On Bird Hill
On Bird Hill, by Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Bob Marstall
The On Bird Hill – Teacher’s Guide (8 pages, free download) features activities that target national science, math, writing, and art education standards for grades K-2. This website provides background information, digital content, and supplementary activities to complement the printable guide.
Supplemental Materials for the Activities
Activity 1. Retellings and Reenactments
This video of an egg hatching will complement your reenactment of the story of On Bird Hill.
Additional questions:
- What differences do you notice between the two hatchings?
- Does it take long for a real chick to hatch?
- What is the chick like when it comes out of the egg?
Activity 2. Sequential Storytelling
Use a storyboard organizer to create a numbered sequence of the most important story events. Invite children to draw and/or write what happens in each square of the organizer.
Activities 5 and 6. So Many Nests & Build a Nest
Take a look at the Cornell Lab’s NestWatch site for more nest identification tips, including a Clutch Size chart. Show children images of different bird nests and have them guess at who they might belong to.
Activity 7. Camouflage and Seek
Activity 9. Bouncing Baby Bird
As an alternative to conducting the activity itself, you may choose to watch this video and answer the activity questions without doing the experiment.
Activity 10. Comparing Critters
Use the following sites to help you figure out what birds are common in your area:
Sort by region, habitat, and lots of other factors to find out who your neighborhood friends are
Activity 11. See a Baby Chick Hatch
Reference the video for the Retelling and Reenactments activity to observe the hatching of a baby chick. You can also visit the All About Birds Bird Cams page to view live streams of different bird nests, including a Red-tailed Hawk’s nest and a Great Horned Owl’s nest.
Activity 12. Changing Chicks
Can you tell whose baby is whose? Use the pictures below to play a matching game with children and compare the ways young and adult birds look.
