Classifying Birds Work Pack - See Nature
Transcript of Classifying Birds Work Pack - See Nature
OVERVIEWThis classification exercise is more complex andopen-ended than the last; it moves the level ofcognitive demand into early formal thinking. It isintroduced by an apparently simple activity oncounting animals, which consolidates concepts ofclass inclusion and exclusion, and the meaning of‘animal’. The second activity on trying to classifybirds by size provides some cognitive conflict andraises the need to be consistent in decidingcategories. This is one of the concepts underlyingthe differences between continuous anddiscontinuous variables. Having determined that‘size’ is only useful as a classifying characteristic ifit is quantified in some way, pupils are then asked tomake a classification system for a variety of birds.They have a set of cards that have information onthem about a bird’s appearance and habitat. Thereis far more information on each card than neededand it is not necessarily organised in the same way.Pupils have to become discerning selectors ofinformation if they are to make sense of the task.Finally, they are asked to use their classificationsystem to identify a non-British bird. They have torethink their system to fit it in.
New key words: system; reinforce classificationand characteristic. More able pupils could beintroduced to the terms include and exclude
EQUIPMENT REQUIREDPer group
• Workcard 7 – picture of animals.
• Template 7 made into cards to give each group a setof 20 bird pictures.
• Notesheet.
LESSON PLAN1 Activity 1. Start by recalling what they decided
was the purpose of classifying things from thelast lesson (Lesson 6). Give out Workcard 7 forActivity 1. Most pupils will find this exercise ingrouping and sub-grouping straightforward
since the groups are given. There are 29 animalsin the picture. Sometimes pupils do not countthe human, and if they tend to omit the insects,ask them ‘are they plants?’ If they are not plants, and they are living, then they must beanimals. The questions about ducks are a littletrickier in that they require logical thinkingabout class inclusion and the ability to ‘think in the negative’ to realise that one can exist intwo groups at the same time when one of thegroups is a subset of the other. For example ananimal can be a bird and also a duck but not a white duck. There may be some debate aboutthe colour of the five ducklings, which lookwhite in the picture but are yellow in reality. (10 minutes)
2 Activity 2. Give out a set of bird pictures (notincluding the humming bird) to each group.Question 1 simply reminds the pupils of theword classification which is the linguistic‘handle’ to these activities and Question 2provides the word ornithologist which is notimportant and merely there for interest.Question 3 allows them to focus on visiblefeatures. There are so many that most pupilswill have chosen a different four. Discussion atthis point shows that the wide diversity inappearance of the birds makes it difficult toclassify them on the way they look. Theadditional information next to each bird is notdirectly observable from the pictures. Ask howone could find out these sorts of facts. (5 minutes)
3 Pupils are then asked to sort birds by size. Thisleads to the discovery that size is not a usefulcharacteristic as one person’s ‘small’ might beanother’s ‘medium’. In groups, pupils will haveto reach a consensus about their categorisation.As they work, act ‘the devil’s advocate’ andmake sure they remain uneasy about theirjudgements of size. Draw this together in a brief,1 minute class discussion. This provides thecognitive conflict necessary for pupils to see theneed to think about criteria that are useful inclassifying. (5 minutes)
Teacher’s Guide THINKING SCIENCE
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Reasoning pattern: Classification
More classifying
Lesson 7
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4 Now ask the pupils to use the information onthe cards to make their own useful system forclassifying birds. They should work in groups ofat least three and no more than five. Whatdifferentiates sorting from classifying is the useof additional information that proves to be‘useful’ to those wishing to study birds. Sortingwould use only physical appearance and wouldnot yield useful categories to distinguish onegroup from another. Draw pupils’ attention tothe birds’ habitats. Circulate and encouragethem to make a list of all the birds found nearfresh water or sea shores, on moorland, inwoods, … then turn their attention to food. Listall those which eat live meat, only vegetation,dead meat, shell fish, fish, … They can then tryto amalgamate the two sorts of list, looking forsub-categories.
The exercise is very open-ended and this mayworry some pupils. They should be made to feelthat their attempts are as valid as any ‘proper’system provided there is an underlying logic totheir groupings and they can clearly state whatdistinguishes one group from another. For thosethat really cannot cope, give them a smallernumber of birds with very clear distinguishingfeatures to classify, perhaps all those that eatfish, those that live in woods, etc. You can alsorefer them back to page 1, which will remindthem of how they subdivided large groups. (10 minutes)
5 As soon as each group has a classification, withwhich they are happy, give them a hummingbird card and ask them to fit it into theirsystem. This proves to be difficult or impossibleand causes cognitive conflict and questioningabout the process of classification. Theirclassification system was useful for the birdsoriginally given (all of which are native toBritain), but a bird from a completely differentenvironment may not fit into this system.
6 Stop the group work 5 minutes before the lessonis due to end and get one or two groups to statehow they developed their classification systemfor the British birds. If a group has struggledwith the humming bird, ask them to say whythis is so difficult. Give the whole class a quickconclusion to the lesson. The point is thatclassification systems are a convenience. Theydo not have absolute ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ values. Toincorporate the humming bird, the systemdeveloped for British birds would have to beextended or modified. (5 minutes)
7 The last section could be set as homework. It isto make the point that classifying is animportant part of everyday life (bridging).
THINKING SCIENCE Teacher’s Guide
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ClassificationTemplate 7
THINKING SCIENCE
More classifyingBirds
Great tit
Size: 12 cm
Lives in: woodland, parks, hedges, gardens
Eats: insects, spiders, nuts, berries,worms, buds
Swift
Size: 15 cm
Lives in: open air near houses, lakes,marshes
Eats: insects in the air
Song thrush
Size: 23 cm
Lives in: woods, hedges, parks, suburbangardens
Eats: worms, insects, snails
black head
green back
obvious white edges todark tertiary feathers
yellow underparts
sooty brown plumageoften looks black
forked tail is oftenclosed to form apoint – no streamers(see swallows)wings are long and
slender, usuallylooking scimitar-likeand swept back
upper parts are warmolive brown
belly can looksilky white
underparts are brightbuff with dark brownspots in streaks
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Magpie
Size: 45 cm
Lives in: woodland, farmland, roadsides
Eats: insects, mice, eggs, scraps offood, seeds
Missel thrush
Size: 25 cm
Lives in: woods, moors, parks, farmland
Eats: worms, insects, snails, berries
Swallow
Size: 18 cm
Lives in: open areas near lakes, reservoirs
Eats: insects in the air
Black-headed gull
Size: 38 cm
Lives in: wet fields, sea shore
Eats: fish, mussels and other shellfish, insects, worms, berries,bread
iridescent colours oftail are visible atclose range
white belly and wing patchcontrast with black elsewhere
white wing patch
small head inrelation to body
underparts are palebuff with round,blackish spots
upper parts aregreyish brown
pale edges towing feathers
glossy blue plumagemay look black
red patchover bill andon throat
wings are broaderand more supplethan swift’s
no whiteon rump
forked tail has longstreamers (shorterones on juvenile)
closed wing tips areblack with white streaks
pale grey wings
dark brown ‘hood’ dark red bill
dark red legs(scarlet in winter)
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Curlew
Size: 56 cm
Lives in: moorland, wet fields, rocky seashores
Eats: worms, crabs, small insects
Canada goose
Size: 100 cm
Lives in: lakes, reservoirs, canals
Eats: small fish, grazes meadows
Osprey
Size: 60 cm
Lives in: large lakes, reservoirs, rivers,sheltered coasts
Eats: fish
Red grouse
Size: 38 cm
Lives in: open moorland
Eats: young heather shoots, buds,berries
rich brown upper parts
head is whitish with broadblack band
brownish bandacross whiteunderparts
crested head
the female’s plumageis browner and morespeckled than themale’s
red wattle over eye
darkish reddish-brown
obvious blackish-brown tail
very little patternon head
very longcurved bill
streaked brown; lookspale close to butdarker at a distance
stout, greyish legs
black billblack neck
white chin andface patch
pale breast
black legs
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Cormorant
Size: 92 cm
Lives in: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, seashores
Eats: fish
Buzzard
Size: 56 cm
Lives in: woods, hedges
Eats: rabbits, mice, small birds,beetles, worms
Pheasant
Size: 76 cm
Lives in: woods
Eats: insects, worms, seeds, berries
Coot
Size: 38 cm
Lives in: all freshwater
Eats: water weed and small plants
often perches with open wings
white chin patch
brownish-black back
white thigh patchin spring
brown, cream and black plumageis very variable – may be pale withlarge areas of cream
perched bird looksupright and solid
rounded head
stout, hooked bill
colourful, glossy plumage
red wattle on dark head
crescent markings onbreast and flanks
long, pointed tail
dull, mottledbrown plumage
white frontal shieldand white bill
body is greyer thanhead: plumage looksblack at a distance,with no whitemarkings
large lobed feet
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Mute swan
Size: 150 cm
Lives in: all freshwater and sheltered seashores
Eats: small fish, grazes on grass
Oyster catcher
Size: 43 cm
Lives in: sandy, muddy and rocky shores
Eats: cockles, mussels and other shellfish
Kestrel
Size: 36 cm
Lives in: hollow trees, cliffs, old nests,buildings
Eats: beetles, mice, worms, smallbirds
Golden eagle
Size: 90 cm
Lives in: mountain ledges, forests, seacliffs
Eats: dead animals, rabbits, hares,small and medium-sized birds
thick, rather shortpink legs
brilliant orangebill
black head, breast and upperparts contrast with gleamingwhite underside
red-brown back withlarge black spots
long grey tailwith black band
grey head
large head and tail
massive ‘shoulders’
large, feathered legs,and powerful feet
black knob
orange bill;no yellow
wings sometimes archedotherwise flat against back
pointed tail isoften angled up
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Moorhen
Size: 33 cm
Lives in: ponds, lakes, marshes
Eats: seeds, fruits, insects, waterweed, tadpoles
Humming bird
Size: 5 cm
Lives in: tropical rainforests
Eats: nectar from flowers
white, under-tail coverts
line of white streaks onedge of flank
red shieldand bill
yellow tip
long toes
green legs withred ‘garter’
beats wings very fast
very long, thin bill
bright colouredplumage
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ClassificationWorkcard 7More classifyingAnimals
Please do not write on this sheet THINKING SCIENCE
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THINKING SCIENCE
Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Notesheet Lesson 7 Classification
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More classifying
Activity 1 Count the animals
Remember that the living world is divided into plants and animals.
There are several animals in the picture on the Workcard. Can you spot them all?
How many are there?
The animals can be divided into smaller and smaller groups.
One way could be like this diagram.
How many are in each group?
Write the number of animals in each group in the box.
Discuss these questions and jot down yourgroup’s answers.
1 How many birds are there?
2 Are there more birds or more animals?
3 How many animals are not birds?
4 How many animals are not ducks?
5 How many animals are not dark ducks?
6 Are there more animals that are not birds or more animals that arenot ducks?
(Hint: what would be left if all the ducks flew away?What would be left if all the birds flew away?)
Animals
Birds Other animals
Ducks Other birds
White ducks Dark ducks
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Activity 2 Characteristics of birds
Four hundred and fifty different types of birds have been officiallyrecorded in Britain. About 200 of these are quite common. To make iteasier to study so many types, they must be sorted into groups.
What do we call this sorting process?
What do we call someone who studies birds?
See if your group can help ornithologists by making a classificationsystem. Look at the 20 pictures of birds you have been given.
List four characteristics your group might use for sorting the birds.
Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Notesheet 2 • Lesson 7 THINKING SCIENCE
A: B:
C: D:
Now think about ‘size’ as a characteristic for classifying birds (yourgroup may have already chosen this).
Use the size of the birds to sort them into three groups.
How many birds has your group got in each pile? Is it the same as othergroups?
How did your group decide which were small birds and which were large?Was it an easy decision to make?
Designing a useful system
Is it useful to use ‘size’ as a way of classifying birds?
Look again at all the characteristics of the birds you have been given.
Which does your group think are the most useful for classifying? (You cangive more than one.)
Use these characteristics to regroup your birds into a more usefulclassification. Produce a list of the birds in each group, and thecharacteristics for each of those groups of birds.
Small birds Medium birds Large birds
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Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Notesheet 3 • Lesson 7 THINKING SCIENCE
An odd bird
When your group has finished designing your classification system, askyour teacher for a picture of a humming bird.
Discuss these questions:
Does this fit into any of the groups you have made?
If it does, which group and why? If it does not, why doesn’t it?
Would you make a new bird classification system now you have been given thehumming bird to add? If you did make a new system, how would you do this?
Classifying at home
In the last two lessons you have done lots of ‘sorting out’ of differentthings.
Write down two sorts of things that you or people you know find ituseful to classify at home or at work (not any of the things you classifyin science lessons).
Try to design a classification system for one of these things.
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