The following activity was submitted by Margaret Manning of Missoula, Montana. Margaret teaches 1st grade at Lewis and Clark Elementary and has been sharing birds with her students for over 10 years.

Activity Title: Songbird Symphony

Objectives: Students will:
visualize and draw a natural scene with birds;
identify their responses to the sounds of nature;
predict what life would be like without birds;
identify ways birds are important to people and the ecosystem they inhabit.

Subjects: Music, Art, Language Arts

Suggested Time: 45 minutes

Materials:
Cassette tape or CD of nature sounds and music that includes singing birds
Tape or CD player
Drawing paper
Drawing materials (crayons, watercolors, pastels, etc.)

Procedure:
Tell students you are going to play a recording that take them to a special place. Ask them to listen carefully to the recording in order to get clues about the place they are visiting in their imagination. Encourage them to think about the time of day, the season, the weather, all the things they would see, smell, and hear.

Dim the lights and ask students to close their eyes and imagine as they listen to the recording.

After about three minutes of listening, pause the recording. Ask the students to remember the picture they created in their minds and open their eyes. Pass out the drawing materials and allow students to illustrate their image. Continue playing the recording while students create their scenes. Encourage them to work without talking.

When the drawings are complete, have students write titles on their work. Have them assemble in small groups to share with each other what they drew and discuss what they envisioned.

Discussion Questions:
What did you see and hear?
What was the time of day? the season? the weather?
How were your drawings like your classmates? How were they different?
How did you feel while listening to this recording?
Have you ever heard sounds like this before? Where?
Would you want to visit a place like this? Why?
Does your neighborhood sound like this?
Did you recognize any of the bird songs?
Why were the birds singing?
How would your scen have been different if you did not hear any birds?
What would the world be like with no birds?

Move quickly around the room with your questions, giving each student an opportunity to brainstorm one new idea until all students have shared their responses.

Review the ideas and summarize how birds are important (for example, they keep insect popuolations in check, disperse seeds, provide food for other animals, provide enjoyment to people, provide an indicator of the health of the ecosystem they inhabit, etc.)

Student Reflections:
Have students record their thoughts about birds in their journals. Suggested writing prompts include:
-Birds are iportant to me because...
-Listening to birds makes me feel...
-What I want to learn most about birds is...

Teacher Reflections:
Did students create drawings that captured the sense of place conveyed by the music?

How much prior knowledge do students have about birds?

Did students have an understanding of the connections between birds and their ecosystems, e.g. food webs?

Did students have an understanding of the connections between birds and people, e.g. birdwatching?

Did students demonstrate an understanding of cause and effect?