Summary

Watch a video clip of Laura the Giganotosaurus (below) as she talks about her love of birdwatching. Using actual birds or photos from library books, ask the students to observe details about birds, their feathers and body parts. Have them sketch and discuss the variety of birds in your area.

Materials

• Photographs of 5-10 different birds (from library books, or printed from Internet)
• Local park or backyard to observe birds
• Blank paper
• Clipboard
• Camera (optional, but very helpful)
• Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
• Paint, variety of colors
• Colored feathers
• White glue
• Binoculars (optional)
• Field guide to birds in your area
• Printable Page: Here's a Bird That I Saw Drawing Tips and Image (246KB PDF)

Related Video Clip

Dinosaur Train: Laura the Giganotosaurus (2 minutes 7 seconds)

Procedures

1. Show students a video clip above from “Laura the Giganotosaurus,” in which Laura the Giganotosaurus talks about her passion for bird-watching – and shows them pictures of birds she’s drawn.
2. Next, show students pictures of 5-10 different birds (from library books or printed from the Internet). Try to find pictures of birds that are commonly sighted in your state. (This information is available from field guides, the local library, or nearby bird-watching club) Ask students to look at the photos to see if they can find examples of these common bird parts. Have them compare the different colors and shapes of these parts
• Crown – top of the bird’s head
• Bill or Beak – the bird’s mouth
• Breast – the bird’s chest
• Feathers
• Feet – the bird’s toes and claws (called “talons” in birds of prey)
3. Visit a local park. Have students look for as many examples of birds as they can find. Have students use notebooks and pencils to sketch quick pictures of any birds they notice. (If you have a camera, they can try to photograph them as well. If possible, use field guides to try to identify the birds.)
4. Back at home, or in the classroom, have students use the Bird Image [see PRINTABLE above] as the basis for drawing a bird they observed. Have them first use a pencil to adapt the bird on the page. Then add color with colored pencils, crayons, or markers.

Extensions

1. Contact a local bird-watching group in your area. You can usually find bird-watching groups by looking on the Internet, or contacting local nature preserves or local parks. Find out if you can attend one of their meetings to observe birds that live nearby.