Science Labs
A Messy Classroom provides resources for teachers and parents to use for free. All that we ask is that you do not share the PDFs and instead share the link to the website for people to download resources themselves. This helps keep the website running and new resources being created.
Bird Models
After learning all about the anatomy of birds, your learner might be keen to make an anatomically correct bird model! Some possible ways to do it are with polymer clay, which I find to be easier to use and allows for more detail than air dry clay. Polymer clay will not dry out but will get a bit harder if left untouched for a while. The heat from your hands can soften it again if you need to fix a mistake. Once the bird is to your child's liking, you can bake it according to the directions. This will completely harden your student's creation.
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Another option is air dry clay which is cheaper but does not allow for as much detail. You can paint the clay after it's hardened to add more detail to your creation.
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For a super realisitc bird, consider using paper mâché and fake feathers to make a model bird that could fool your neighbors.
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However you choose to make the model, make sure to reinforce the vocabulary from the unit as you create your bird.
Get Messy!
Incorporate some hands-on learning with more bird related activities. Dress your learner up as an explorer and go on a bird watching exhibition. There are many free online bird watching resources, but you can also use this time to further interest your child in reading with a bird watching book. You can get some binoculars to make sure the birds are in clear focus as you identify the feathery friends in your area. Have fun learning!
