Grade 6 Completes Months-Long Interdisciplinary Bird Study
Shore's sixth graders in September began an ambitious interdisciplinary study of the region's birdlife with a trip to Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport. They finally completed this broad undertaking, encompassing numerous topics in science and art, in December, when they revealed a striking collection of detailed mixed-media illustrations of some of the region's bird species and their habitats.
Overlooking the Merrimack River and near the entrance to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, the Joppa Flats Education Center offers a unique opportunity to observe some of the more than 300 species of birds that are recorded locally each year, as well as the habitats they depend on, including salt marshes, mudflats, rivers, bays, and coastal waters.
On their visit, the sixth graders focused most closely on the distinct ecology of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. This national refuge was established in 1941 specifically to provide feeding, resting, and nesting habitats for migratory birds. It comprises more than 4,700 acres of diverse habitats including sandy beach and dune, cranberry bog, maritime forest and shrub land, and freshwater marsh. Parker River provides pristine coastal habitat for over 300 species of resident and migratory birds, as well as a large variety of mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The refuge also provides critical habitat for the federally threatened piping plover.
At the Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station, students assisted scientists as they captured birds, took measurements, and recorded data. On a guided hike on the coastal dune trail through the maritime forest, they used field equipment to spot various bird species, identified native and non-native flora and fauna, observed weather patterns, identified cloud types, and determined wind speed. These observations were tied into a discussion of songbird migration patterns and adaptations.
Back in Oliver Hay's sixth grade science lab, students used the data and observations they collected in the field to engage with critical issues in environmental science, as well as to delve into topics such as bird adaptation, migration, and plumage. Sixth graders chose one from among the hundreds of species recorded at Joppa Flats for further research into its specific characteristics and the habitats it visits along the North Atlantic Flyway.
"This unit perfectly tied in to the outdoor journaling the students have been working on all year," said Hay. "Students have spent one class period per month outdoors to observe and record their observations in an ongoing journal. The trip to Joppa was similar, but allowed them to do their journaling in a rich, totally different environment."
Following their work in the lab, the students carried their bird research to Ruth Bauer's art studio, where they painstakingly illustrated the bird species they chose for further investigation. They used strategies of measuring and proportion to render their birds, and worked to include as many identifying characteristics of the species in their artwork. They also were challenged to create a mixed-media habitat for their creation using a variety of art materials and found objects.
According to Bauer, "My students really became absorbed in capturing the intricate details and the distinct personalities of their birds, which is why this particular project extended over such a long period of time. But seeing the end results, the effort was clearly worth it."
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Overlooking the Merrimack River and near the entrance to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, the Joppa Flats Education Center offers a unique opportunity to observe some of the more than 300 species of birds that are recorded locally each year, as well as the habitats they depend on, including salt marshes, mudflats, rivers, bays, and coastal waters.
On their visit, the sixth graders focused most closely on the distinct ecology of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. This national refuge was established in 1941 specifically to provide feeding, resting, and nesting habitats for migratory birds. It comprises more than 4,700 acres of diverse habitats including sandy beach and dune, cranberry bog, maritime forest and shrub land, and freshwater marsh. Parker River provides pristine coastal habitat for over 300 species of resident and migratory birds, as well as a large variety of mammals, insects, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The refuge also provides critical habitat for the federally threatened piping plover.
At the Joppa Flats Bird Banding Station, students assisted scientists as they captured birds, took measurements, and recorded data. On a guided hike on the coastal dune trail through the maritime forest, they used field equipment to spot various bird species, identified native and non-native flora and fauna, observed weather patterns, identified cloud types, and determined wind speed. These observations were tied into a discussion of songbird migration patterns and adaptations.
Back in Oliver Hay's sixth grade science lab, students used the data and observations they collected in the field to engage with critical issues in environmental science, as well as to delve into topics such as bird adaptation, migration, and plumage. Sixth graders chose one from among the hundreds of species recorded at Joppa Flats for further research into its specific characteristics and the habitats it visits along the North Atlantic Flyway.
"This unit perfectly tied in to the outdoor journaling the students have been working on all year," said Hay. "Students have spent one class period per month outdoors to observe and record their observations in an ongoing journal. The trip to Joppa was similar, but allowed them to do their journaling in a rich, totally different environment."
Following their work in the lab, the students carried their bird research to Ruth Bauer's art studio, where they painstakingly illustrated the bird species they chose for further investigation. They used strategies of measuring and proportion to render their birds, and worked to include as many identifying characteristics of the species in their artwork. They also were challenged to create a mixed-media habitat for their creation using a variety of art materials and found objects.
According to Bauer, "My students really became absorbed in capturing the intricate details and the distinct personalities of their birds, which is why this particular project extended over such a long period of time. But seeing the end results, the effort was clearly worth it."
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At the bird-banding station
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Using field equipment
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