Fraction Animals

After reading the books Picture Pie and Picture Pie 2, by Ed Emberley, have students create a fraction animal! They could make fish, insects, rodents, birds, turtles, giraffes, anything they'd like! Try to have each student create a different animal. Make sure to remind them to write down the fraction of each shape they used.

Note: For a larger project, you could have kids create a fraction picture: sun, clouds, trees, flowers, etc. along with their animal. Remind them to stay true to the animal's habitat.

Monarch Migration Project!

photo credit: science daily

Integrate technology with Project Based Learning, by tracking wildlife migration with Journey North! (track the migration of monarchs, whales, and various birds). 


Monarch Migration Project: students track the migration of butterflies around the world, while communicating with different schools (with the help from Journey North!). Click here to watch the Monarch Migration Project in action from BIE Project Based Learning! 


Art - Kids create special paper butterflies and send them to the next location the monarch migrates to. The student's paper monarchs travel to the same places that real monarch butterflies do. Their paper creations travel around the world!
Science - Students make observations outside of the school. They check the temperature, examine plant life, and find out what kind of environment butterflies prefer.
Language Arts - Kids write to other countries, explaining what their environment is like for the butterflies. They read what students from other schools had to say about their backyard observations!
Social Studies - Mark off the places the butterflies have migrated on a map. Plus, learn about the different cultures around the world by corresponding with other schools. Check out how kids from around the world decorated their butterflies. Is the butterfly art similar or different to your class' artwork?

Animal Adaptations

Featured Above:
1. A Second Grade Adventure set up a variety of stations where kids tried on different items that gave them an insight into how animals adapt, including some interesting gloves and side vision using toilet paper rolls!

2. Flower Garden has a fun lesson to demonstrate octopus adaptation, using slime and a funnel, to show how octopi can squeeze through super tiny cracks!

3. Ashleigh's Education Journey had kids use a variety of tools and instruments that represented different bird beaks. Kids tried picking up different sizes and textures of food. Check out her activity, as well as Sea World's!

4. Find out how blubber keeps arctic animals nice and warm with Steve Spangler's DIY blubber glove!

5. Teach animal adaptation with candy M&M's! Check out Science Buddies' M&M Survival Challenge!

6. Visit HubPages for a couple more adaptation experiments to incorporate into your classroom!

7. Play an echolocation game, to teach kids how bats and dolphins locate each other and prey! Click here for instructions (scroll down to the bottom of the article).

8. Make giraffe spit and see how giraffes are able to eat from thorny trees without getting pricked!

9. Herbivores vs. Carnivores - Visit Science Matters to see how dinosaurs chomped on leaves!

10. How do baleen whales eat (black pepper in water - comb and toothbrush) - MTSD-VT

11. Bird Feathers (oil glands) - Third Grade Thinkers

12. Hearing Without Ears (newts and salamanders) - Education.com

13. How do chameleons change colors? - Education.com

14. How does hair keep mammals warm? - Education.com

15. How do elephants use their ears to cool off? - Education.com

16. Butterfly Proboscis - First Grade Shenanigans

Birds

Grab your binoculars and head outside for a bird watching expedition! Build a recreational center for birds right in your own backyard! Kids can view birds up close and personal, seeing the various species that reside in their environment.

binocular pic via squidoo

1. Milk Jug Feeder - With an x-acto knife, cut large "windows" in a milk jug. Next, tape off the edges, where you cut, with duct tape. The tape will prevent birds from getting hurt on any sharp edges. Then, punch holes with your blade underneath the "windows" you created. Find long, sturdy sticks in your backyard. They will serve as perches for the birds to rest on while they eat. Insert the sticks through the holes, so they criss cross inside. Then, punch holes in the top of your jug to hang your feeder. Thread heavy twine through the top holes. Now, pour bird seed into your jug and hang it outside. You'll see a wide variety of birds visiting for a snack! We did this in my class to celebrate Earth Day!

2. Bird Bath - Create a place for birds to cool off! Visit  Vicki O'Dell for the tutorial!

3. Nest Collector - Help birds make a nest by providing them with material! Visit Fiber Farm for the full tutorial!

4. Conduct an experiment to see what color seed birds are most attracted to. Visit Science Bob for the full tutorial!