Yesterday my Rainbow group (kindergarten) finished work with gluing blocks. They loved it and were proud of the various things they made. Later we installed bluebird houses on campus where they can be monitored and maintained.
Of greatest excitement for the students was finding an old wheel barrow tire and rim buried in the muck in the ditch that separates our hands-on learning center from the field where the birdhouses have gone up.
The students dug the wheel and tire out of the dirt (a thing that took some effort and strategy), and decided it should also become an instrument for their study of birds. It is now being converted to a bird feeder. This tells the story of how a bit of youthful imagination (and allowance for it) can facilitate learning.
Make, fix and create... assist others in learning likewise.
So what is your philosophy for painting nesting boxes? I contend that it doesn't nothing to help the birds with potential downsides. Do you simply have the students paint them to extend the lesson? How many boxes in total have you erected on the trail?
ReplyDeleteMy personal plan was to avoid paint, but the core teacher wanted the students to personalize the boxes, and integrate with art class. Her research told her that they could be painted on the outside only. Blue bird houses have to be properly spaced about a foot ball field apart, so we had only room for two in the field and one in a clearing in the woods above the campus. My personal preference had been to leave them unpainted, but I'm part of a team, and the kids really enjoyed painting them.
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