Classifying Birds Work Pack - See Nature

OVERVIEWThis classification exercise is more complex andopen-ended than the last; it moves the level ofcognitive demand into early formal thinking. It isintroduced by an apparently simple activity oncounting animals, which consolidates concepts ofclass inclusion and exclusion, and the meaning of‘animal’. The second activity on trying to classifybirds by size provides some cognitive conflict andraises the need to be consistent in decidingcategories. This is one of the concepts underlyingthe differences between continuous anddiscontinuous variables. Having determined that‘size’ is only useful as a classifying characteristic ifit is quantified in some way, pupils are then asked tomake a classification system for a variety of birds.They have a set of cards that have information onthem about a bird’s appearance and habitat. Thereis far more information on each card than neededand it is not necessarily organised in the same way.Pupils have to become discerning selectors ofinformation if they are to make sense of the task.Finally, they are asked to use their classificationsystem to identify a non-British bird. They have torethink their system to fit it in.

New key words: system; reinforce classificationand characteristic. More able pupils could beintroduced to the terms include and exclude

EQUIPMENT REQUIREDPer group

• Workcard 7 – picture of animals.

• Template 7 made into cards to give each group a setof 20 bird pictures.

• Notesheet.

LESSON PLAN1 Activity 1. Start by recalling what they decided

was the purpose of classifying things from thelast lesson (Lesson 6). Give out Workcard 7 forActivity 1. Most pupils will find this exercise ingrouping and sub-grouping straightforward

since the groups are given. There are 29 animalsin the picture. Sometimes pupils do not countthe human, and if they tend to omit the insects,ask them ‘are they plants?’ If they are not plants, and they are living, then they must beanimals. The questions about ducks are a littletrickier in that they require logical thinkingabout class inclusion and the ability to ‘think in the negative’ to realise that one can exist intwo groups at the same time when one of thegroups is a subset of the other. For example ananimal can be a bird and also a duck but not a white duck. There may be some debate aboutthe colour of the five ducklings, which lookwhite in the picture but are yellow in reality. (10 minutes)

2 Activity 2. Give out a set of bird pictures (notincluding the humming bird) to each group.Question 1 simply reminds the pupils of theword classification which is the linguistic‘handle’ to these activities and Question 2provides the word ornithologist which is notimportant and merely there for interest.Question 3 allows them to focus on visiblefeatures. There are so many that most pupilswill have chosen a different four. Discussion atthis point shows that the wide diversity inappearance of the birds makes it difficult toclassify them on the way they look. Theadditional information next to each bird is notdirectly observable from the pictures. Ask howone could find out these sorts of facts. (5 minutes)

3 Pupils are then asked to sort birds by size. Thisleads to the discovery that size is not a usefulcharacteristic as one person’s ‘small’ might beanother’s ‘medium’. In groups, pupils will haveto reach a consensus about their categorisation.As they work, act ‘the devil’s advocate’ andmake sure they remain uneasy about theirjudgements of size. Draw this together in a brief,1 minute class discussion. This provides thecognitive conflict necessary for pupils to see theneed to think about criteria that are useful inclassifying. (5 minutes)

Teacher’s Guide THINKING SCIENCE

58 © P. Adey, M. Shayer, C. Yates 2001. Thinking Science

Reasoning pattern: Classification

More classifying

Lesson 7

109190 Think Science Lesson 7 30/7/01 4:28 pm Page 58

4 Now ask the pupils to use the information onthe cards to make their own useful system forclassifying birds. They should work in groups ofat least three and no more than five. Whatdifferentiates sorting from classifying is the useof additional information that proves to be‘useful’ to those wishing to study birds. Sortingwould use only physical appearance and wouldnot yield useful categories to distinguish onegroup from another. Draw pupils’ attention tothe birds’ habitats. Circulate and encouragethem to make a list of all the birds found nearfresh water or sea shores, on moorland, inwoods, … then turn their attention to food. Listall those which eat live meat, only vegetation,dead meat, shell fish, fish, … They can then tryto amalgamate the two sorts of list, looking forsub-categories.

The exercise is very open-ended and this mayworry some pupils. They should be made to feelthat their attempts are as valid as any ‘proper’system provided there is an underlying logic totheir groupings and they can clearly state whatdistinguishes one group from another. For thosethat really cannot cope, give them a smallernumber of birds with very clear distinguishingfeatures to classify, perhaps all those that eatfish, those that live in woods, etc. You can alsorefer them back to page 1, which will remindthem of how they subdivided large groups. (10 minutes)

5 As soon as each group has a classification, withwhich they are happy, give them a hummingbird card and ask them to fit it into theirsystem. This proves to be difficult or impossibleand causes cognitive conflict and questioningabout the process of classification. Theirclassification system was useful for the birdsoriginally given (all of which are native toBritain), but a bird from a completely differentenvironment may not fit into this system.

6 Stop the group work 5 minutes before the lessonis due to end and get one or two groups to statehow they developed their classification systemfor the British birds. If a group has struggledwith the humming bird, ask them to say whythis is so difficult. Give the whole class a quickconclusion to the lesson. The point is thatclassification systems are a convenience. Theydo not have absolute ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ values. Toincorporate the humming bird, the systemdeveloped for British birds would have to beextended or modified. (5 minutes)

7 The last section could be set as homework. It isto make the point that classifying is animportant part of everyday life (bridging).

THINKING SCIENCE Teacher’s Guide

© P. Adey, M. Shayer, C. Yates 2001. Thinking Science 59



ClassificationTemplate 7

THINKING SCIENCE

More classifyingBirds

Great tit

Size: 12 cm

Lives in: woodland, parks, hedges, gardens

Eats: insects, spiders, nuts, berries,worms, buds

Swift

Size: 15 cm

Lives in: open air near houses, lakes,marshes

Eats: insects in the air

Song thrush

Size: 23 cm

Lives in: woods, hedges, parks, suburbangardens

Eats: worms, insects, snails

black head

green back

obvious white edges todark tertiary feathers

yellow underparts

sooty brown plumageoften looks black

forked tail is oftenclosed to form apoint – no streamers(see swallows)wings are long and

slender, usuallylooking scimitar-likeand swept back

upper parts are warmolive brown

belly can looksilky white

underparts are brightbuff with dark brownspots in streaks



Template 7 • Lesson 7 THINKING SCIENCE

Magpie

Size: 45 cm

Lives in: woodland, farmland, roadsides

Eats: insects, mice, eggs, scraps offood, seeds

Missel thrush

Size: 25 cm

Lives in: woods, moors, parks, farmland

Eats: worms, insects, snails, berries

Swallow

Size: 18 cm

Lives in: open areas near lakes, reservoirs

Eats: insects in the air

Black-headed gull

Size: 38 cm

Lives in: wet fields, sea shore

Eats: fish, mussels and other shellfish, insects, worms, berries,bread

iridescent colours oftail are visible atclose range

white belly and wing patchcontrast with black elsewhere

white wing patch

small head inrelation to body

underparts are palebuff with round,blackish spots

upper parts aregreyish brown

pale edges towing feathers

glossy blue plumagemay look black

red patchover bill andon throat

wings are broaderand more supplethan swift’s

no whiteon rump

forked tail has longstreamers (shorterones on juvenile)

closed wing tips areblack with white streaks

pale grey wings

dark brown ‘hood’ dark red bill

dark red legs(scarlet in winter)




Curlew

Size: 56 cm

Lives in: moorland, wet fields, rocky seashores

Eats: worms, crabs, small insects

Canada goose

Size: 100 cm

Lives in: lakes, reservoirs, canals

Eats: small fish, grazes meadows

Osprey

Size: 60 cm

Lives in: large lakes, reservoirs, rivers,sheltered coasts

Eats: fish

Red grouse

Size: 38 cm

Lives in: open moorland

Eats: young heather shoots, buds,berries

rich brown upper parts

head is whitish with broadblack band

brownish bandacross whiteunderparts

crested head

the female’s plumageis browner and morespeckled than themale’s

red wattle over eye

darkish reddish-brown

obvious blackish-brown tail

very little patternon head

very longcurved bill

streaked brown; lookspale close to butdarker at a distance

stout, greyish legs

black billblack neck

white chin andface patch

pale breast

black legs




Cormorant

Size: 92 cm

Lives in: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, seashores

Eats: fish

Buzzard

Size: 56 cm

Lives in: woods, hedges

Eats: rabbits, mice, small birds,beetles, worms

Pheasant

Size: 76 cm

Lives in: woods

Eats: insects, worms, seeds, berries

Coot

Size: 38 cm

Lives in: all freshwater

Eats: water weed and small plants

often perches with open wings

white chin patch

brownish-black back

white thigh patchin spring

brown, cream and black plumageis very variable – may be pale withlarge areas of cream

perched bird looksupright and solid

rounded head

stout, hooked bill

colourful, glossy plumage

red wattle on dark head

crescent markings onbreast and flanks

long, pointed tail

dull, mottledbrown plumage

white frontal shieldand white bill

body is greyer thanhead: plumage looksblack at a distance,with no whitemarkings

large lobed feet




Mute swan

Size: 150 cm

Lives in: all freshwater and sheltered seashores

Eats: small fish, grazes on grass

Oyster catcher

Size: 43 cm

Lives in: sandy, muddy and rocky shores

Eats: cockles, mussels and other shellfish

Kestrel

Size: 36 cm

Lives in: hollow trees, cliffs, old nests,buildings

Eats: beetles, mice, worms, smallbirds

Golden eagle

Size: 90 cm

Lives in: mountain ledges, forests, seacliffs

Eats: dead animals, rabbits, hares,small and medium-sized birds

thick, rather shortpink legs

brilliant orangebill

black head, breast and upperparts contrast with gleamingwhite underside

red-brown back withlarge black spots

long grey tailwith black band

grey head

large head and tail

massive ‘shoulders’

large, feathered legs,and powerful feet

black knob

orange bill;no yellow

wings sometimes archedotherwise flat against back

pointed tail isoften angled up




Moorhen

Size: 33 cm

Lives in: ponds, lakes, marshes

Eats: seeds, fruits, insects, waterweed, tadpoles

Humming bird

Size: 5 cm

Lives in: tropical rainforests

Eats: nectar from flowers

white, under-tail coverts

line of white streaks onedge of flank

red shieldand bill

yellow tip

long toes

green legs withred ‘garter’

beats wings very fast

very long, thin bill

bright colouredplumage



ClassificationWorkcard 7More classifyingAnimals

Please do not write on this sheet THINKING SCIENCE


THINKING SCIENCE

Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Notesheet Lesson 7 Classification


More classifying

Activity 1 Count the animals

Remember that the living world is divided into plants and animals.

There are several animals in the picture on the Workcard. Can you spot them all?

How many are there?

The animals can be divided into smaller and smaller groups.

One way could be like this diagram.

How many are in each group?

Write the number of animals in each group in the box.

Discuss these questions and jot down yourgroup’s answers.

1 How many birds are there?

2 Are there more birds or more animals?

3 How many animals are not birds?

4 How many animals are not ducks?

5 How many animals are not dark ducks?

6 Are there more animals that are not birds or more animals that arenot ducks?

(Hint: what would be left if all the ducks flew away?What would be left if all the birds flew away?)

Animals

Birds Other animals

Ducks Other birds

White ducks Dark ducks


Activity 2 Characteristics of birds

Four hundred and fifty different types of birds have been officiallyrecorded in Britain. About 200 of these are quite common. To make iteasier to study so many types, they must be sorted into groups.

What do we call this sorting process?

What do we call someone who studies birds?

See if your group can help ornithologists by making a classificationsystem. Look at the 20 pictures of birds you have been given.

List four characteristics your group might use for sorting the birds.

Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Notesheet 2 • Lesson 7 THINKING SCIENCE

A: B:

C: D:

Now think about ‘size’ as a characteristic for classifying birds (yourgroup may have already chosen this).

Use the size of the birds to sort them into three groups.

How many birds has your group got in each pile? Is it the same as othergroups?

How did your group decide which were small birds and which were large?Was it an easy decision to make?

Designing a useful system

Is it useful to use ‘size’ as a way of classifying birds?

Look again at all the characteristics of the birds you have been given.

Which does your group think are the most useful for classifying? (You cangive more than one.)

Use these characteristics to regroup your birds into a more usefulclassification. Produce a list of the birds in each group, and thecharacteristics for each of those groups of birds.

Small birds Medium birds Large birds


Names ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Notesheet 3 • Lesson 7 THINKING SCIENCE

An odd bird

When your group has finished designing your classification system, askyour teacher for a picture of a humming bird.

Discuss these questions:

Does this fit into any of the groups you have made?

If it does, which group and why? If it does not, why doesn’t it?

Would you make a new bird classification system now you have been given thehumming bird to add? If you did make a new system, how would you do this?

Classifying at home

In the last two lessons you have done lots of ‘sorting out’ of differentthings.

Write down two sorts of things that you or people you know find ituseful to classify at home or at work (not any of the things you classifyin science lessons).

Try to design a classification system for one of these things.


Documents

Classifying Birds Work Pack - See Nature