Bird Feeders and Boxes
BIRD FEEDERS AND BOXES
SessionDate: N/A / Venue: Achieve Delivery Centre
Aim: To design and build bird feeders and nests to place near or on school grounds. / Medium: Group work, discussion, design/building, presentation
Accreditation: N/A / Resources required:
Good quality seed mix
Lard
Oranges
String
Mixing Bowls
Spoons
Scissors
Knife
Computer with internet
Flip Chart and Pens
If Building Own Houses:
Paper a Lumber or Timber
Saw
Wood glue
Hammer (or Drill)
Nails
Screws
L Brackets
Dowel Rod
Paint
Paint brushes
National Curriculum Links:
KS4 Links –
Biology - living organisms are interdependent and show adaptations to their environment
Biology - evolution occurs by the process of natural selection and accounts both for biodiversity and how organisms are all related to varying degrees
Biology - methods of identifying species and measuring distribution, frequency and abundance of species within a habitat
Biology - positive and negative human interactions with ecosystems.
KS3 Links –
Adaptations – Evolution of birds, types of birds, bird behavior, diets, how they live in their environment (how are they different from birds in other countries), what birds are present in the UK and why?
Food Chains – What do birds eat and what eats birds? Where to place bird feeder to be safe from predators?
Design and Technology - What factors are important to consider when making a bird feeder (Balance, resilience to weather/other critters, bio degradable, etc.)?
PSD Links –
Safe Places - What sort of factors makes a place “safe”? Can you think of an example from your own life? What steps can people take to find a safe places (be this external resources like shelters, or internal, like a daily exercise practice or diet/sleep routines)?
Young people
Max number of young people:8-10 / Session benefits young people who need:
To build their confidence
To build systematic and mathematical thinking
To speak in public/groups
To work in teams
To learn more about the natural world
Gender: Mixed
Delivery
Name of Delivery Partner/Service provider: N/A
Has a Competency Checklist been completed and a Service Agreement in place?
Site-Specific Risk Assessment or Special Activity Authorisation Form required?:
Review
What went well…
It would work better next time if…
SESSION PLAN – ONE HOUR
One Hour / Get young people around the table with all kit needed to make the feeder, but do not tell them what they are making.1. Give every other YP an orange. Ask them to cut it in half, and give one half to a YP without an orange.
2. Scoop out the flesh of the orange and discard.
3. Poke two symmetric holes on both side of the orange, and thread through some string. Tie the string together, so that the orange can be hung from a tree.
4. Mix the seeds and lard together in a mixing bowl. YP can take turns using their hands or a mixing spoon.
5. YP then take a big spoonful of the mixture and pack densely into their half of the feeder.
If they have not guessed already, get them to shout out what they have made. Then split young people into teams. Each team should research one of the follow topics using a Smartphone or Computer, and have them note down some answers:
Adaptations – Research a few examples of the evolution of a bird type, and how their environment shapes their bird behavior, diets, how they live in their environment (how are they different from birds in other countries), also - what birds are present in the UK and why?
Food Chains – What do birds eat and what eats birds? Where to place bird feeder to be safe from predators?
Design - What factors are important to consider when making a bird feeder (Balance, resilience to weather/other critters, bio degradable, etc.)?
Ask each group to present to the rest what they have discovered.
Finally, go hang your feeders outside! Maybe you can sit and watch to see if birds appear. / Good quality seed mix
Lard
Oranges
String
Mixing Bowls
Spoons
Scissors
Knife
Internet
Flip chart and pens / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP make bio-degradable bird feeders for their local birds / Standard Achieve Framework
TAKE IT FURTHER! SESSION PLAN: 5-7 HOURS TOTAL DELIVERY
Note: You can deliver the hours in any method that works for you, e.g over the course of several weeks, or all in one day.
Day/Time / Description of Activity / Resources / Venue / Learning outcome / Assessment criteriaHour One/Two / Research into Bird Feeders
1. Get YP to look into what birds are in their area.
2. What is bird feed is usually made of and what do the specific birds that live near the school like to eat? This resource might help: Bird Food Bingo.
3. Based on their results, get them to make a recipe for bird feed mix and place the order online.
4. Discuss how to make bio-degradable bird feeders that will feed local birds.
5. YP should place order for their bird seed recipe online. / Computer with internet
Flip chart and pens / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP learn what birds live in their area, what bird seed is made of, and design a bird seed mix / Standard Achieve Framework
Hour Two/Three / Make the Bird Feeders!
6. Give every other YP an orange. Ask them to cut it in half, and give one half to a YP without an orange.
7. Scoop out the flesh of the orange and discard.
8. Poke two symmetric holes on both side of the orange, and thread through some string. Tie the string together, so that the orange can be hung from a tree.
9. Mix the seeds and lard together in a mixing bowl. YP can take turns using their hands or a mixing spoon.
10. YP then take a big spoonful of the mixture and pack densely into their half of the feeder.
11. Go hang your feeders outside! Maybe you can sit and watch to see if birds appear. / Good quality seed mix
Lard
Oranges
String
Mixing Bowls
Spoons
Scissors
Knife / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP make bio-degradable bird feeders for their local birds / Standard Achieve Framework
Hour Four/Five / Note: it might not be possible for schools to build the boxes fully.
Therefore, it is possible to just do this simple extension:
· Buy 2-3 fully made Bird Boxes
· Split YP into teams of 2-3
· Have YP decorate it to either: attract a bird to use it OR protect them from a predator – they can do some research online to get ideas on how best to do this
· Then, have YP fill the box with a nest/nest material if it is not already present in the box
· Then, use t the KS3 National Curriculum links in the box at the top of the session plan. Ask YP to research each point, and put their answers into a Presentation
· Have each group present to the rest, and hold group discussion on each groups findings
· Applying what they learned, take YP out to walk around/near school and ask them to place their box in the best location they think will work for the types of birds in the area
· Hold a group debrief: if YP really enjoyed the session, get them to consider what sort of opportunities are related to the concepts they have learned: design, biologist/Biology, naturalist, research, engineering, wildlife photography, veterinarian, conservation, etc.
· Over the next few weeks, have YP visit the area of their box each day for a few minutes and observe. Do they see any birds? Any other animals? If they do see something, ask them to record it and research what they see / Paint and brushes
Colored paper/Tissue paper
Felt
String
Hay/Straw/Fluff/Laundry lint/Twigs from outside
Scissors, glue, tape / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP plan their bird boxes with sketches, and research into what makes a good bird box / Standard Achieve Framework
Hour Five/Six / Build the boxes!
Note: Please make sure that you have all resources needed before young people start the building.
1. Get YP to research what their local birds like to nest in. This resource might be a place for them to start: Nest Box Bingo.
2. Most likely, their birds will like a nest. Therefore, the next step will be designing a plan to build nest boxes.
3. Split YP into two teams – each team will make a nest box.
4. Get them to research online what a good nest box looks like.
5. In their groups, they should create basic drawings depicting what their nest box will look like and a step by step guide for how they will build it. This resource might be a helpful place for them to start their research: Building Birdhouses
Once they have some ideas of what a box should look like, and the best use – from the birds perspective – get them to work in teams to start building.
1. Get YP into their teams and begin to build the boxes. The typical method to building a nest box is the following.
2. Connect two bottom pieces.You'll need two pieces of 1x6 lumber. One should be cut to 5 1/2" in length, the other should be cut to 6 1/4" in length. Connect them so that they overlap and the top ends end up being roughly equal height. Glue them together and allow them to dry
3. Once it is dry, nail or drill through one and into the other to secure them firmly (use 2 nails/screws, equally spaced).
4. Attach the back panel.Cut a back panel from a piece of plywood to be 7" square. Glue along the back edge of the bottom pieces and them press the square into place. Once it dries, screw at four equally spaced positions, passing through the back piece and into the edge of the bottom pieces. It may help to pre-drill the holes for the screws.
5. Attach the roof.Lie the birdhouse down on a stable work surface, which the back flat against the surface. Take two roof panels, cut from 1x6 boards. One will need to be cut to 9" in length, the other will need to be 8 1/4". Fit the pieces so that they overlap and sit flush with the sides and back panel. Glue and then screw them into place, using 4 equally spaced screws, as before.
6. Add support braces.Get 4 L brackets and install them at the centers of the four corners of the box you've formed (connecting the sides and roof pieces). Make sure the screws used to install the brackets are not too long; they should go only to the mid-point of the wood.
7. Cut the front panel.Using a 1 3/8-" hole saw, drill into the front piece, such that the top of the hole is 2 1/2" down from the top point. The size of the hole will depend on the birds you would like to attract – research the size of opening the birds in your area like.
8. Add the perch hole.Find a dowel rod, as close to 1/4" as possible. This will be cut to size and used as a perch. Drill a hole using a bit appropriate for the size dowel you purchased about 1/2" from the bottom of the entrance hole. The dowel will need to be at least 3" long.
9. Add the front panel to the rest of the birdhouse.Glue the edges of the side pieces and roof pieces, then fit the front piece into place and add 8 screws to attach it, two evenly placed screws for each side and roof piece. / Lumber or Timber
Saw
Wood glue
Hammer (or Drill)
Nails
Screws
L Brackets
Dowel Rod / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP build their bird nests and leave to dry / Standard Achieve Framework
Hour Six/Seven / Continue building the nests!
1. Sand the edges and holes.Sand the edges and the entrance hole so that they’re smooth.
2. Add the hanging points.Screw in two eye bolts at equal points at the very top of the birdhouse. It may help to pre-drill the holes.
3. Add the perch.Cut your dowel rod to 3" and add glue. Place it in the perch hole. Allow to dry.
4. Add finishing touches.Paint it in muted colors, like brown or green, as wild birds prefer these colours. / Sandpaper
Screws
Saw
Dowel Rod
Wood Glue
Paint
Paint brushes / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP refine and perfect their bird nests, and leave to dry / Standard Achieve Framework
Hour Seven / Hang the nests in the same area as the feeders.
1. Review the feeders – are any of the seeds gone? Does it need refilling? If so, make more bird feed and refill.
2. If no food is gone, reassess – maybe the feeders and nests need to be hung elsewhere. If so, do some research and see where would be best for your area.
3. Once everything is hung, take some photos of the nests and feeders.
4. Go back and put together a news bulletin about your work to present to staff.
5. Make sure to visit weekly to see how the birds are getting on. Have YP visit the area of their box each day for a few minutes and observe. Do they see any birds? Any other animals? If they do see something, ask them to record it and research what they see
6. Hold a group debrief a week later: if YP really enjoyed the session, get them to consider what sort of opportunities are related to the concepts they have learned: design, biologist/Biology, naturalist, research, engineering, wildlife photography, veterinarian, conservation, etc. / Camera
Notebooks
Potentially more bird feed / Achieve Delivery Centre / YP place their nests strategically, and observe their bird feeders – they then put together a photo essay and/or mini case study about their work
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