Connecticut

Nature
Common Core Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.5,
CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.D.9; CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.D.10

BUDS ARE BURSTING

Written by Katie Blake and Francesca Williams
Are you also enjoying the early morning serenades by our beloved Northern
Cardinal these last few mornings? I know I have! Between early morning bird
song and the growing hours of daily sunlight, I am getting excited for Spring!
March is a great time of year to let our backyard birds sing us into spring
cleaning, readying our yards, schoolyards and other green spaces for the big
welcome back of our migratory birds. One of the best ways to welcome birds
back is creating habitat and a “year-round restaurant” for them. This means
choosing native plants that provide nectar, insects, seeds, nuts and berries for
all the seasons. See our Bring it Home section below to learn more about how
Vocabulary

you can ready your schoolyard for birds.

Bud – a small new growth at the tip or side of a plant stem or tree branch
that develops into a flower, a leaf, or a shoot.
Twig – a small very thin stem of wood that grows from a branch on a tree.

Student
Activities
• Adopt a branch! Take students out in the schoolyard to select and mark their very own
twig on a branch. A small group of stud e nts will select a branch to mark and study for a period
of about two weeks. Preferably, the teacher should encourage each student group to choose a
branch of a different type of tree or shrub and draw comparisons at the end. Each group will
use a twist tie, piece of string, or similar material to mark their branch. Students will draw
their twig and document their observation, including color, shape, and texture. Students should
also measure the length of the twig and tree bud. Repeat this activity regularly for two to three
weeks and witness buds bursting!
• Are you an artist? Create a flipbook of a bud bursting! Students should select one bud
from their favorite tree or shrub and draw a p icture of it every other day for at least two weeks.
Each drawing should be on a separate piece of paper. Once the bud has burst, bundle the draw- Bring it Home!-
ings into a flipbook with a binder clip.
Here are a few tips to help
• Become a twig detective! Use hand lenses to make close observations of twigs in the
schoolyard. Ask your students to find a variety of twigs – one that is scaly, one that is fuzzy, you prepare your backyard
another that might be colorful, and another that might be smooth. and schoolyard for the re-
• Map it! Have students draw a map from your classroom to their favorite tree or shrub in the turn of our migratory birds:
schoolyard. Include a key and special features along the way. Have students read each other’s
maps to find a classmate’s selected plant. • As you carry out your early spring cleanup chores, create a
brush pile with fallen branches as a shelter for wildlife.
• Story time! Give students time to observe their selected tree or shrub for signs of animal • Add compost to planting beds.
life. Have them record their findings in a nature journal and write a short story about a day in
• Sow seeds of summer plants indoors, remembering to pick
the life of their tree or shrub. Have students share their story with the class and put them all
species used by butterflies and hummingbirds.
together to make a “Trees and Shrubs of Our Schoolyard” class book.
• Plan your planting projects to ensure there is food for
• Meet a tree! Give students a chance to get to know the trees in your schoolyard by using birds all year long- from early spring to late fall. See Audu-
senses other than sight. Assign students a partner and give each pair a blindfold or bandana. bon’s website for help in choosing the right plants: http://
One student will start blindfolded and the other will be their guide. Starting in a central loca- ct.audubon.org/
tion, have students carefully and safely walk their blindfolded partner to a tree, giving them a
• Clean out and repair nest boxes.
chance to feel, smell, and listen to the tree. Encourage them to feel the bark to see if it is rough,
smooth, knobby, etc. After they get to know the tree, have each partner bring students back to
the central location, take the blindfold off, and see if they can find their trees based on sight.
After each partner has gone once or twice, bring students back together and ask them how they
were able to find their trees and if it was easier or harder to locate their trees with or without
sight.
• Need more ideas? Download the Audubon CT Schoolyard Habitat Curriculum Guide at
http://ct.audubon.org/school and check out the Adopt a Branch lesson!