The elementary/middle-school classroom activity package ‘Seabirds’ was developed by Thalassa Education, the Seabird Youth Network, Oregon State University, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oikonos, and NORTAC. Artwork was created by Ram Papish. Funding for the curriculum was provided by the National Park Services Shared Beringian Heritage Program.
SEABIRDS
A seabird is a bird that spends most of its life at sea. Despite a diversity of species, seabirds share similar characteristics. They are all adapted for a life at sea and they all must come to land to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. Most seabirds gather in large colonies along marine shorelines to breed and raise their young.
TARGET GRADE LEVELS
Lessons were created for grades 4-8 with activities that can be modified for lower or higher grades.
CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK
The curriculum consists of seven lessons. The lessons are designed to reinforce and expand the lesson themes, and provide hands-on opportunities for students to investigate and integrate the information they have learned.
THIS CURRICULUM ACCOMPLISHES THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:
• Identify and summarize characteristics of seabirds
• Develop an understanding of the breeding and feeding ecology of seabirds
• Increase the awareness of environmental and human threats to seabirds
• Explore the human use of seabirds
• Introduce students to how and why researchers study seabirds
Ram Papish
The curriculum is available for free down-load, below.
The curriculum was designed with rural schools in mind, where teachers may come from outside the community and have little or no understanding of the local ecosystem. Curriculum summary information is also provided in a few Power Points (lessons 1, 2, and 6). These Power Points can be used as teaching aids or substituted for a textbook.
All seven lessons in this curriculum are designed to provide a base level of understanding of seabirds, and a solid introduction to the Seabird Youth Network’s ‘Seabirds and Invasive Species’ curriculum. Lessons are targeted for 4th to 8th grade, but can be tailored for younger or older students. The curriculum aligns to the Next Generation Science Standards and Alaska State Science Standards.
DOWNLOAD CURRICULUM OVERVIEW (p3-5)
DOWNLOAD WHOLE CURRICULUM
Full curriculum pdf
Powerpoint Lesson 1: Seabird Basics
Powerpoint Lesson 1a: Seabirds and the Pribilof Islands
Powerpoint Lesson 2: Seabird Feeding and Diet
Powerpoint Lesson 6: Seabird Capture
Powerpoint Lesson 6: Activity 6.2 Scientist Monitor Seabirds
The Seabird Curriculum is also available in Russian:
Пособие по морским птицам переведено на русский язык. Сборник заданий “Морские птицы” был разработан образовательной компанией Таласса, группой молодежного обмена по морским птицам, государственным университетом Орегона, Службой Охраны Рыбы и Дикой природы США, компаниями Ойконос и NORTAC. Иллюстрации Рэма Папиша. Финансирование предоставлено программой Общее Наследие Берингии Службы Национальных Парков.
Перевод пособия можно скачать бесплатно ниже.
DOWNLOAD RUSSIAN TRANSLATION HERE
‘Northern Fulmars: Bycatch and genetics’ is an additional lesson designed to be used as a stand-alone activity, or used in conjunction with the the commercial fishery bycatch lesson (Chapter 4) in the Seabird Curriculum. The lesson is created for grades 4-8 (ages 9-14), with activities that can be modified for lower or higher grades. This lesson was designed by the Seabird Youth Network, Thalassa and Oikonos, and funded by the North Pacific Research Board. The lesson is available in both English and Russian translations.
“Северный глупыш: прилов и генетика” является дополнительным методическим пособием, которое может быть использовано и как отдельный урок, и как часть урока о коммерческом прилове из методического пособия “Морские птицы” (глава 4). Пособие рассчитано на уровень 4-8 классов (9-14 лет), задания могут быть адаптированы для младших и старших классов. Урок был разработан Молодежной Сетью “Морские птицы,” а также организациями Thalassa и Oikonos при финансовой поддержке Совета по тихоокеанским исследованиям. Урок предоставлен в двух версиях: по-английски и по-русски.