- Begin the activity with a discussion about habitats. Possible questions might be: what is a habitat, where is the student's habitat, what makes their habitat a good one, what makes a songbird habitat a good one, are there some similarities, and what must a habitat have to be a good place to live?
- Select a songbird and then do some research to find out what type of habitat the bird prefers. The activity guide or a field guide are good references.
- Make a habitat. There should be as many types of materials as possible available to choose from. You may even want to collect items from home. The habitat should include the essential elements (food, shelter, space, water) that the particular songbird species requires and prefers.
Students will illustrate or create a boreal forest habitat, that includes all of the important items a songbird needs to live. Students will understand with what makes a good habitat for birds.
Background
A habitat for songbirds must have shelter, the right food, and enough space. These things must be arranged in the way that meets the songbird's needs. For instance, if the songbird gleans insects from leaves, then there must be leaves for the insects. If the insects require water for part of their life cycle then there must be water in the habitat.
pen, pencil, crayons, markers
construction paper
glue, tape
any other materials appropriate for creating a habitat including found items from outside
activity guide or field guide
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