{REVIEW} The Good and the Beautiful Science: Birds

A new science unit for us was BIRDS from The Good and the Beautiful. I am not a bird person. I’ve never really be interested in birds or wanted to learn more about them. This unit made me a bird LOVER! They are fascinating. My kids have also become passionate bird lovers and want to do everything to protect them. These kids love their animals.

Topics

Introduction to Birds
Birdwatching
Parts of a Bird
Flight
Bird Life Cycles
Poultry
Birds Big and Small
Birds of Prey
Marine Birds
Bird Migration
Penguins
Parrots
Unique Beaks
Birds in History

Vocabulary & Science Wall

Vocabulary for this unit included:

Plumage
Aves
Syrinx
Crop
Proventriculus
Gizzard
Airfoil
Remiges
Rectrices
Lift
Incubation
Raptor
Talon
Stoop
Pelagic
Migration
Flyway
Zygodactyl
Lamellae
Casque
Falconry

Supplies

I did not feel like the supplies needed for this unit was overwhelming. There is a decent amount of things, but many of them were supplies we had around the house. One thing that was optional, but really impactful for our kiddos, was we ordered an owl pellet dissection kit. I let Mark take the lead on that one, but the kids loved it!

Science Journal

All science units for The Good and the Beautiful require a science journal. This is a place to keep some of your loose worksheets, journaling throughout the unit, etc. This can be as simple as a binder or notebook. I make my kids a science journal at the beginning of the year for the units that we will be completing. We love them and they have worked wonderfully for our family. My kiddos keep them and love looking through them. They are definitely worth the effort beforehand and make my life SUPER SIMPLE.

Birdwatching Notebook

This is a great notebook, but I do have to admit, we did not utilize it as much as I would have liked. We did not have as much luck finding birds around our home and so had a hard time using it. However, it is very well done and I hope we can use it more when we do this unit in the future.

Snatch! A Birds of Prey Game

There is a card game that can also be played along with this unit. It, obviously, focuses on birds of prey but is a fun way to get to know these birds better. We had a lot of fun with it!

Read Alouds

We used these books to accompany this unit. We loved:

The Good and the Beautiful Songbirds Study Book by Molly Sanchez
Mission Migration by Ileana Board

Jacob and Sarah also read some book on their own as well. Jacob really enjoyed Baldy: An American Eagle by Mary Adrian and I would recommend it for ages 9-11 or Grades 3-5. Sarah read Josh Gets a Bird by Joseph Wiseman & Heather Wiseman. I would recommend it for ages 6-8 or Grades K-2.

Length of Unit

This unit is a good size and I would plan on it taking 7-8 weeks to complete. I would recommend doing this unit in a warmer season where birds are a little easier to find. We did this the end of summer and beginning of autumn. Have fun!

Our Favorite Activities

Final Thoughts

This unit is fabulous! I can guarantee you and your family will walk away with a greater appreciation for the bird family and you will realize how truly amazing they are.

Science Units

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