Cooperative Learning: Endangered Birds Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Students will be able to describe the appearance of a selected bird from the rainforest (size and color).
Students will present their research to their classmates.
Students will be able to identify the bird's main food source and its predators.
Students will be able to list three interesting facts about the bird.

Lesson:
Supplies:
Old CD - serves as body of bird model (one per two students), construction paper
Research material
Select enough birds from the rainforest to have one bird per 2 to 3 students. Put packet together per bird. Provide students with information about their assigned bird or have library books available per bird. Suggested birds: Scarlet Macaw, Toucan, Yellow Crested Cockatoo, Blue and Gold Macaw, Quetzal, Peafowl, Eagle
Prepared research handout:

Name of Bird
Attach a picture of the bird:

Where bird lives
Layer of Rainforest
Description: color and size
What does it eat?
Name its predators
List three interesting facts

Focus: Have a bulletin board prepared for the rainforest layers. Hide a bird in the rainforest and let children try to guess what the new animal is that we are studying today. Give them a few minutes and then take guesses.

Objectives: Students are researching birds of the rainforest. In groups they will research a selected bird and fill out the research handout. Then as a group they will create a bird model using an old CD as the body. They must look at the bird and make its head shape, tail and wings using construction paper of the bird's colors. When everyone is finished, the groups will present their birds to the class and display models.

Guided Practice: Select a partner from the students. Walk through how you and your partner would find the answers for your bird. Then assign cooperative groups.

Activity: Give each group a bird packet to complete. Once research is completed, students will be given a CD and appropriate colored construction paper. The students work as a group constructing their bird or if time permits, they can each do their own.

Students create their model.

Presentation: One member presents research and one member describes the appearance of their bird and how they made their model.

Closure: After all groups have presented, birds are placed in the room with students names on it. This serves as a great way to visually show the students learning in the classroom.