Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
Feathers, beaks and wings
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/birds/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/birds/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Feathers are found only on birds.
- Feathers keep birds warm and dry and help them fly.
- Not all birds fly.
- Beak shapes fit different foods, and all birds lay eggs.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: show pictures of a bat, a butterfly and a penguin. Which is a bird? |
| 10 min | Read the text together. |
| 15 min | Feather detective. |
| 5 min | Bird or not a bird? game. |
| 5 min | Quiz. |
Materials for the experiment
- One clean craft feather per child (from a shop, not found outside)
- Hand lenses
- A sheet of dark paper
Safety: Use clean feathers from a craft shop, not feathers found outside. Keep feathers away from mouths and wash hands afterwards.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Everything that flies is a bird. | Bats and insects fly too; only birds have feathers. |
| All birds can fly. | Ostriches and penguins cannot fly. |
| Only birds lay eggs. | Reptiles, fish, amphibians and insects lay eggs too. |
Worksheet answers
- Drawing showing feathers, two wings, a beak and two feet.
- No.
- Any one: keep it warm; keep it dry; help it fly.
Quiz answers
- Which animals have feathers? Only birds. Feathers belong only to birds.[3]
- Can all birds fly? No, ostriches and penguins cannot. All birds have wings, but some cannot fly.[2]
- What does a bird have instead of teeth? A beak. Birds have beaks, not teeth.[2]
- What do feathers do for a bird? Keep it warm and dry and help it fly. Feathers are light but strong.[2]
- How does a chick get out of its egg? It pecks its way out. The chick pecks out when it is ready.[2]
Going further
Look at pictures of different bird beaks and feet. Match each bird to its food: seeds, fish, nectar or small animals.
Sources used in this lesson
- [2] What is a bird? (K–2 fact sheet) (Missouri Department of Conservation): reliability High
- [3] Introducing birds (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department): reliability High
- [4] Feathers and flight (Science Learning Hub, University of Waikato (New Zealand)): reliability High
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/birds/sources/
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