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Glencoe Biology: The Dynamics of Life
Unit 9, Chapter 31, Section 31.2
Context of Lesson
Students will encounter this lesson during Unit 9, Vertebrates. Specifically, they should be close to completing Chapter 31, section 31.2 Birds. In this lesson students are asked to analyze a pair of research studies, conducted by other students, about bird behavior. Both studies include a guiding question, a hypothesis, a research design, data displayed as a graph, and some sort of conclusions or discussion.
Students will work with a partner to compare the two studies, looking for differences in the question asked, the procedures, and the data displayed. The teacher’s role is to probe students’ ideas about how the two studies compare.
Main goals/ Objectives
As a result of performing this investigation, students will be able to:
 Explain that scientists’ background knowledge and creativity influence their doing inquiry so they may have different observations and interpretations of the same phenomena
 Explain that scientific knowledge should be based on empirical data
 Explain that scientific investigations all begin with a question, but do not necessarily test a hypothesis
 Explain that inquiry procedures are guided by the question asked
 Explain that research conclusions must be consistent with the data collected
 Read data points from a graph
 Defend their interpretations
Materials
Copies of the research articles (included)
Copies of the student worksheets (included)
Facilitation (30 minutes)
The teacher should be familiar with all three sets of research studies before distributing them to the students. It is important that the teacher NOT direct the students too much. The students can be supported by the teacher asking questions, but should not be told the answers to the worksheet questions. The research studies were conducted by 6-8 th graders and are written at an equivalent reading level.
Homework
Students should have completed Chapter 31, section 31.2 in their textbooks before beginning this lesson.
Bell Ringer (3 minutes)
Instruct students to get out their notebooks and answer the following question on the board or overhead: Where are some places birds might get or find food? Either draw the places or list them.
Lesson (27 minutes)
Gather student responses to the bell ringer. You will get a sense of how many students are familiar with bird feeders. You may choose to bring one in or to draw one on the board.
Instruct students to form pairs with their neighbor (or pair them up as you desire).

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Explain that each pair of students will receive two research studies. The research was conducted by students in 6-8 th grade from across the country.
Tell the students that their job is to compare and contrast the research studies.
Distribute the studies to each pair of students. Research studies 1a and 1b go together. Research studies
2a and 2b go together, and research studies 3a and 3b go together. Instruct students to read their articles and complete the questions on the accompanying worksheet.
Walk around from pair to pair monitoring progress and supporting students by asking questions about their answers, i.e.
 What did you read that makes you say that?
 Can you show me on the graph where you got that information?
For some students, it might be helpful to draw a picture of the experimental set-up.
Discuss with the class, after students finish their worksheets, some of the answers to the questions.
Ideally, all the questions should be discussed as a class after students have had time to process. But, if time is a strong factor (as it usually is) consider discussing those that address notions of scientific inquiry and the nature of science specifically, such as:
3. Are the two hypotheses the same? If not, describe how they are different.
Though the title of each study might suggest the same hypothesis and same procedures will be used, looking closely at the hypotheses we can see that sometimes scientists (even student scientists) have different interpretations of the same phenomenon. Also, the procedures should follow from the question being asked.
7. What conclusions did each of the student-researchers reach? Did the student-researchers reach the same conclusions? Why do you think they did reach the same conclusions OR why do you think they did not reach the same conclusions?
All scientific inquiries are guided by a question, but the procedures of the inquiry can influence the outcome and different conclusions may be reached because different data was collected.
10. How are the two studies different?
They might have had different hypotheses or different procedures for collecting data, leading to differences in the studies.
11. Why do you think there are these differences?
Hopefully, students can be guided to realize that scientists (even student scientists) have different backgrounds and interests (creativity as well) leading to differences in the study.
12. Imagine you have just been told you will conduct a study similar to the ones you’ve read about.
What would you do differently?
It is important to elicit student suggestions so they can share their ideas about changes they would make. It may even be possible to set up some of these experiments. Refer to the Project Feederwatch website in the resource section for more information.
Extensions
1.
After reviewing the studies with their partner, students who have studies 1a and 1b could meet in a larger group to discuss their answers. The same could occur for all the students reviewing studies 2a and 2b, and 3a and 3b. The teacher would then lead a class discussion based on what the groups discussed.
2.
The class can choose to participate in Classroom Feederwatch, by either contributing data about bird feeder activity (at school or at home) during winter to the project or by conducting their own independent inquiries. More information can be found at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

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3.
Hyde Park has been the home to Monk Parakeets since the early 1970’s. Visit the following website for beautiful pictures on these birds who live far from their native environment: http://theory.uchicago.edu/~ejm/pix/fz20/bird_galleries_2005/Monks/slides/P1050052ppcopy.html
4.
Classes interested in contributing data on Monk Parakeet sightings can contact the University of
Chicago professor conducting research on their behavior. Here is a description of Dr. Stephen
Pruett-Jones’ research, including how students can contribute and his contact info: http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/070315/parakeets.shtml
Modifications/Adaptations
Since students ideally would be discussing their ideas in pairs of two the verbal and visual nature of this lesson is well suited for students with special needs. Pairing challenged students with regular education students is also an appropriate accommodation. Challenged students should be allowed to answer orally or to make drawings of their ideas. Since the bulk of this lesson involves reading, students with special needs can have the research studies read to them or the teacher can select two studies to discuss as a class.
Evaluation
Student responses on the worksheet will be a strong indication of student comprehension. Also, students responses to teacher questions, both while working in pairs and during class discussions are indications of student comprehension.
Teacher Learning Platform
During professional development, teachers will experience and practice debriefing the nature of science component of this activity as well as other similar discussions about scientific inquiry.
Resources
Scientific Inquiry and the Study of Birds http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/birdscope/Winter2003/Science_as_Inquiry.html
Student Research Projects http://www.birds.cornell.edu/classroombs/

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
When Do Birds Visit Feeders?
by Sara and Sylvia, 8th Grade, McGuffey Foundation School, Ohio
As a part of our CFW assignment our whole class could go outside to watch the feeders one morning once every two weeks. We went out from
9:15 am to 9:30 am. To our dismay we hardly ever saw birds at our feeders. We continued this schedule for a couple of months hoping to see more birds as it got colder. We were not having any luck and wanted to know what the problem was. Was it the time of day? Was it that the whole class was going out? Was it the warmer weather we were having? We wanted to find out.
The two of us (Sara and Sylvia) conducted a study to see what time of day the bird count was the highest. We went out every other day. We went out a total of five days. Each bird-counting day we went out four times that day for ten minutes each time. Sylvia’s prediction was 8:00 am would have the most birds at the feeders. Sara’s educated guess was that at 11:00 am the most birds would be at the feeders. So we watched at 8:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:45 pm and 3:00 pm. We concluded that the highest number of birds visited between 11:00 am and 12:45 pm. On select days we saw a cardinal and a Blue Jay which we had never seen before. As a result of our research, two kids from our class go out every day at lunch time for ten minutes. Now we are having better results, seeing a lot more birds. So keep on bird watching and don’t get discouraged.

Number of birds seen by the 8th grade students at McGuffey Foundation
School, Ohio

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
Do Birds Prefer to Come to Feeders at a Certain Time of Day?
by Scott, 5th Grade
Nassau-Spackenkill School, New York
Introduction
My hypothesis was that more birds would come to feeders in the morning rather than in the afternoon. The controlled variables were seed, and bird counts two times a day. The independent variable was the time of day and the dependent variable was the number of birds.
Materials
I used feeders (tube, house, peanut and ground) and bird food
(peanuts, black oil sunflower, safflower, and corn).
Procedure
First I put up the feeders and filled them with bird food. Then I counted the birds at my feeders in the morning and in the afternoon for 15 days. Last, I collected the data and made graphs.
Conclusion
The bar graph shows a comparison of bird counts in the morning and afternoon during 14 days in January. On 11 of those days, more birds came to the feeders in the morning. On only three days were there more birds visiting in the afternoon. This data supports my hypothesis. To find out more, I could compare bird counts from early morning, noon, and late afternoon.

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
Does Habitat Protection Affect Bird Numbers at Feeders? by Andrew, 7th Grade, Bloomsburg Middle School, Pennsylvania
Introduction
My hypothesis is that the amount of habitat protection affects the number of birds at feeders because most animals will not go in the open without having some protection from predators. I gathered data on the total number of birds at a feeder with protection and a feeder in the open. The study area was on a hill outside town. This habitat was very quiet with little distractions to birds. The front feeder area was in a field in front of a house with one small tree.
The back feeder area was in a small section of a field by a deck in a wooded area of bushes and different-sized trees.
Materials and Method
I used two silo feeders, both two and one-half feet high. The protected feeder was near a bush and tree, about ten feet from the house where observations were made. The feeder without protection was on a small tree in the middle of a field, also about 10 feet from the house. The feeders contained a mixture of various seeds, such as sunflower and small bird seed. My observations were made from inside the house located between the feeders. I used The
National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Birds and binoculars to count and identify birds. I did 9 counts for a total of 10 hours of observation. The observations started at 4:00 p.m. and lasted 20 minutes to 2 hours. I used the highest number of birds seen in a count period for each feeder. The graph shows the numbers for each species and the total for all species.
Results
At first, few birds came since the feeders were not up long enough.
Then, there were over 100 bird visits to the protected feeder compared with only 10 visits to the open feeder. In the final counts of my study, the numbers doubled, then almost tripled, possibly due to bird migration from the south. All species of birds seemed to prefer the protected feeder. The highest number of birds at the open feeder was 5 while it was 45 at the protected feeder. These data show that birds may prefer to feed in places where they are safe and

protected.
Conclusions
Many factors may have influenced the results, for instance, the weather, since it snowed during about one hour of the counts. Time of day may also have been a factor. Our observations occurred in the afternoon, and never in the morning when birds often come. Also, the feeders were silo feeders and therefore only small birds could eat at the feeders. If this experiment were repeated, I would change how counts were conducted. Instead of only counting at both feeders at the same time for 10 hours, I would have counted at one feeder for 5 hours and at the other feeder for 5 hours, possibly giving entirely different results. Also, observations could have occurred at an earlier time of day when more birds usually visit feeders.

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
Do Birds Prefer to Feed at a Bird Feeder Located
in a Protected or Unprotected Area? by Allison, 7th Grade, Bloomsburg Middle School, Pennsylvania
Introduction
I wondered whether birds preferred to feed at a bird feeder in an environmentally protected area or an unprotected area. I visited several web sites which suggested placing feeders near shrubbery or trees. My hypothesis was that more birds would come to a feeder protected by vegetation rather than one that is not.
Materials and Methods
I selected my backyard for my count site. The count site had a forsythia bush and six trees surrounding it. It was also two yards away from a neighbor’s fence and far away from the road. The count site measured two by four yards and was six yards away from the observation area.
Two hanging, weight-sensitive squirrel-proof feeders were used in the experiment. One was set up in an environmentally protected location (by shrubbery and trees) whereas the other was not. Both measured almost three feet tall. The feeders were filled with a mix of millet, grain products, and sunflower seeds. Materials used also included a count sheet, a bird identification guide, binoculars, pencil, and calculator. All observations were made through the back door of the house. Observations were done over a 5-day period in 10
2-hour blocks for a total of 20 hours. Observations took place in the morning and afternoon. Data were collected on the total number of birds visiting each feeder and the number and kind of species.
Results and Analyses
At the protected feeder, the high and low counts were 6 and 0, with a total of 18 birds. On average, about three birds were seen every day at that feeder. At the unprotected feeder, the high and low counts were two and zero, with a total of four birds and an average of less than one bird per day. See Table 1 and Figure 1 for details.
Table 1. Number of Birds Seen at the Protected and Unprotected
Feeders

Site
Protected
Day 1
0
Unprotected 0
Day 2
5
0
Day 3
6
1
Day 4
3
2
Day 5
4
1
Total
18
4
Avg.
3.3
0.8
Figure 1. Species Seen at the Protected and Unprotected Feeder Over the Course of 5 Days.
Conclusion/ Discussion
More birds and more species of birds were observed at the environmentally protected feeder. At least one bird came to that feeder almost every day. The count for the protected feeder was higher on all days birds were seen at feeders. Often I observed them quickly snatching up seeds and flying back into the forsythia bush to eat them. Having a feeder next to some trees or shrubs probably allowed the birds to feel a sense of protection while eating at the bird feeder.

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
Which Species of Birds Like Which Kind of Food? by Kelli, 7th Grade, F.D.R. Middle School, Pennsylvania
To research which bird species like which kind of food, I bought three types of birdseed: a fruit and berry bell, wild birdseed mix, and sunflower seeds. I placed each food type in a different location in our backyard. I also used a bird book for our area to help me identify the birds.
After watching the birdseed for five days, I found the most popular type to be the wild birdseed mix. The larger birds such as the Blue
Jay and cardinal seemed to like sunflower seeds, but the Blue Jays still ate more of the wild birdseed. The graph shows results for all five days.

Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards
Do Certain Kinds of Birdseed Attract a Larger Variety of Bird
Species?
by Janelle, 7th Grade, Bloomsburg Middle School, Pennsylvania
Introduction
Do certain kinds of birdseed attract a larger variety of bird species? Black-oil sunflower seeds generally attract more of a variety of birds than other seeds do. Based on the information found on the back of Feathered Friend™ birdseed bags, seven species of birds prefer sunflower seeds, while mixed birdseed attracts only five species of birds, and cracked corn attracts four. Suet attracts five species of birds.
The hypothesis is that certain kinds of birdseed attract a larger variety of bird species.
Materials and Methods
The count site containing the feeders is a yard with shrubbery and trees in a suburban area. It is approximately three feet by five feet in area.
Three feeders made of plastic and wood were used in the experiment.
For the suet, a grid-like feeder from which the birds perch onto and eat was used. The feeders were located in a yard approximately three feet from the ground, in a tree. The feeders contained different kinds of seeds (black-oil sunflower, mixed, cracked corn) and suet.
The recording tools were identification guides, binoculars and count sheets. Observations were made from the house, six feet from the counting site. The length of the experiment was ten hours. The span of ten hours was divided into blocks of an hour a day, for a total of ten days. The observations and counts were from 3:00p.m. to
4:00p.m. each day. Birds on or below the feeder were counted. The highest number of birds as well as species type were recorded.
Results/Analysis
The data were collected from February 3–11, 2002. In that time there was a total of 110 bird sightings. Eleven different bird species were observed and counted. There were 29 birds counted at the

cracked corn feeder, 26 at the mixed seed feeder, 42 at the sunflower seed feeder, and 13 at the suet feeder Refer to Figures 1 and 2 to see the numbers and types of birds seen feeding at each food type.
Figure 1. Number of Bird Species Feeding on Different Kinds of
Feed
Figure 2. Types of Feed Preferred by Bird Species at Feeders
Conclusion/Discussion
Certain kinds of birdseed do attract a larger variety of bird species. Sunflower seed attracted the greatest number of bird species, while cracked corn attracted the least. Dark-eyed Juncos fed on all four food types while Mourning Doves, European Starlings,
Tufted Titmice, and White-breasted Nuthatches only fed on one food type.
The quality of seed and weather were factors that may have affected my study. The forest, other neighborhood feeders, outside activity, or animals may have had an impact on my results as well. If this

experiment was repeated, spending more time with setting up other features (e.g. birdbaths, birdhouses) to attract more birds would be necessary. Such improvements would result in more accurate data.

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Name _________________________
_________________________
Partner
Date ____________________
With your partner, take turns reading both studies. You’ll be working together to compare and contrast the studies. Answer the following questions. It’s ok if you disagree about the answers, each of you will turn in your own work.
1.
Read the title of each study. What would you say each study is about?
2.
Does each study have a hypothesis? If so write each one below:
3.
Are the two hypotheses the same? If not, describe how they are different.
4.
Did both groups of student-researchers have the same method for collecting data? Explain why or why not?

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5.
What kind of graph did the student-researchers use to display their data? A bar graph, a pie chart, a line graph?
6.
Give an example of the data collected using the graph.
7.
What conclusions did each of the student-researchers reach?
Did the student-researchers reach the same conclusions? Why do you think they did reach the same conclusions OR why do you think they did not reach the same conclusions?
8.
Do the conclusions match the data collected? Why or why not?
9.
The studies you read have some things in common. Besides being about birds, what else would you say they have in common?

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10.
How are the two studies different?
11.
Why do you think there are these differences?
12.
You recently found out you will conduct a study similar to the ones you’ve read about. What would you do differently?