Birds of a feather, an interdisciplinary unit: Math/Science wing

This lesson is part of an interdisciplinary unit on birds which contains math/science and language arts components. In the math/science wing, students will prepare frequency tables and construct a circle graph of the species of birds observed at bird feeders.

A lesson plan for grade 7 Mathematics

By Vicky Smathers

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Related topics

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• construct a circle graph based on observed data
• explain procedures used and results obtained

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 days

Materials/resources

• Students will need access to a bird feeder on campus, preferably outside their classroom.
• Students will need paper, pencil, colored pencils or markers, compass, protractor, bird book or other source with which to identify bird species, and possibly a calculator. Teachers may also wish to have available various art/craft supplies such as construction paper, yarn, and glue.
• My students and I use the Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds

Technology resources

None are necessary although I usually use an overhead projector and colored Vis-a-Vis markers as I illustrate the construction of a circle graph.

Pre-activities

• Students need to be divided into groups of two to three students.
• Each group should observe the bird feeders over a period of five minutes and make a frequency table of the bird species observed. In our geographic area species will probably include cardinals, mourning doves, nuthatches, wrens, sparrows, finches, goldfinch, and hummingbirds. Other species might include robins, bluebirds, mockingbirds, and indigo buntings, but these are primarily insect eaters. Students will need some practice in identifying bird species.

Teachers will want to be familiar with eating and migration habits of local birds. Basically all you need to know is what kinds of birds will be present in your area when you do this lesson and what kind of food they eat.

Activities

Although the observation is performed by a group, the activities are done individually. Using the frequency table previously prepared, each student will:

1. determine number of birds of each species observed, i.e. number of cardinals, etc.
2. determine total number of birds observed.
3. determine what percentage each species is of the total number of birds observed. Round to the nearest whole number.
4. convert percentages to degrees of a circle by using proportions (For example, if you have 25 cardinals, you would solve this proportion 25/100 = x/360.) Round to the nearest whole number and make sure the total of these degrees is 360.
5. construct a circle using a compass.
6. mark a starting point on the circle and use a protractor to determine the number of degrees indicated by each proportion.
7. label each section of the circle to indicate which species it represents.
8. allow students to use color and/or texture at any step.

• If you have access to a digital or instant camera you can photograph the birds and the students can identify them from the photograph. Just make sure there is enough resolution to see each bird clearly.
• If your school does not have bird feeders, you can supply a drawing or photograph of a gathering of birds and have the students prepare their frequency table from the photograph.

Assessment

Students will be assessed on their production of a circle graph based on their frequency table. Each small group will explain their data and share their finished product with the teacher. See attached suggested holistic scoring rubric.

Supplemental information

Related websites

Journey North: A Global Study of Wildlife Migration and Seasonal Change (Annenberg/CPB)

Comments

This lesson is part of an interdisciplinary unit on birds called Birds of a Feather. Another component is a language arts wing. The unit is a collaborative effort by Vicky Burgess Smathers and Janet Watson Fore.