The Seabird Education Program
MAINE SEABIRDS, like the charismatic puffin and globe-trotting tern, are an excellent starting point for exploring broad issues such as marine conservation. By learning about puffins, children become interested in the ocean environment, how birds and other creatures are adapted to survive there, and what is happening all around us in this closed system we call earth. This list of themes includes our core curriculum, but we can tailor our classes to your interests and connect it directly to your course of study. All of our lessons are congruent with the Maine Learning Results.
For further information, cost of presentations and to schedule classes call Sue at 529-2722, or email sschubel@audubon.org. For rates and registration info, please see our registration form (PDF | MS Word). For a printable version of this page, please click here.
Themes
1.
The Restoration of Puffins and other Seabirds to the Coast of Maine
In 1973, when Dr. Stephen Kress came up with the plan to get puffins back
to Maine, it was a groundbreaking idea. Kids will be inspired by the story
of how creative thinking and a lot of unusual techniques led to the successful
restoration of puffins on Eastern Egg Rock and Seal Island.
2. Seabird Adaptations
These truly marine creatures, seabirds, spend months or even years at
sea without touching land! How do they survive? Your students will explore
feathers as raingear, blubber as insulation, beaks as tools, and plumage
as a fashion statement.
3. The Dangerous and Interesting
Lives of Seabirds
Seabirds live in a rigorous environment and are subject to many natural
and human pressures. In our game, "Puffling's Journey", students
will be challenged by an environment filled with hazards and will have
to help their puffin chicks negotiate them as they travel out to sea and
back to the island. Our game results will be compared with real survival
data from the puffin islands.
4. The Marine Ecosystem
Puffins are just a small part of the ocean community. The Web of Life
Game will link us all together as we "become" different organisms
and talk about our roles. Students will then craft a colorful food chain
mobile based on their favorite ocean organisms.
5. The History of Wildlife
and Humans in New England and America
People were originally drawn to New England for the plentiful fish and
abundant wildlife. Due to excessive hunting for food, eggs, and feathers
the seabird population was dramatically reduced by the late 1800's. We
will explore a timeline of events and then enact some exciting role-playing
theatrics to understand different sides of the issues.
6. Current impacts on Seabirds
and the Ocean
The environment today is more complex and dangerous than it was 50 or
100 years ago. A hands-on oil spill cleanup is one way students get directly
involved in thinking about current issues. We can also explore over-fishing,
water pollution, and trash issues with fun games and activities.
7.
Learning to be a Scientist
Good science demands careful observation, correct methods, and excellent
record-keeping. In the Tern Feeding Study activity, students will learn
what our summer biologists learn - how to identify terns, their prey (fish),
and their individual chicks. We'll begin by sketching, then have a mock
"feeding study" with the class drawings. This activity is ideally
scheduled as two class periods so that there is time to look at real video
footage or slides, and also to graph class data for comparison with actual
data collected on the islands. Other activities within this theme include
observing and charting bird feeder behavior, and estimating bird populations
using mark/recapture techniques (with paper airplanes as the birds).
8. Birdwatching
We'll bring binoculars and beautiful large-size bird flashcards. After
learning how to use binoculars, we'll concentrate on bird identification
using the concept of field marks. Then we'll go outside to observe local
bird-life. If you choose this as a two-period activity we'll have students
play Bird Behavior Bingo - a game which goes beyond simple identification.
9. Environmental Action
- personal and group activities
Students will make an individual environmental pledge (a fun way of changing
one's environmentally-negative behaviors) after we share with them what
others are doing. A little effort can make a big difference. Additionally,
school or local projects can be initiated. This can include planting shrubs
for wildlife, building bird boxes, etc.
10. Migration (under
development - this topic available after December 1)
The Arctic Tern is the master migrant of the bird world, flying 20,000
miles a year! (Tell that to your students when they think they're having
a tough time.) It's an amazing story and one which will unfold as your
students track the path of the terns. We'll use real data from birds banded
in Maine which travel south along our coast, then over to Africa, down
to Antarctica, back to South America, and up to Maine in time to lay another
egg the next spring. This is a great one to link to geography, oceanography,
anthropology, etc.
11. ART and Science
Many great scientists were also artists. Creating art helps a person to
observe more carefully, think about their subject, and, it is FUN! Many
of our themes include small craft projects, but this offering allows your
class to really focus and create a large scale project. Class quilts,
sculptures, murals, mobiles, puppets, or decoys are possibilities. With
a seabird theme, of course!
For further information, cost of presentations and to schedule classes
call Sue at 529-2722, or email sschubel@audubon.org.
|
puffin@audubon.org |
Mailing Address: Project Puffin 159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, New York 14850 (607)257-7308 |