birds and their behavior. This one chronicles the highest, fastest, and most extreme birds. There are lots of examples.
University of California
Ucmp: The Evolution of Flight in Birds
Evidence from the fossil record is used to support bird evolution from small carnivorous dinosaurs. In the student module, feathers, behavior, and skeletal structure are examined in an interactive lesson designed to impart a complete...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Flying High: Bird Man
Investigate and demonstrate principles of flight with the Flying Tim Bird. Draw a hypothetical model of the mechanism inside the toy bird that makes the wings flap, then experiment with and videotape its flight to explain how lift works...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Why Do Birds Fly in a v Formation?
In this science fair project, the student will make a wind tunnel to test how the formation of birds in flight affects flight efficiency. Make the bird models out of Legos and have fun with this project. The Science Buddies project ideas...
PBS
Pbs the Life of Birds: Evolution and Anatomy of Flight
This lesson plan, designed to accompany the PBS series "Life of Birds," explores how environmental pressures influenced the evolution of wings, how natural selection resulted in the diversity of bird species, and the mechanics of bird...
University of Wisconsin
The Why Files: On the Wing: Birds, Skeeters, Jet Planes
Evolution through natural selection governs the "design" of flying creatures. Engineers design flying machines. But flying is about physics, and physics is the ultimate arbiter of both processes, and that produces parallels in mechanical...
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: How to Id Birds
This thorough site describes how you can identify birds by examining their silhouette, field marks, posture, size, flight pattern, and habitat.
DLTK
Kidzone: All About Birds
This is comprehensive site covers the characteristics of birds and looks at various birds through pictures and words. Several puzzles are included and the degree of difficultly can be changed.
San Diego Zoo Global
San Diego Zoo: Birds
This resource provides detailed information about birds, as well as several pictures.
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Museum of Nature: How Do Birds Fly?
Have you ever wondered about how birds are able to fly? View three 3D animations to see a bird take off, flap in flight and glide. This is an excellent resource to develop an understanding of the physical forces that make this one of the...
Other
Ornithology: Bird Flight
Excellent coverage of the adaptations and actions of birds in regard to flight. Contains specific information, diagrams, and pictures.
University of California
Ucmp: Vertebrate Flight
A very solid Berkeley site on the structure and function of bird flight. Topics include skeletal and muscular adaptations for flight.
PBS
Pbs the Life of Birds: Bills, Beaks and Food
This lesson plan explores how natural selection has influenced the development of features that contribute to successful feeding (bills, wings, talons, etc.), as well as identifying those characteristics that enable birds to obtain the...
Other
National Aviary: Curriculum: Wings to Fly
Richly illustrated interactive activity leads you through an investigation of bird wings. Includes interesting comparisons of the bones in a bird's wings with those in human arms and of the design of wings in birds versus planes.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Biology: Bird Structure and Function
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] An overview of flight structures in birds.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Feather Structure
This site provides a detailed explanation of the structure of bird feathers. Topics include feather topography, types of feathers, and feathers and flight.
Other
Australian Museum: Birds in Backyards: Bird Finder
Need to identify a bird you saw flying through the sky while you were in Australia? This is the place to go. Choose a the size, color, then a shape and finally add any distinguishing marks. Then read about the bird you saw.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Projectile Motion With Angry Birds
Analyze the path of a bird's flight as it attempts to obliterate pigs in the well-known game, Angry Birds. Comes with lab activities, a video, and a simulation. The latter requires software called Tracker, which is free to download.
DOGO Media
Dogo News: Week of 3 10 14: Orphaned Pelican Learns to Fly With Some Human Help
Article reports on how humans are helping an injured and orphaned Great White pelican learn to fly and care for himself in the wild. Includes a brief video.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Can't Some Birds Fly?
Gillian Gibb explores what makes birds give up the power of flight.