Room 7 and 8 Otatara School (Year 4) Visit to SCN 22 November 2016
Just over 50 Year 4 students from Otatara School visited the Southland Community Nursery to continue their learning about NZ native birds and their adaptations to the environments they live in. Five activities allowed the students to discover and learn about native birds. The photo matching game showcased the NZ natives that are found here in their backyard – Otatara, Southland, and discussion highlighted the different beaks that different bird species have, and some interesting facts about the shining cuckoo! The Bird Beak activity allowed hands on (or beak on!) experimentation of how birds have adapted different beaks and how these allow them to feed in different environments for different food sources. Habitats such as the forest floor (dirt, rotting log), streams, wetlands and estuaries (water), river bed (stones), and kowhai flowers had the students thinking. They learnt that the tui have a tongue! “What do I eat?” had students grouping the birds under insect, nectar and fruit eater headings, and then discovered what plants can be planted to attract these birds to your backyard. A walk around the pond and collecting nature (as a bird would) ended in the students building an amazing array of nests. The “Who Am I?” cards were used to figure out what bird was being described and the students, parents and teachers all learnt some interesting facts about our NZ native birds. To finish off the visit their artwork was congratulated with many of these class members receiving a prize from the Southland Community Nursery and Kiwi Conservation Club bird art competition. Bronwyn
Posted: 6 December 2016