Saving the Birds

St. Paul fourth grade students identified the need for action after witnessing deceased birds lying on the ground under the windows of the school's glass enclosed ramps. The birds mistakenly flew into the windows because the glass reflects the sky. The students decided to make beaded strings to hang on the windows, creating shadows so the birds would not see reflected sky. The project became a family activity on Earth Night, when parents and students came to participate in environmental activities. To fulfill math requirements, the students designated a certain number and color of beads and shadow objects such as leaves, frogs and stars to each grade level. The following week students graphed the number of beads and shapes used to see which grade had the most participation at the Earth Night event.

Curriculum Connection: Math