Tracy Aviary Argentina Exhibit Activity

Goals
1) Students will understand that wetlands are an important stopover for migrating birds in Utah, and
2) Students will have the opportunity to develop observation skills by drawing a map of the Argentina exhibit from above (i.e. from a bird’s eye view).

Introduction (5-10 minutes)
Gather students together to find out what they know about wetlands and why they are important to wildlife, especially birds. This could be an open discussion or a more structured lesson. A suggested flow for this introduction is to begin by talking about what kinds of animals use wetlands (amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects and other invertebrates, and birds all use wetland and the students should be able to name a few of each). Discuss why wetlands are very important for wildlife especially in a dry state like Utah. To bring the focus back to birds, talk about the migratory routes of some species that stop at Great Salt Lake. Ask the students which way migrating birds fly in the fall and in the spring (and why). Also see if they can point to the north and to the south. Then, ask them, ‘If you were a bird flying over Utah and you had been traveling for hundreds of miles, would you stop in the desert to rest or in the wetlands around Great Salt Lake?’ Remind students that many birds do make the trip from as far south as Argentina all the way to North America and then back again every year. Ask them if they could walk that far. Briefly explain the Argentina exhibit - these are birds mainly found in Argentina that don’t migrate through Utah but are similar in many ways to familiar North American birds that frequent our wetlands. Ask the students to pay attention to differences and similarities between the birds they see in the exhibit and birds they have seen before in Utah. The similarities might be worth discussing as adaptations to wetland environments (i.e. webbed feet, diving behavior, bill shape, feather coloration, etc.).

Activity (10-15 minutes)
Students will now have a chance to actively explore the Argentina exhibit. This is an exercise that will serve as an introduction to orientating oneself in space by creating a simple map, and will also be an opportunity for students to do some independent and creative observation. Before letting the students loose, explain to them the objectives of the activity. Generally, these should be for each student to successfully draw an outline of the exhibit as seen by a migrating bird flying over on its way north to the Great Salt Lake in the spring or south to Argentina in the fall (they may need more detailed directions depending on their previous experiences drawing maps).
Hint: Some students will want to spend more time drawing individual birds. Remind those students to look for adaptations. Other students will focus on drawing their maps. If a student is frustrated with imagining the area from above, suggest that he or she begin simply by drawing one pond at a time, and then drawing each bird swimming or wading in it. An extra challenge to this activity is for students to add a compass rose that is correctly oriented on the map and shows north, south, east and west.

Download Word file of Argentina Exhibit Activity.

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