Audubon Adventures
Getting Started with The Watery World of Wading Birds
- Read the Background for Teachers essay. It contains more in-depth information that will help you answer questions and guide students’ exploration.
- Familiarize yourself with the Student Adventures content for “The Watery World of Wading Birds.”
- Review the Teacher-Led Activities and choose the ones suited to your curricular needs and classroom circumstances.
- Introduce the topic with a discussion. Here are some suggested discussion-starters:
- Think of different kinds of birds you’ve seen. What differences did you notice about their beaks, legs, or feet?
- Why do you think some birds have very long legs and some have short legs?
- Do all birds eat the same things? What do birds eat?
- What dangers do you think birds face in their natural habitats?
- What can people do to help protect birds and their habitats?
- Review these vocabulary words or have students define them as they discover them in context in the “Watery World of Wading Birds” student magazine:
Definitions for all vocabulary words can be found in the online Naturalist’s Glossary.adaptation
adapted
ban
barb
biology
colony
ecology
embryo
extinction
fin
habitat
marsh
migratory
organism
predator
prey
probe
reflex
rookery
saltwater bay
sanctuary
species
stalk
swamp
vertebrate
waterbird
- With the whole class or in small groups, review the Audubon Adventures student magazine, “The Watery World of Wading Birds,” and other student content that you’ve incorporated into your teaching or that students have explored on their own.
- Do the hands-on activities you’ve selected, and follow up with review and discussion.
- Download the Assessment questions and answer key for “The Watery World of Wading Birds” to use as a tool for evaluating students’ learning experiences with Audubon Adventures.
- Extend learning with print, online, and video resources found in the Naturalist’s Bibliography.
Photo: John Studwell/Audubon Photography Awards.