Crow Not Crow

Crow not Crow Cover

Crow Not Crow by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple, illustrated by Elizabeth Dulemba

The Crow Not Crow – Teacher’s Guide  features activities that target national science, math, writing and art education standards for grades K-3. This website provides background information and digital content to complement the printable guide. Purchase this book.

Download Guide

Activity 2: Neighborhood Bird Walk

If you aren’t able to take a bird walk outside, try out the Cornell Lab FeederWatch Cam at Sapsucker Woods, live from Ithaca, NY.

Activity 3: “Caw,” Not “Chuck”

Explore the sound recordings of some common bird species below, then follow the discussion questions listed in the guide. Feel free to find more of your own birds and bird calls using All About Birds and the Macaulay Library.

Northern Cardinal

Mourning Dove

Blue Jay

American Robin

House Wren

Activity 4: Flying Fingers

After students have created their own “wings” and brainstormed the different types of wings that birds can have, use the graphic below to explore the four common bird wing shapes: passive soaring, active soaring, elliptical, and high-speed.

Shows the difference between the 4 common types of bird wings

Activity 5: Build a Bird Feeder

For instructions on how to construct your own bird feeder, reference our DIY bird feeders post.

Activity 7: Up Close with Birds

If you don’t have access to real binoculars, follow the steps below to create toilet paper roll binoculars:

  1. Provide each student with two empty toilet paper tubes and have kids decorate them.
  2. Tape the two tubes together with masking or other colorful tape.
  3. Punch holes on opposite sides of each tube, close to one end.
  4. Tie a piece of string or yarn through the holes to act as a neck strap.

Your new binoculars won’t magnify objects like real ones would, but they will help students focus on birds they see!

Activity 9: Bird Search

Print out copies of the Bird Search worksheet for each student and have them find each of the birds, behaviors, or items listed on the handout.

Standards

Science Connections (SCI; Next Generation Science Standards)

  • K: K-L-S1-1, K-ESS3-3
  • 1: 1-L-S1-1, 1- L-S1-2, K-2-ETS1-2
  • 2: 2-LS4-1, 2-PS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2
  • 3: 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, 3-LS4-2

Art Connection (ART; National Core Art Standards)

  • K: Cr1.1.Ka, Cr1.2.Ka, Cr2.1.Ka, Cr2.2.Ka, Cr2.3.Ka, Re.7.1.Ka, Re.7.2.Ka, Re8.1.Ka, Cn10.1.Ka
  • 1: Cr1.1.1a, Cr1.2.1a, Cr2.1.1a, Cr2.2.1a, Pr4.1.1a, Re.7.2.1a
  • 2: 1.2a, Cr1.2.2a, Cr2.1.2a, Cr2.2.2a, Cr2.3.2a, Cr3.1.2a
  • 3: 1.3a, Cr1.2.3a, Cr2.1.3a, Cr2.2.3a, Cr2.3.3a, Cr3.1.3a, Re.7.2.3a, Cn10.1.3a

English Language Arts (ELA; Common Core State Standards)

Reading: Informational Text

  • K: RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.3, RI.K.4, RI.K.7, RI.K.8, RI.K.10
  • 1: RI.1.1, RI.1.2, RI.1.3, RI.1.6, RI.1.7, RI.1.10
  • 2: RI.2.1, RI.2.3, RI.2.4, RI.2.6, RI.2.8
  • 3: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, R1.3.4, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.9

Reading: Literature

  • K: RL.K.1, RL.K.2, RL.K.3, RL.K.4, RL.K.6, RL.K.7, RL.K.10
  • 1: RL.1.1, RL.1.2, RL..1.3, RL1.4, RL.1.6, RL1.7, RL1.9, RL.1.10
  • 2: RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.5, RL.2.6, RL.2.7
  • 3: RL.3.1, RL.3.3, RL.3.4, RL.3.6, RL.3.7

Speaking and Listening

  • K: SL.K.1, SL.K.2, SL.K.3, SL.K.4, SL.K.5, SL.K.6
  • 1: SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, SL.1.4, SL.1.5, SL.1.6
  • 2: SL.2.1, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.4, SL.2.6
  • 3: SL.3.1, SL.3.2, SL.3.3, SL.3.4, SL.3.6

Writing

  • K: W.K.2, W.K.3, W.K.8
  • 1: W.1.2, W.1.3, W.1.5, W.1.7, W.1.8
  • 2: W.2.1, W.2.2, W.2.3, W.2.5, W.2.6, W.2.8
  • 3: W.3.1, W.3.2, W.3.3, W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.7

Mathematics (MATH; Common Core State Standards)

  • K: K.MDA.1, K.MDA.2, K.MDA.3
  • 1: 1.MDA.2, 1.MDC.4
  • 2: 2.MDA.1, 2.MDA.2, 2.MDA.3, 2.GA.2
  • 3: 3.MDC.5, 3.MDC.7