First Grade Life Science STEM Activity: Build A Bird Nest
This fun activity is part of an NGSS Interactive Notebook resource! If you enjoy this activity, please head on over to the (super cool) Science Demo Guy TpT store and check it out! 🙂
You can download all of the Interactive Notebook Pages associated with Next Generation Science Standard K-LS1-1 FREE by clicking here.
NGSS 1-LS1-2
Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
***Note, this activity is not meant to comprehensively cover this standard but rather to introduce or compliment the instruction of the standard as a whole.
In this activity, students will build a bird’s nest out of things that an actual bird might use to help their young survive. Students will need to think about things such as, keeping the eggs and little birds warm, making sure the nest is strong enough to withstand wind and rain…etc. It could be turned into a STEM activity by having the students test and make modifications to create a strong nest.
Materials needed:
Birds use many natural items for their nests, but human’s inadvertently also supply birds with random items to aid in the building of homes for their young! Here are some materials we have used, but there are many more! We didn’t use mud in our nests, but it could certainly help to create a stronger nest if used correctly!
Materials:
Sticks
Shredded paper
Leaves
Yarn
Grass
Mud
Sturdy Disposable Plate
Instructions:
First, read or listen to “The American Bird” on ReadWorks.org. You will need to go to readworks.org and sign up for a free account, if you don’t already have one. The short audio clip about eagles is located here: https://www.readworks.org/article/The-American-Bird/f29ac56d-8b56-4833-8389-e9fe80788c66#!articleTab:content/
Play the clip for your class or in a small group setting. Discuss things that help eagles survive.
After this discussion, head into the nest building activity! Have students list out a few things that baby birds need to survive and draw a picture of what they want their nest to look like (download planning page here). Their sketch should include the materials they will use and the structure of their nest. Ask them to think about how their nest could best meet the needs of eggs and baby birds.
After sketching, your students can begin building their nests! To add even more fun (and to turn this into a STEM activity), have the students test their nests for strength by simulating wind with a strong fan and dropping the plate from a height of 1 ft, 2 ft, etc. Allow time for your students to make modifications and test again!
***Download the interactive notebook pages for this standard here.
Check it out!
We’ve created an Activities & Interactive Notebook Bundle that includes ALL of the First Grade Next Generation Science Standards! You can check it out by clicking here!
Standards covered in this bundle:
NGSS 1-PS4-1 Waves: Light and Sound
NGSS 1-PS4-2 Waves: Light and Sound
NGSS 1-PS4-3 Waves: Light and Sound
NGSS 1-PS4-4 Waves: Light and Sound
NGSS 1-LS1-1 Structure, Function, and Information Processing
NGSS 1-LS1-2 Structure, Function, and Information Processing
NGSS 1-LS3-1 Structure, Function, and Information Processing
NGSS 1-ESS1-1 Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles
NGSS 1-ESS1-2 Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles
NGSS K-2-ETS1-1 Engineering Design (STEM Activity)
NGSS K-2-ETS1-2 Engineering Design (STEM Activity)
NGSS K-2-ETS1-3 Engineering Design (STEM Activity)
First Grade NGSS Reference (Click Here)
