Adaptations: Bird Beaks - Version 3

This is the most advanced of the bird beak labs, as students need to record times, calculate average and graph data.  For simpler bird beak labs, check here and here.

There are 8 stations.  At each station, the student will use each provided beak to collect a prescribed amount of the food source.  Another student will time how long it takes for each beak to accomplish the task.  Several trials will be performed with each beak.  Then the averages will be calculated and a bar graph will be constructed. 

Station 1:
Nectar: water in a graduated cylinder
Tools:
--Shoestring
--Medicine dropper
--Sponge strip
Challenge:
Collect 10 mL of nectar

Station 2:
Worms: gummy worms in sand
Tools:
--A straw
--Chopsticks
--Wrench
Challenge:
Remove all the gummy worms (make sure they're buried after each trial)

Station 3:
Seeds: sunflower seeds
Tools:
--Pliers
--Chopsticks
--Tweezers
Challenge:
Crack the seed shell and remove the seed inside.

Station 4:
Fish: styrofoam squares floating on water
Tools:
--Chopsticks
--Tweezers
--Slotted spoon
Challenge:
Remove all the styrofoam squares from the water

Station 5:
Algae: loose tea in water
Tools:
--Slotted spoon
--Strainer
--Tweezers
Challenge:
Remove all the tea from the water

Station 6:
Flying Bugs: popped popcorn, tossed in the air by another group member
Tools:
--Tongs
--Envelope
--Chopsticks
Challenge:
Capture 20 kernels, while it is in the air.

Station 7:
Insects: rice in a styrofoam log
Tools:
--Medicine dropper
--Tongs
--Tweezers
Challenge:
Remove 30 insects from the log.

Station 8:
 : marshmallows hanging from a string
Tools:
--Chopsticks
--Tongs
--Turkey skewer
Challenge:
Remove 5 marshmallows from the strings.

Adaptations: Bird Beaks - Version 2

Sorry, I didn't get all the materials together to take pictures to adorn this post, but I promised it was forthcoming and wanted to share before too much time had passed.  

This version of the bird beak activity has 6 stations.  At each station, students will use 3 different beaks/tools to collect the food featured at that station.  The goal is to determine which beak is the best matched to the food source.   (For a simpler version of this activity, see here). 

Students will try each beak for 15 seconds.  The collected food will be placed in a cup, and then returned to the supply.

Station 1:
Nectar: water in a graduated cylinder
Tools:
--Clothespin
--Medicine dropper
--Pipette

Station 2:
Worms: gummy worms in sand
Tools:
--Straw
--Chopsticks
--Clothespin

Station 3:
Seeds and Nuts: sunflower seeds, etc.
Tools:
--Chopsticks
--Tweezers
--Pliers

Station 4:
Aquatic Plant Life: aquarium plant in water
Tools:
--Pliers
--Tweezers
--Pipette

Station 5:
Insects: rice stuck into a styrofoam log
Tools:
--Tweezers
--Chopsticks
--Pliers

Station 6:
Fish & Water Animals: beads & plastic fish in water
Tools:
--Tongs
--Tweezers
--Chopsticks

Adaptations: Bird Beaks - Version 1

Over the years, I have encountered several different variations of this activities.  I think they all have merits, so look for me to share a few other versions in coming weeks.

 

This first version is the simplest, and the most appropriate for younger students.

 

Create a bucket of "bird food".  Into this bucket, dump all kinds of things - try to include a wide variety of shapes sizes and textures.  Some things you might want to include:

 

• Sand
• Oats
• Rice
• Marshmallows
• Gummy Worms
• Cereal
• Pasta
• Coconut
• Small candies

 

 

 

Then provide each student with a beak tool.  Look around your house for ideas:

• Tongs
• Chopsticks
• Eye droppers
• Forks
• Pliers
• Tweezers
• Toothpicks
• Clothespins

 

 

 

 

 

Let the students go at the bucket of food with their respective beaks.  They should try to gather as much food as they can. 

 

After a set amount of time has passed, spend some time looking around to see which beaks were able to pick up which foods. 

 

Ask your students why the eye dropper beak wasn't able to pick up the oatmeal, and why the tongs weren't able to pick up the sand.

 

There are several nice worksheets out there to use as a follow-up to this activity.  You can find two here and here. 

Animal Adaptations: Baby Birds

Here's a game for younger students learning about animal adaptations.

Divide students into group - you'll want 4 or 5 students per group.  Select one student in each group to serves as the mama/papa bird; the rest will be baby birds.

The mama/papa will be responsible for going to the food supply (a plate of pretzel sticks in the middle of the classroom), bringing back a piece of food and feeding it to the loudest baby bird.

The baby birds will be responsible for squawking loud enough to get fed ahead of their bird siblings.


Play the game for several minutes - be prepared for a very loud classroom!

Then, talk about what happened - the birds who squawked the loudest got the most food.  These birds will grow big and strong and some day have baby birds of their own - probably babies who are loud squawkers.  The babies who didn't get as much food to each might not fare as well. What might happen if a baby bird is born and unable to squawk at all? 

While squawking volume is not, to my limited knowledge, a trait that is regularly selected for, this game does introduce the ideas of adaptations, genetics, and trait selection to young children in a context they can understand.

******
Idea from Anna McGhee, with many thanks!