MC	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

How do most birds survive the Utah winter? They

a. build warm nests and save food

b. hibernate until winter is over

c. fly to a warmer location

d. grow extra feathers to stay warm

Correct Answer: c

MC	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

How does a bear survive cold, mountain winters in Utah?

a. It grows an extra heavy fur coat.

b. It migrates to warmer climates.

c. It hibernates in a den.

d. It waits to have cubs in the spring.

Correct Answer: c

MC	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

A beaver family eats the bark off of aspen trees. What else do they use the aspen trees for?

a. they trap fish underwater with them

b. to build their dams with

c. to stop snow from entering the stream

d. to build bridges across the stream

Correct Answer: b

MC	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

What is an important difference between a reptile and an amphibian?

a. a reptile walks on two legs, amphibians walk on four

b. a reptile is smaller than an amphibian

c. a reptile is warm-blooded, amphibians are cold-blooded

d. a reptile lays eggs on land, amphibians in water

Correct Answer: d

MC	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

How does reptile skin help them live in dry environments? They have

a. scaly, tough skin

b. colorful patterns on the skin

c. soft, thin skin

d. short, thick hair on the skin

Correct Answer: a

E	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

Describe two ways animals have adapted to surviving winter in Utah.

Correct Answer:

They can grow extra hair, store fat in their bodies, hibernate, go to lower elevations or warmer climates, store food.

E	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

What are two ways amphibians are similar to reptiles and two ways they are different?

Correct Answer:

Similarities:

They walk on four legs (if they walk, snakes are legless), they are small animals (in Utah), they are cold-blooded, they are egg laying.

Differences:

Amphibians lay their eggs in water, reptiles on land. Reptiles have thick scaly skin, amphibians have thin, moist skin. Amphibians often spend part of their lives in water, most reptiles do not. Some reptiles in Utah have poisonous bites, not Utah amphibians do.

P	4^th Grade	Standard: 05
Objective: 04. Observe and record the behavior of Utah animals.
ILO:

Bird Watching

Activity Description:

In this activity students will observe birds at a bird feeder.  They can build the feeder themselves or it can be purchased or built by the teacher.

Materials Needed:

Materials will vary depending on the type of feeder that is built.  Several suggestions are listed below for feeder construction.  All feeders will need birdseed.  It can be purchased in the pet section of most grocery stores.  It is assumed that the classroom has a window and an eave that the feeder can be hung from.  Bird identification books may be purchased but are not essential.  Students should have a small notebook or log to write observations in.

Prior to Assessment:

Students should understand that birds are the easiest and most available of the wild animals in Utah to be studied.  Birds at a feeder will display many behaviors that students can observe. 

Time Needed:

Will vary greatly depending on activities chosen by teachers.

Procedure:

1.  This activity is centered on student observations of birds.  They will record their observations in a log or small notebook.  Encourage them to record what type of bird(scientific names can be used but do not have to be), how many of them and what activities they did. 

2.  The following activities may be chosen from to support this performance test.

A.  Build bird feeders-see these links

B.  Identify birds using simple bird books

C.  Draw birds.

D.  Get a tape of bird songs and learn some.

3.  Once a bird feeder is up, you will have to be flexible.  Birds will come and go and you may have to stop what you are doing to make observations.  StudentÕs bird logs should be available so that they could make a quick observation and then go back to what they were doing.

4.  Observations of birds may be slow at first, birds need to find the feeder and then will become more numerous. 

5.  At the end of the activity (this could take months if you wish) have students write summary paper that includes what activities they have seen birds engage in. 

Scoring Guide:

Students make observations in log as directed...................30 pts

Students summarize their findings in a written paper...........15 pts

BUILD A BIRD FEEDER

Bird feeders can be used all year. Make a simple bird feeder with the directions below.

What You Need:

Empty plastic jug (such as a one gallon milk jug)

Scissors

Marking pen or pencil

Strong string or thin wire

Glue

Rock or stone

Nail

Birdseed

What To Do:

1) Rinse the jug.

2) Draw a 3-inch by 3-inch square on a separate sheet of paper. Round off the two top corners of the square. This is the door pattern - cut it out.

3) Place the pattern two inches up from the bottom of one side of the jug. Trace the pattern.

4) Carefully cut out the door. Ask an adult for help, if you need it.

5) Make two small holes at the top of the jug just below the cap by pushing the nail through. Place the string or wire through the holes in the jug. Glue the cap in place.

6) Find a large, heavy flat rock to add weight to your feeder. Clean the bottom of the rock. Glue the rock to the inside of your feeder.

7) Put some bird seed in the bottom of the feeder and enjoy watching the birds!

BUILD A BIRD FEEDER 2

You don't need to buy fancy bird

feeders to feed your backyard friends.

You Can:

v Set a pie tin on a stool or flat-topped tree trunk or hang it in a hanging plant hanger; dump it out after a rain, or punch drainage holes in it, and elevate it a little by placing small rocks or twigs beneath it. (All birds, specially Juncos, Cardinals, Jays, Sparrows)

v Punch holes on either side of a plastic pop bottle, stick a twig all the way through with its ends sticking out for perches and poking more holes nearby for the birds to pull the seeds out. Then hang the bottle by tying a string around its neck. (Finches really like these!)

v Coat a pine cone with peanut butter, roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a tree branch;

v Use a rectangle of old window = screening. Wear heavy cotton gloves and use needle-nosed pliers to crimp the loose wire edges back (so they won't poke the birds nor snag their feathers), fold it in half, run two string hangers through the corners on each side, and hanging it. Slide in a suet/birdseed cake from the grocery store, or make a "cake" of oatmeal, birdseed, and peanut butter. (Cardinals, Jays, Robins, = Sparrows)

v Stick a piece of bread, a doughnut, or half of an orange, on a twiggy branch of the tree (the Orioles will LOVE the orange!)

v Tie a string around the neck of a baby food jar and fill with orange juice. Hang it from a tree. (It will hang tilted, but Orioles will perch on the rim and take dainty sips).

v Scatter breadcrumbs on the ground.

So, Which Birds Eat Which Food?

Birds	Ground Feeders	Raised Feeders	Hanging (Suet)	Hanging (Seed)
Blue jay		X
Chickadee	X	X		X
Cardinal		X	X (if seed is in it)	X
Finches		X		X
Grackle	X	X
Junco	X	X
Dove	X
Mockingbird		X
Sparrow	X	X
Woodpecker	X	X	X
Wren		X
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker		X	X

This bird feeder won't last long, but it is so easy to make, you can always have another one made all ready to replace it when it wears out!

MILK CARTON BIRD = FEEDER

v Small milk carton (the kind at school)

v non-toxic poster paints

v stapler and staples

v hole punch=20

v yarn or string

1.Wash and thoroughly dry the milk carton.

2. Cut a small section from the carton and then staple the top opening closed.

3. Paint the container, if desired. Let it dry. (Note: I like to paint my feeders in streaks of tan, gray and brown to resemble tree bark. Then, on the bottom, I paint on dark and light green leaves. When you stand underneath the hanging bird feeder, it really blends in with the canopy of leaves above it!)

4. Poke a hole in the middle of the = top of the carton, and thread a piece of yarn or string through it to use as a hanger. (The string should be long enough for the feeder to hang where the branches don't rub against, but not so long that the feeder hangs too far away from the tree's leaf cover. Birds like to feel they have a hiding place to fly into quickly!)

5. Add birdseed and hang the feeder. (Since the small milk carton feeders are just the right size for the tiny birds such as finches, wrens, etc., you might want to use thistle seed. It is the finch's favorite food! Garden supply stores carry a sterile thistle seed just for bird feeding which is guaranteed not to sprout all over your yard).