Burgess Bird Book Procedure

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
(Psalm 50:11)

Vision: Children will develop an appreciation and wonder for Gods creation.

Materials: Burgess Bird Book, field guide/picture of birds in chapter, chapter reference sheet listing which chapters to
read/notes. Optional: coloring sheets, paper, colored pencils, bird silhouette to fill in as reading

Procedure for scheduled reading weeks:

1. Review. See how much everyone remembers from the previous reading.
2. Read section aloud. Options for read aloud time:
Challenge children to listen carefully to reading to see if they can make a picture in their mind about how the
bird looks and acts based on the descriptions. Show a picture of the bird AFTER the narration. (Good practice
for visualizing.) When first starting this, or for those who might benefit, give a general bird shape that they can
color in as description is read. After reading, check it against the bird guide and correct as needed.
Look up bird in field guide. Look at picture while listening to selection being read aloud.
o As listening, look at picture and try to spot any of the birds features described.
Coloring pages while listening.
3. Narrate. (Narrate orally or could choose to narrate by drawing the bird in detail.)
Oral: Frame narration as, Tell me what you learned about {bird} rather than Narrate this chapter to focus
narration more on the birds than the storyline. They can choose to answer one or more of the following
questions as a guide.
What does the bird look like? What does it eat? What kind of nest does it build? Where might we
expect to see one?
Drawing: Draw picture of bird with details. (Bind together into book at end of year.)
Note: If struggling with narration, stop more frequently. Pause after reading description of bird for narration
about bird.
4. If didnt look up bird in field guide, look up and compare picture described or drawn with guide.

Non-reading week ideas (optional), or as kids are interested:

1. Review. See how much remember from the previous reading.
2. Coloring sheet or drawing if havent done. (Play composer music in background.)
3. Cut out coloring sheet or drawing and hang on paper tree. (Talk about various birds sporadically.)
4. Listen to bird calls (www.allaboutbirds.org)/ YouTube videos.
5. On another day, do picture study like exercise. Look at picture of bird and have child close eyes and tell as much about
the bird as can while picturing it in mind. (Optional: Say name and reread the sentences in chapter that describe bird,
nest, diet, etc. before doing this.)
6. Play memory game or Guess Who? game (describe pic, traits & others guess) with bird pictures.

Other ideas:
If struggling w/ recall, replace character names (Blacky the Crow) w/ just bird name (Mr. Crow).
When reading, have pictures of birds available (draw on index cards, print outs, etc.) and point to appropriate picture
when referencing a character. Use pictures for narration/ to act out story.
Coloring pages & http://www.animalstown.com/animals/j/junco/coloring-pages/junco-coloring-01.php

Prep:
Readings: Six chapters/term (18 total), every other week. Continue rest as free read if want.
Selecting chapters: Choose birds most likely to see, then a variety of categories of birds (ex hawks, woodpeckers,
goose, etc.) and ones that deal with common bird traits (ex migration; Chap. 16 & 17, The Robber in the Orchard
and More Robbers, deal w/protecting eggs from predators)
Note that the AO website suggests choosing chapters appropriate to seasons/location, but there is some continuity
from one chapter to next and references to birds introduced in earlier chapters, so if possible, plan chapters in order.
Book runs spring -> winter (which can make a fall -> spring school year a little more difficult to schedule, or start
earlier).