Piloting the Bird Nests Scientific Exploration
Six schools in New York State offered to pilot theÌýBird Nests Prekindergarten Scientific Exploration during the 2024-2025 school year. They shared photographs, activities, and feedback.
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Participating Schools
| (1) Buffalo City SD | (4) Lake George CSD |
| (2) Geneva City SD | (5) Questar BOCES |
| (3) Elmira Heights CSD | (6) Longwood CSD |
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Their teachers and administrators listed the following qualities as strengths of this Exploration:
- Adaptable
- Organized
- Connected with existing activities and resources
They also appreciated the step-by-step process and printable resources.
Participating schools shared how they implemented Science Everywhere by providing photographs, videos, lists and descriptions of activities, and lesson plans.
"I Wonder..." Questions
Following a nature walk or other introductory activity, classes gathered for a discussion about their observations. They utilized these findings as a foundation to explore additional "I wonder" questions and initiate class-wide conversations. These questions can be referred to organically throughout the Exploration or used as a future Exploration depending upon students' engagement in the topic.
Schools found different ways to begin the Exploration, with nature walks being the most common. Being mindful of Laws that make it illegal to disturb active birds' nests, some also studied a fallen bird's nest.
"I Wonder Wall" Think Bubble Templates share students' thoughts and questions. They can be displayed in various ways, such as on the "What do we know about birds?" chart shown here. Students asked
- Why do birds have beaks and feathers?
- Do all birds fly? How do they learn how to fly and sing?
- What do birds eat?
- What are nests made of?
Schools like Elmira Heights CSDÌýpositioned bird feeders outside classroom windows to help inspire students' "I wonder..." questions.
Learning Centers
Learning centers are a powerful way to engage young learners through hands-on, play-based experiences that support key areas of development such as literacy, math, science, and fine motor skills. They foster creativity and independence while also providing essential opportunities for children to engage in meaningful, self-directed learning.
Participating schools modified classroom learning centers to provide theme-based learning experiences that immersed their students in the world of birds.
Sensory Tables and Fine Motor Centers
Learning Objectives/Skills Developed
- Tactile exploration and sensory regulation
- Fine motor development (scooping, pouring, grasping)
- Scientific inquiry and experimentation
- Problem solving and creativity
In sensory table learning centers, students used their hands and tools to dig for and sort thematic materials. Their teachers gathered a variety of materials, including birdseed, plastic eggs, egg cartons, scoops, pom-poms, plastic eggs, clothespins/tongs, and bird figurines, and placed them in bins or tables for children to explore.
Participating schools created bird exploration tables filled with nest building materials (e.g., shredded paper, small twigs) and seeds. Programs like Lake George CSD adjusted for students with seed allergies by using corn and beans instead.
Additional Ideas
- Other materials to explore: model/toy birds, bird photographs.
- Provide a magnifying glass.
- As students explore, scaffold their thinking through discussion.
- Using clothespins/tongs, students place the egg (pom-pom) in the nest (egg carton).
Literacy
Learning Objectives/Skills DevelopedÌý
- Print awareness and book handling
- Listening comprehension
- Vocabulary development
- Storytelling and sequencing
- Letter and sound recognition
- Love for reading and stories
Writing learning centers were equipped with bird-themed pictures and vocabulary. Writing materials can be included in all centers to facilitate spontaneous literacy opportunities and save classroom space.
- Fine motor development and pencil grip
- Letter formation and alphabet knowledge
- Sound-symbol correspondence
- Early writing conventions (Spacing, directionality)
- Self-expression through pictures and words
- Purposeful writing (lists, letters, signs, stories)
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Classroom libraries included books related to the birds' nests theme that featured diverse people to better reflect a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. They featured an appropriate number of high interest books that also reflect the diversity of the students and families being served.
The number of books can be nearly as important as their content. If books are scarce, perhaps with less than two books per student, then students' choices are limited; however, too many books may be difficult for students to navigate. Participating schools found that books about birds and their nests were plentiful.
Numeracy/Mathematics
Learning Objectives/Skills Developed
- Counting and one-to-one correspondence
- Number recognition and number sense
- Sorting, classifying, and patterning
- Shape identification and spatial awareness
- Measuring and comparing quantities
- Problem-solving and logical thinking
Questar BOCES in East Greenbush CSD used graphic organizers to guide students as they counted birds, wrote numbers, and built numbers with Play-Doh. Participating schools also used the graphic organizers provided in the Exploration to engage in the bird watching data collection activity.
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Students in Longwood CSD used Tangrams to build pictures of birds, allowing them to build on their geometry and spatial reasoning skills while exploring the world of birds.
Building Nests
In this Exploration's culminating activity, students collect a variety of materials to construct a model of a bird's nest, either inside or outside the classroom. Grass, hair, straw, twigs, paper, mud, string, and other materials can be gathered to create a protective and comfortable environment for the eggs. Teachers can facilitate discussions on the various materials birds use to construct their nests and encourage children to brainstorm ways to keep the eggs warm once they are laid.
Participating schools' teachers encouraged their students to explore and test different types of nests, including ground nests, mud nests, woven cup nests, and platform nests. They built models of types of nests and reflected on their ability to protect eggs and fledglings.
Reflection is an integral component throughout the inquiry learning process. More than just about asking students to consider their opinions on the subject matter, it also includes reflecting on the learning process itself, encouraging metacognition as students think about their thinking. Like scientists who ponder what their next question or exploration may be, students use this opportunity for reflection to take ownership of their learning.
By focusing on how they learned, in addition to what they learned, students can improve their overall learning experience and continue to explore like a scientist. After building their nests, students in participating schools discussed what worked well and what could be improved. They revisited their "I wonder..." questions. Teachers facilitated reflection with their own questions.
- What is one interesting thing you learned about birds?
- What do you think you did well?
- What was challenging for you during this activity?
- What changes to your model would you make for next time?
- Which aspect of this project did you enjoy the most, and why?
- How are models different from real birds' nests?
Students also built nests in classroom learning centers, such as blocks and dramatic play. Participating schools transformed their dramatic play centers into forests and other ecosystems, such as when Longwood CSD students used craft materials to build a tree in their dramatic play center.
Students in Lake George CSD andÌýQuestar BOCES in East Greenbush CSD built towers and skyscrapers that housed birds' nests.
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In Buffalo City SD and Geneva City SD, students built bird nests using building blocks alongside other materials, such as fabric, basket fill, and stuffing. Then they used stuffed birds or rubber ducks to test their nests.
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Teachers adapted the Exploration to meet their students' interests and needs. They found creative ways to make this study of bird nests locally relevant, reflecting birds' habitats in their regions while using available resources and their own talents.
Additional Activities
This summary of how six New York State school districts piloted the Science Everywhere Bird Nests Exploration does not include all participating schools' activities. The following is a list of other common activities that were a part of their Bird Nests Explorations:
- Authentic student artwork
- Bird yoga
- Building model binoculars
- Data collection and counting birds, eggs, seeds, etc.
- Feather painting
- Move like a bird
- Nature walks
- Parachute games
Thank you to these six school districts and all schools that have used Science Everywhere.
If you would like more information and support in guiding early learners in your own scientific Exploration, please feel free toÌýcontact the Office of Early Learning.