Build a Birdhouse
Figure 1. A human-made house for birds.Copyright 2001 Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Students construct bird nests and birdhouses. They research birds of their choosing and then design houses that meet the birds' specific needs. It works well to conduct this activity in conjunction with a grades 9-12 woodshop class by partnering the older students with the younger students (but it is not required to do this in order to conduct the activity).
Building birdhouses can be an involved activity that includes many steps of the engineering process, such as designing a prototype, and deciding what materials and tools to use. While learning these steps, students become familiar with ways that engineering expertise and approaches can be applied to natural systems.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe properties of materials used and why they are good for building a house.
- Understand the use of materials, wood and nails or glue, and a tool, the hammer.
- Explain the relationship between materials and tools.
- Understand birds need shelter for protection from weather and predators, and to safely hatch eggs.
- Learn that different birds require different sized houses.