Pistes d'exploration

Select a few bird statistics and make an infographic poster to highlight them.

On a large map, use sticky notes to label the locations of some birds. Your labels could use the bird name or a sketch of the bird.

The weights of the various birds are listed. Use a scale and ordinary classroom objects to model the weights of different-sized birds. Make a guessing game of matching the birds with their weights.

If you were a bird, what type would you be? Explain your thinking.

Make diagrams of some of the common nesting sites found in the book. Collect items from nature and create a 3-D model nesting site.

Identify the featured birds that can be found in your area.

Look at the bird descriptions to identify the types of information to be found in this non-fiction book.

Research other birds that can be found in your area. Use the text as a model to compile and display information about these local birds. 

Write a haiku, cinquain or diamante poem to describe one of the birds. Use information from the text to help you.

Write a persuasive letter to the principal about installing bird feeders in the schoolyard. Include information about the type of birds you would like to attract, the food needed and associated costs. Research feeders made of recycled material.

She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!, Look up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, Backyard Birds: An Introduction, Weird Birds, Aviary Wonders Inc.: Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual, I Hatched!

Mots-clés

Non-fiction , alphabet , animal adaptations , birds , habitats , illustrations (photographs) , nature

Commentaire descriptif

Most readers know the chickadee and the owl, the vulture and the woodpecker. But how many have heard of the ibis or the skimmer or the tanager? How many know that over 10 000 species of birds share this planet with us? This informative illustrated dictionary showcasing 26 avian wonders provides readers with each bird’s Latin name, diet, range, length, weight, wingspan and nesting sites. Descriptive paragraphs offer rich vocabulary and more elevated prose. The egret, we learn, has “pure white plumage” and “wispy feathers called aigrettes.” The Zone-tailed Hawk “uses a special strategy called mimicry to sneak up on its prey.” The visually appealing layout includes 26 spreads, each telling the story of a different bird—one for every letter of the alphabet. A table of contents is provided for quick referencing. Entries include two stunning photos of the bird in its natural habitat, a description and a fact-box of quick, at-your-fingertips details. Readers will be inspired to keep an eye on the fine-feathered friends in their own neighbourhood and to connect with the natural world. Subject-specific vocabulary is simplified for readers in a glossary at the end.