First Grade: The World of Birds

Children in the first grade focus almost entirely on the natural world through their study of birds. Like the butterfly study in kindergarten, the bird study connects our students to the living creatures that live all around us, right outside the walls of the school. Firsthand observations of the many birds attracted to our garden, landscaping, and child-made bird feeders, enable children to develop their understanding of the similarities and differences in species, the unique properties of bird anatomy, and the crucial role birds play in our lives as well as the role we play in theirs. The study brings children to natural areas in the metropolitan area, and it brings ornithologists and birds into the school itself. Students develop a passion for all birds as well as tremendous expertise in the life cycle, anatomy, and habits of an individually selected species. The development of active research skills goes hand in hand with the children’s progress in learning to read and write. By the end of the year the first graders have not only become very knowledgeable young ornithologists, they have also developed a deeper respect for the environment and an understanding of our responsibility for it.