Ornithology Patchwork Study

Welcome to the Harbor + Sprout Ornithology Patchwork Study, the September 2024 release of our original elementary-level homeschool unit study curriculum. This unit study features 4 weeks of lesson plans and materials covering all 9 of our core subjects and a playful supplemental section of thematic activities. This unit study is meant for use by children ages 3-12. 

Click here to download a free sample of a Patchwork Study.

This unit is delivered via a secure link as a digital download. Shop corresponding Ornithology curriculum for all ages here!

CONTENT:

Handbook

Daily, weekly, and monthly planning pages
Book list including stories, poems, and field guides with recommended ages, subject correspondence, and brief summaries for each title
Scope and Sequence
Family read aloud with discussion guide and recipe
Character kit- new monthly character illustrated by Stephanie Groves to act as your guide through the unit

Science

Lesson 1: What Makes an Animal a Bird? In this lesson, you will learn all about birds, be able to identify different parts of a bird, explore the food chain and ecosystems as it relates to birds, identify parts of a bird food web, and make bird adaptation predictions.
Lesson 2: What is a Bird's Life Cycle? In this lesson, you will explore bird life from egg to maturity. You will view incubation stages from outside the egg, label parts of an egg, conduct an egg dissection lab, and participate in citizen science observing nests.
Lesson 3: How Do Birds Fly? In this lesson, you will discover characteristics of birds that promote or prohibit flight. You will compare your wingspan with birds, label parts of a feather, and investigate how feathers react to oil and water.
Lesson 4: What is a Bird Migration? In this lesson, you will explore how birds migrate and how researchers observe birds and these patterns. You will color and trace backyard birds, build a bird migration wheel, and build a recycled bird house and feeder.

Nature Study

Lesson 1: Habitats- In this lesson, you will learn to differentiate between owl families, tour different biomes owls have adapted to live in, compare the ranges of the Snowy Owl and Long-Eared Owl, and celebrate your favorite owl habitat through art.
Lesson 2: Owl Families- In this lesson, you will discover the life cycle of a Great Horned owl from courtship, through nesting egg development, owlet, fledgling, to adult. You will learn about the anatomy of an egg by dissecting it and identifying its parts.
Lesson 3: Hunting Adaptations- In this lesson, you will explore adaptations of an owl that make them nocturnal hunters including hearing, vision, silent flight, and talon structure. You will understand how an owl’s vision is different from our own.
Lesson 4: Owling- In this lesson, you will enjoy an owl prowl with our Guide to Owling, dissect an owl pellet, and follow our discussion guide to celebrate your adventures as you read Owl Mood by Jane Yolen.

Language Arts

Lesson 1: Bird Words- In this lesson, you will expand your Ornithology vocabulary, be able to define them, spell them, rearrange them, identify their parts of speech, use them in a sentence, and use them in either a poem or short story (or both).
Lesson 2: The Eagle- In this lesson, you will enjoy reading and analyzing the poem “The Eagle” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson by creating a scene from the poem, summarizing it in your own words, answering insightful questions, and considering the symbolism.
Lesson 3: Demonstratives- In this lesson, you will study words that are used to refer to things that are near or far away from us called demonstratives. You will discover the difference between these words and how to use them properly in a sentence.
Lesson 4: Simile- In this lesson, you will explore a way of describing something called a simile. You will learn words and format associated with similes, practice writing one of your own, and read examples of similes in stories, poems, and songs.

Writing

Lesson 1: Bird Journal- In this lesson, you will begin creating your bird watching journal. Many times the first step to writing is reading. You will be researching the birds in your area that way you’ll know what you are looking at when you see them.
Lesson 2: Bird Watching- In this lesson, you will practice your bird watching skills. You will learn helpful bird watching tips, observe birds in their natural environment, and record your observations. How many birds will you see?
Lesson 3: Bird Reflection- In this lesson, you will be adding a reflection to your Bird Watching Journal. A reflection is a type of writing that allows you to make connections to the world around you. You will practice writing thoughts and feelings.
Lesson 4: Bird Story- In this lesson, you will write a bird story. You will choose to either write about real birds that you can find in nature, or you can make up your own bird. You review the parts of story and then explore your imagination.

History

Lesson 1: Myths, Legends, & Fables- In this lesson, you will discover the history of ornithology, ornithologists, and ancient stories of birds. You will be able to define and distinguish the difference between myths, legends, and fables through stories of birds.
Lesson 2: Bird Encyclopedias- In this lesson, you will explore the Renaissance era, how this movement affected what we know about birds, the first bird encyclopedias, and early ornithologists who paved the way for bird watching and illustrations.
Lesson 3: Where Do Birds Go in Winter? In this lesson, you will learn about migration (the act of moving from one region or climate to another), how migration has affected stories and legends, and bird banding (bands to help researchers learn about individual birds).
Lesson 4: Counting Birds- In this lesson, you will learn about the history of the Great Backyard Bird Count and how it started a worldwide phenomenon for bird watchers (also known as birders) and bird enthusiasts alike and encouraged research, too.

Geography

Lesson 1: Costa Rica- In this lesson, you will explore the characteristics and culture of Costa Rica. You will learn various facts about the country, its national anthem in Spanish and English, and what the flag looks like and symbolizes.
Lesson 2: Maps- In this lesson, you will familiarize yourself with the continent of North America and the country of Costa Rica. You will be able to locate many bodies of water and land masses on the world map and country map.
Lesson 3: Costa Rican Culture- In this lesson, you will learn about Costa Rican culture, religion, cuisine, music, dance, history, and heritage. You will discover the Costa Rican Refresco, make it for yourself, and learn about the connection between the land and food.
Lesson 4: Birds Around the World- In this lesson, you will explore one type of bird classification (cosmopolitan vs endemic) which is based on where birds can be found. Then you can break down the endemic classification further into 3 categories.

Music

Lesson 1: Birdsong: Trills and Warbles- In this lesson, you will explore music that occurs in nature and is created by bird songs and calls. You will learn about what trills and warbles are, what they sounds like, and how they might be written on a music staff.
Lesson 2: Feathered Composers- In this lesson, you will discover more words that describe birds sounds and songs. You will look at five key qualities that we can listen for when identifying bird calls: pitch, tone, tempo, repetition, and duration.
Lesson 3: Ornithological Overtures: Bird Sounds in Classical Music- In this lesson, you will discover how birds songs and sounds have inspired countless compositions of classical music. You will learn about several composers and listen to music that they composed with birds in mind.
Lesson 4: Central American Instruments- In this lesson, you will discover two instruments with deep cultural significance for the people of Central America - ocarina and maracas. You will learn how these instruments connect to their culture and birds.

Art

Lesson 1: Bird Anatomy- In this lesson, you will consider a bird’s shape, size, skeletal structure, feathers, and basic anatomy while creating art through various mediums, including drawing, painting, sculpting, stamping, coloring, and collage.
Lesson 2: Habitats- In this lesson, you will explore different habitats in which birds can reside -- from cactus to forest to city. You will also learn about the interesting and complicated relationship between humans and pigeons.
Lesson 3: Culture + Myths- In this lesson, you will explore the roles birds play in legend and myths from all walks of life, and how these stories have affected the art and culture around them. You will then try your hand at creating culturally significant artifacts.
Lesson 4: Conservation- In this lesson, you will explore art through the lens of conservation. You will create art that helps advocate for our feathered friends and also that uses environmentally friendly materials, so we can help in more way than one.

Math

Lesson 1: Decorate the Bird: Feather Addition Activity- In this activity, you will practice addition and counting by decorating a bird with different types of feathers. For an additional challenge, you can introduce subtraction problems using the feathers.
Lesson 2: Ordinal Numbers- In this activity, you will discover ordinal numbers which are words used to indicate the position of an item in a list or sequence. You will practice using ordinal numbers by identifying the position of birds in a sequence.
Lesson 3: Bird Flight Path Drawing Activity- In this activity, you will practice following directions, spatial reasoning, and basic geometry by drawing a bird’s flight path on a grid. For an additional challenge, you can add in destinations or coordinates.
Lesson 4: Even and Odd Numbers- In this activity, you will identify and sort even and odd numbers by placing numbered eggs into the correct bird nests. For an additional challenge, you can identify patters in the numbers they sorted and create your own.

Supplement

• My Ornithology Words
• Coloring Sheets
• Crack the Code
• Ornithology Crossword
• Bird Drawing
• Ornithology Word Search
• Ornithology Flashcards
• Bilingual Bird Anatomy Cards
• Bird Counting Cards
• Birds Fact Cards
• Birds Tic Tac Toe Game

This unit is delivered as a downloadable zip file. H+S Patchwork Studies average approximately 550-650 pages of content. While the download does include the option to print the full unit straight through front and back, we recommend printing on an as-needed, as-you-go basis. Enjoy your Ornithology adventures!