Sung to the tune of the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

The itsy bitsy spider was an arthropod.
    He had jointed legs which made him look quite odd.
    Eating many insects caught in webs he spun,
    Being an arachnid sounds like lots of fun .

Sung to Row, Row, Row Your Boat

We love DNA, made of nucleotides.

Sugar, phosphate and a base bonded down one side.

Adenine and thymine make a lovely pair,

cytosine without guanaine would feel very bare.

O-O-Oh, de-oxy-ribo-nucleic acid

RNA is ribo-nucleic acid.

• Small milk carton (the kind at school)
• non-toxic poster paints
• stapler and staples
• hole punch=20
• yarn or string

1.Wash and thoroughly dry the milk carton.

2. Cut a small section from the carton and then staple the top opening closed.

3. Paint the container, if desired. Let it dry. (Note: I like to paint my feeders in streaks of tan, gray and brown to resemble tree bark. Then, on the bottom, I paint on dark and light green leaves. When you stand underneath the hanging bird feeder, it really blends in with the canopy of leaves above it!)

4. Poke a hole in the middle of the = top of the carton, and thread a piece of yarn or string through it to use as a hanger. (The string should be long enough for the feeder to hang where the branches don't rub against, but not so long that the feeder hangs too far away from the tree's leaf cover. Birds like to feel they have a hiding place to fly into quickly!)

5. Add birdseed and hang the feeder. (Since the small milk carton feeders are just the right size for the tiny birds such as finches, wrens, etc., you might want to use thistle seed. It is the finch's favorite food! Garden supply stores carry a sterile thistle seed just for bird feeding which is guaranteed not to sprout all over your yard).

Research the six types of beaks and the six types of feet and then make the beaks and feet with clay.

Dough recipe:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 T. alum
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water
• 2 T. vegetable oil
• food coloring (optional)
• Mix all ingredients together.

Study the natural history and behavior of birds.Select one species to observe and study in detail. Research this bird’s natural history and behavior both by watching and by reading. What time of day do you see the bird? Do you see individuals alone or in flocks? Where does the bird find its food (when not at a feeder)? Where does it sleep? Where does it live during summer? What kind of nest does it build? Observe its behavior: does the bird flutter or droop its wings, pass food back and forth, make raucous sounds, or chase other birds?

Sketch the birds at your feederor nearby park
using binoculars to make detailed observations. Include field marks such as the curve of the bird’s bill, its eye ring, and its crown, cheek, or ear patch. Compare your sketches to photos and illustrations in field guides.

Keep a Bird Journal
Learning to identify and understand birds requires careful observation and notekeeping. Try starting a journal with detailed observations of the birds you see. Even if you don’t yet know a bird’s name, describe what you see. Include the date of your observation, the location, the weather, the species’ name if you know it, and an overview of the bird’s appearance, behavior, and sounds.

Preparing for spring: Bird songs and calls
Many birds make two kinds of sounds: songs and calls. Songs are used almost exclusively by males to attract females and to defend territories. Calls are used by both sexes to express alarm and to "stay in touch" with each other. Most birds don’t sing at feeders in winter, but they often make calls or "chip" notes. Listen carefully to these and try to learn the sounds of each species. You also can listen to recordings of actual bird songs and calls; check out the Sound of the Week web page, or visit your local library for cassettes or CDs.

Think birds don't eat very much? Try this eat like a bird activity and think again. When people say, "You eat like a bird," they often mean you hardly eat anything at all. But modern bird scientists (called "ornithologists") have a different perspective.

They say that although birds do eat tiny mouthfuls of food, they do so hundreds and hundreds of times each day. They have to eat a lot just to keep their energetic little bodies moving.

What You'll Need:

• Ordinary meals broken up into about two dozen tiny meals
• One free day

So why not try a bird's eating habits on for size? You might not want to feast on invertebrates (bugs & worms), but you can try to eat your food gradually, one tiny bite at a time.

See how it affects your energy levels. See how it affects those hunger pains you usually feel three times a day. You may never look at birds the same way again.

Continue reading to the next page to find out if you can keep a nest nice and warm just like a bird.

Background: Oil spills are just one of the ways that humans can have a harmful affect on bird populations. When oil mixes with water it floats on top of it because it is less dense. This is particularly harmful in the oceans because the ocean surface is where the majority of wildlife is, especially birds. Oil from spills coats birds' feathers, destroying their ability to repel water. Birds can become waterlogged and drown or may be poisoned while trying to clean their feathers of oil.

Materials: Feathers, salad oil, several shallow container of water (4-5 inches deep), mild dish detergent, and paper towels.

How to:

1. You need  2 shallow containers of water 
2. Investigate how a feather reacts with water. Have them float feathers on the water and observe how water is repelled.
3. Simulate an oil spill by pouring salad oil into one of the pans of water. Have the kids observe how the water reacts with the oil. Does it float? Does it sink?
4. Dip a feather into the oil/water mixture. What happens to the feather?
5. Now put the oily feather in the fresh pan of water. Does the feather float or sink? (It should sink because it can no longer repel water).
6. Now have the kids see if they can clean the oil off of the feather with just water. Did it work? Try it with a mild dish soap. Did this work? ( Gentle cleaners like this are used to clean birds after oil spills instead of harsh cleaners so as not to harm the bird.)
7. Discuss the results of your experiment and the harmful effects and consequences of oil spills.

It may look easy to be a mother bird. After all, all they do is sit, right? Wrong. Experts say bird embryos undergo 42 different stages of growth inside the egg. If the mother doesn't turn and care for each egg, the chick might not survive.

So if you've ever wondered what it takes to change a nest full of eggs into baby birds, check out this warm bird's nest activity and find out by warming a nest of your own!

What You'll Need:

• Large "nest" of straw or leaves
• Plastic Easter eggs
• Companion

Make a nest out of straw and leaves and then sit still on a few plastic eggs of your own. Keep all the eggs warm to the touch. Turn them all over at least once or twice an hour.

And don't forget, you'll need a friend or pretend bird mate to bring you food and give you potty breaks if you're going to pull this experiment off.

Sit for three or four hours to get an idea of how much it takes to raise a baby bird. You'll understand just how important a mother bird is to her unborn babies.

Raising Chicks
Not all birds raise their babies the same way. In some species of birds, both mothers and fathers take care of the little ones, but most birds rely more on the female to handle the rearing and the male to find food.

• Set a pie tin on a stool or flat topped tree trunk or hang it in a hanging plant hanger; dump it out after a rain, or punch drainage holes in it, and elevate it a little by placing small rocks or twigs beneath it. (All birds, specially Juncos, Cardinals, Jays, Sparrows)
  
  
• Punch holes on either side of a plastic pop bottle, stick a twig all the way through with its ends sticking out for perches and poking more holes nearby for the birds to pull the seeds out. Then hang the bottle by tying a string around its neck. (Finches really like these!)
  
  
• Coat a pine cone with peanut butter, roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a tree branch;
  
  
• Use a rectangle of old window = screening. Wear heavy cotton gloves and use needle-nosed pliers to crimp the loose wire edges back (so they won't poke the birds nor snag their feathers), fold it in half, run two string hangers through the corners on each side, and hanging it. Slide in a suet/birdseed cake from the grocery store, or make a "cake" of oatmeal, birdseed, and peanut butter. (Cardinals, Jays, Robins, = Sparrows)
  
  
• Stick a piece of bread, a doughnut, or half of an orange, on a twiggy branch of the tree (the Orioles will LOVE the orange!)
  
  
• Tie a string around the neck of a baby food jar and fill with orange juice. Hang it from a tree. (It will hang tilted, but Orioles will perch on the rim and take dainty sips).
  
  
• Scatter bread crumbs on the = ground.

Background: Condors have one of the largest wingspans at nine feet. The average Hummingbird's wingspan is about 4", average duck's wingspan is 27", average gull's wingspan is 58" and the brown pelican's wingspan is 7'.

Materials: 9 foot piece of rope, 4 different colored pieces of string, small pieces of paper for "tags", and a tape measurer.

How to:

1. Have two kids hold each end of the rope, demonstrating how long the wingspan of the condor is.
2. Use the measurements given above. If desired, have the students do additional research to find other bird species' wingspans. Have the kids divide the wingspans of each of the birds by two.
3. Mark the middle of the rope. Starting at the middle measure the 1/2 lengths of each bird's wingspan against the condor rope in both directions. Tie the colored pieces of string along the rope to match where the tips of another bird's wings would be. Tag each string with the name of the bird.
4. Once you have all the strings tied on and tagged, have the kids measure their arm span against the wings of all the other birds.
5. At the end have the kids answer these comparative math questions: a) Which bird has the biggest wingspan and which has the smallest? b) What is the difference between the biggest and the smallest? c) Which two birds have the smallest difference in wingspan? d) What is the average wingspan?

Background: If you want to attract birds to your house  you can build one of these feeders. Be sure to place the feeder where the birds who come to feed are safe from cats and other predators.

Materials: Pine cones, peanut butter, string, milk carton, hole punch, scissors, 1/4 inch wood dowel or unused pencils, exacto knife, and bird seed.

How to:

Pine Cone Feeder:

1. Mix bird seed and peanut butter together.
2. Spread this mixture on the outside on the pine cone.
3. Tie a string to the top of the pine cone and hang it outside of your window.

Milk Carton Feeder:

1. Take an empty milk carton and cut square windows out of each side about three inches from the bottom.
2. Cut an 1/4 inch "X" on each side of the carton, 1/2 way between the bottom of the carton and the cut out square. Make a second set of "X"s lower than the first.
3. Poke the 1/4 dowel through the "X" on one side and follow it through to the other. Repeat for the other pair of "X"s.
4. Fill the bottom with bird seed. Punch a hole in the top of the carton, attach a string and hang outside of your window.
5. Keep notes on the new feathered friends that visit the feeders and make an observation journal that you keep by the window. Do certain types of birds prefer one feeder over another?

Background: Just like beaks, feet can give clues about a bird's food, habitat, and behavior. Feet can be used for scratching, wading, grasping, perching or swimming.

Materials: Whose Foot Is This? worksheet, plain unlined paper, scissors, glue, and markers.

How to:

1. Discuss the different functions bird's feet can serve. Discuss different bird habitats and the type of feet that might be adapted for each lifestyle.
2. Pass out the worksheet. Have the students cut out each bird and each foot on the worksheet and on a separate piece of paper, glue together the correct matches. The images can also be colored.

Real Robin eggs might not taste like jellybeans, but the eggs in this Robin's egg treats activity do!

What You'll Need:

• 11/3 cups flaked coconut
  
• Cookie sheets
• 3 bowls
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon orange peel
• Shortening
• 1 cup small jellybeans

Be sure to have an adult help you with this project.

HOW TO MAKE ROBIN'S EGG TREATS:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes or until coconut begins to brown; stir occasionally.

Step 2: Put toasted coconut in bowl.

Step 3: Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; beat until smooth.
Step 4: Combine flour, salt, and orange peel in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; blend.

Step 5: Separate dough into 36 small balls; roll each ball in toasted coconut until completely covered. Place each dough ball 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets.

Step 6: Using your thumb, make a dent in the center of each ball.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Put jellybean "eggs" in the indentations of cooled cookies. Makes 3 dozen treats.

Real Robin eggs might not taste like jellybeans, but the eggs in this Robin's egg treats activity do!

What You'll Need:

• 11/3 cups flaked coconut
  
• Cookie sheets
• 3 bowls
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon orange peel
• Shortening
• 1 cup small jellybeans

Be sure to have an adult help you with this project.

HOW TO MAKE ROBIN'S EGG TREATS:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes or until coconut begins to brown; stir occasionally.

Step 2: Put toasted coconut in bowl.

Step 3: Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; beat until smooth.
Step 4: Combine flour, salt, and orange peel in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; blend.

Step 5: Separate dough into 36 small balls; roll each ball in toasted coconut until completely covered. Place each dough ball 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets.

Step 6: Using your thumb, make a dent in the center of each ball.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until coconut is golden brown. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Put jellybean "eggs" in the indentations of cooled cookies. Makes 3 dozen treats.

Background: Bird calls are usually short and to the point. The same bird can have several very different sounds to express different things. A warning call can sound very different from a friendly call to a fellow bird of the same species. Through these calls birds can distinguish who is friendly and who is a threat.

Materials: 8-10 empty small glass Snapple bottles of the same size, water, and construction paper.

How to:

1. Pair up the soda bottles. Fill each pair with water to the same level but different from the other pairs. Cover the outsides with construction paper so the water levels are not visible. Each pair of bottles represents one species of bird.
2. Have the kids blow over the top of the bottle to make different bird calls.
3. Mix the bottles up and have the students try to find the pairs and by doing this they are matching each bird to its own species.

Background: Feathers are unique to birds. They serve several different functions. Vaned feathers cover the bodies, wings, and tails of birds. They are used in flight and camouflage. Down feathers are the small fluffy feathers right next to the body. They keep birds both warm and dry. The down feathers create air pockets around the bird's body which trap the body's warmth and insulate the bird's body. Humans even use down feathers in jackets and sleeping bags.

Materials: Plastic bags, balloons, water, down feathers from domestic ducks and chickens (it is illegal to use native bird feathers), funnels, marking pen, graduated cylinder or measuring cup, and freezer.

How to:

1. Talk about what an insulator is. Discuss ways of keeping an ice cube from melting.
2. YOu need:  2 plastic bags, 2 balloons, a funnel, and graduated cylinder or measuring cup (
3. Measure an exact amount of water (just enough to fill the balloon without stretching it too much) and funnelsit into the balloon.
4. Repeat for the second balloon making sure to use the same amount of water.
5. Mark the balloons with  names and place them in a freezer.
6. After the water balloons have frozen, . One balloon will be a "control" and be placed in the plastic baggy with nothing surrounding it. The second will be placed in a baggy full of down feathers.
7. Place the bags on a surface where they will be undisturbed. Allow them to sit for 60-90 minutes. While you are waiting  discuss what they think will happen to each of the ice balloons.
8. After time is up  cut open balloons one at a time, pour the melted water into the measuring device and record. Do this for both balloons.
9. Compare the results. Which balloon gave off more melt water? What does this mean the feathers did for the ice?

Here's an easy way to study a bird's migration route. Try this birds' migration activity to learn about a bird's pattern of flight.

What You'll Need:

• Reference book
• Globe or world map
• Rubber cement
  
• Different colored yarn

Migratory birds fly thousands of miles every year. At the library, check out a book about migratory birds. See if your home is on the migration path of any birds. (If it is, watch for them at the times of the year when they migrate.)

Then, on a globe or world map, mark the migration paths of some birds. Use rubber cement or other temporary adhesive to attach a piece of yarn to each bird's starting place. Attach the other end of the yarn to the bird's summer home. Use different colors of yarn for different birds.