Nestling Naturalist - Backyard Investigation Worksheet:
| Backyard Investigation WkSht |
Nestling Naturalist - Wild Babies Supplement:
| baby_animals_cards.pdf |
Week 1: Backyard Birding
Bird Watching/Identify/Biology
- Beginning Birding: [video]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ridajl8uic0&feature=youtu.be
- Migratory Birds [video] (Grades K-3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLzprmI1l20
- Birding by Ear: https://handbookofnaturestudy.com/2013/02/outdoor-hour-challenge-birding-by-ear.html/
- Birding activities for kids (all ages): https://www.audubon.org/get-outside/activities/audubon-for-kids
- Bird-focused lesson plans (all ages): https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/
- Lifelong Learning Birding courses: https://bit.ly/3aBSio3
- All about birds (biology): https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/features/birdanatomy/
- Bird Mystery! (5-8th Grade): http://btc.montana.edu/sciencemystery/
- Urban Birding by Ear: http://www.urbanbirdsounds.org/UBSP_website/Urban_Bird_Sounds_Project.html
- Woodpeckers: Carpenters of the Bird World (Learners of all ages) [Iowa Public Radio audio and activities]
- Wine Bottle Bird Feeder: https://thechickenstreet.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/wine-bottle-bird-feeder/
- Hummingbird Nectar Recipe: https://www.audubon.org/news/how-make-hummingbird-nectar
- Birds & Gardening Lesson plans (6-8th Grade): https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plan-birds-garden-ecosystem/
- Bird-focused lesson plans (all ages): https://www.birds.cornell.edu/k12/
- Ways to help birds: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/get-involved/10-ways-to-help-birds/
- Citizen Science opportunities: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/citizenscience
- Prairie Rapids Audubon Society: www.gopras.org
- Find local birds (check local hotspots): www.ebird.org
- Iowa Young Birders: www.iowayoungbirders.org
- Iowa Ornithologist Union: www.iowabirds.org
- Iowa-centric Birding Facebook Groups:
- Iowa Birding
- Iowa Young Birders
- Iowa Ornithologists' Union
- Iowa Bird Photography
- Owl About Iowa
- John J. Audubon's Birds of America - Each print is also available as a free high-resolution download.
Week 2: Plants & Pollinators
Identification/Biology
- "Bug Hunt" by Tom Story [video of story being read] (Ages 4-6): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nL7On2gBkw
- Life of a Butterfly [video] (Grades K-3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM71jKNuk-M
- How a plant functions [video] (Grades K-3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3St51F4kE8
- Parts of flower and pollination [video] (Grades K-3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djPVgip_bdU
- Plant Excretion/Byproducts [video] (Grades 1-5): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V44QlrTs7Mo
- All about Insects [video] (Grades 2-5): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJlfBNyBKQA
- Flower Dissection [video] (Grade 4+): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=493WeySyf-8
- Plant Terminology (Grades 8+): https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/ecoph30.htm
- Nat'l Park Service Bee Week Curriculum (Middle School): https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/upload/FINALBee-Week.pdf
- Bee ID Guide (Note: This is for Missouri but many of these species are also found in IA): https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/MOBeeGuide.pdf
- US Forest Service - Just for Kids (all ages): https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/kids/index.shtml
- Planning a Pollinator Garden lesson plans (Grades 4-8): https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plans-planning-a-pollinator-garden/
- General Kids Plants & Gardening lesson plans (Grade K-8): https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plans
- Bumblebee Watch Citizen Science: https://www.bumblebeewatch.org/
- Gardening for Pollinators: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening.shtml
- Pollinator Friendly Practices: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/friendlypractices.shtml
- The Nature Conservancy - Midwest Pollinators
- Iowa-centric pollinator/native plants Facebook Groups:
- Iowa Wildflower Report
- Iowa Native Trees and Shrubs
- Monarchs of Eastern Iowa
- Iowa Prairie Network
- Backyard Abundance
- The Nature Conservancy in Iowa
- Blooming Flowers Time lapse [video]
- Recipe: Dandelion Donuts [video]
- PBS Nature: Watch a Butterfly Swarm [video]
- Story of Flowers: A botanical animation [video]
Week 3: Backyard Buddies (Mammals)
Identification/Biology
- Backyard Mammals [video] (Grades 1-5)
- National Geographic Kids: Raccoons [video] (Grades 1-5)
- National Geographic Kids: Bats [video] (Grades 1-5)
- National Geographic Kids: Recording Chipmunks [video] (Grades 3-6)
- Iowa Bats
- UNI Springtime Segments: All about Bats PDF
- Top 7 Amazing Opossum Facts [video]
- Can you name all of these backyard animals? [game] (Ages PreK-3): http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/kidscorner_games.htm
- Rabbits vs. Hares: Remarkable Rabbits [video] (Grades K-3)
- PBS Learning: Opossums [video] (Grades 5-12+)
- Bat Box building plans
- UNI Springtime Segment: How to build a bat house [video]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbDm0ll6eu8
- How to tell if baby animals are orphaned, injured, or perfectly fine.
- Iowa-centric mammal Facebook Groups:
Week 4: Amazing Amphibians
Identification/Biology
Iowa-centric amphibians Facebook Groups: Just for Fun
- Amphibians [Video] (Grades 3-5)
- Frogs and Toads of Iowa
- Differences in Iowa Toads by appearance and sound
- From Egg to Frog in 7 Weeks [Video]
- From Egg to Salamander in 11 Weeks [Video]
- Iowa Outdoors: Frog Call Monitoring [Video]
Iowa-centric amphibians Facebook Groups: Just for Fun
- Make Froggy Bread! (Adult supervision)
Week 5: Little Bitty Babies
Identification/Biology
Just for Fun
- Learn the names of baby animals of the forest [animated video] (Grades PreK-2)
- Baby animal names from A to Z (All ages)
- Hartman Reserve Nestling Naturalist program 5/21/20 [video, story, activity] (Ages 2-5)
Just for Fun
- Cute baby animals Kitten, hedgehog, opossum, bunnies, and more! [video] (All ages!)
- Pip: A Short Animated Film [video] (All ages!)
Week 6: To Infinity & Beyond: Space and Weather
Identification/Ologies
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) (Grades 7 - Adult) Cool maps, videos, photos of Mars' surface, webcams, and more!
- NASA: Space Place (Grades 5+) Space and Earth science interactive games, hands-on learning, play, and more!
- Solar System 101 | National Geographic [animated video] (Grades 4+)
- Earth 101 | National Geographic [video] (Grades 4+)
- Space Compilation: Crash Course Kids [video] (Grades 6+) Includes constellations.
- Exploring Our Solar System: Planets and Space for Kids [video] (Grades 3+)
- SOLAR SYSTEM - The Dr. Binocs Show [animated video] (Grades 1-4)
- Weather Current Events: Crash Course Kids [video] (Grades 4+)
- Weather Channels: Crash Course Kids [video] (Grades 4+)
- Severe Weather: Crash Course Kids [video] (Grades 3+)
- Fly Guy Presents Weather [book video] (Grades 1-3)
- Weather|National Geographic Kids [book video] (Grades K-3) Quiz and weather jokes included. :-D
- What to Do in Severe Weather: FEMA [video] (Grades K-3)
- Outer Space: "We are the Planets," The Solar System Song by StoryBots | Netflix Jr [animated video] (Grades 3+)
- Weather Song for kids | "Sun, Rain, Wind, and Snow" [animated song] (Ages 2-5)
Week 7: Fantastic Fishes
- Identification/Biology
- Iowa State DNR (Ages 9 - Adult) Identify Iowa fish species.
- Iowa Association of Naturalists: Iowa Fish (Ages 9 - Adult) Types of Iowa fish, living environments, etc.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation, Environmental Education Resources (All Grades)
- US Fish and Wildlife Service Junior Ranger Let's Go Fishing! (Grades 3-7)
- Iowa State DNR (Ages 9 - Adult) Fishing tips and how to, buy a fishing license, and more!