Field Trips: Wednesday, April 9 - Recap of trip to the Audubon Center on Richardson Bay in Tiburon: None of the students had been there before, and they were treated to three hours of outdoor activities with the naturalists. After breaking into two groups, they played a cooperative game using picture and word cards to order a bird’s life cycle. Next, they were led to a quiet wooded area, to listen for bird’s calls and songs, and to try out bird call whistles. Stopping by a creek, they observed the behavior of two mallards in the water, and later spotted them circling overhead. A scavenger hunt for bird nests followed, with a total of five being found and observed for materials used. Mimicking birds’ migration, they continued on a trail to the bay, where they worked with partners to try and make their own nests out of found materials. More hiking led to an overlook above the bay, with Turkey vultures soaring and a mob of crows cawing. Students were given a lesson in how to use binoculars for birding, and each had their own pair to make sightings. The whole class reunited for a final game of hiding “nests,”(cups,) from “predators,” (the naturalists,) while trying to collect as much food and eggs in their cups as possible. After lunch at the famous Blackie’s Pasture the students were observed continuing bird on play on their own! In the classroom students are continuing their labs understanding the difference between hollow and solid bones, as well as experimenting with principles of flight. http://www.tiburonaudubon.org//index.htmlhttp://www.tiburonaudubon.org//index.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0

  1. ✦ Final Field Trip - Thursday, May 15th:

Second graders will be having another opportunity to commune with nature at Tilden Park.  The naturalist there will lead us on a nature hike, focusing on using maps and mapping, one of themes of study in May.  We plan to leave B.P.C. at 9:15 and return by 1:15.

Current themes and supporting websites . . . Birds: Some questions that the second graders are exploring this month through experiments, observations, books, recordings, models, drawings, and field trips. What makes them a bird? What behaviors are unique to them? What is the function of certain kinds of feet and beaks? Can I make a bird survey in my own backyard? Why and how do birds migrate? What is the function of nesting and molting? Why do some birds sing as well as call? Why are some birds endangered and others thriving? Sites: 50 States Official Birds Step-by-Step - Level 1 pictures Step-by-Step - Level 2 pictures and information KidPort - Beaks and Bills Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Birding 1,2,3 Smithsonian National Zoological Park - Birds for Kids Harcourt School Bird Songs Learn Bird Songs Audubon - Bird Basics Math: Reading various clock times and concepts of second, minute, hour, day. Sites: Little Fingers - Interactive Clock Practice Stop the Clock http://www.50states.com/bird/http://www.ndi4all.org/step_by_step/k1birds.htmlhttp://www.ndi4all.org/grade23/g23directory.htmlhttp://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/BeaksBills/BeaksBills.htmhttp://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/birding123/http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/ForKids/default.cfmhttp://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/bird_songs/index.htmlhttp://www.learnbirdsongs.com/http://www.lil-fingers.com/games/time/index.htmlhttp://www.teachingtime.co.uk/draggames/sthec1.htmlshapeimage_6_link_0shapeimage_6_link_1shapeimage_6_link_2shapeimage_6_link_3shapeimage_6_link_4shapeimage_6_link_5shapeimage_6_link_6shapeimage_6_link_7shapeimage_6_link_8shapeimage_6_link_9
Family Excursions: Berkeley Marina for observing shorebirds and water birds Lindsey Wildlife Center in Walnut Creek Tilden Park hikes including Jewel Lakehttp://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=3966http://www.wildlife-museum.org/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tildenshapeimage_8_link_0shapeimage_8_link_1shapeimage_8_link_2
by James Coe, Artist http://www.jamescoe.com/