Take part in the Big Schools' Birdwatch!

Birds are all around. So, wherever your little scientists are learning at the moment – whether from home or from school, they can enjoy and develop their curiosity and understanding through taking part in the RSPB's annual Big Schools’ Birdwatch and its linked events, running until February 21st. 

Explorify can support your teaching on birds with over twenty bird-related activities in our collection, Fun science with feathered friends!

At school 

You can find out more about how your pupils can explore their local wildlife and be part of vital citizen science through the RSPB Big Schools' Birdwatch programme – go to the site to register and download resources. Results can be submitted any time till the 21st of February.

Home learning

Our Explorify at home: Birds is the latest in a special series of science activities for parents and carers of primary school children who are now learning at home, and is suitable to do all together as a family of mixed aged children too. 

Home learners (and indeed those attending school) can also take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey, Big Garden Birdwatch from 28th-30th January. Taking part is easy and involves spending an hour counting the birds visible in the garden or from a balcony. Click the link to register and find out more.

Almost all pupils can take an hour to observe birds in their locality. However, if any of your pupils can't get to an outside space to see birds in nature, they can still take part by watching, for example, the RSPB feeder camera at their Arne nature reserve in Dorset.

Try asking them to watch for five minutes - what can you see? Do the same birds reappear at the same time the next day?

BBC Teach The Big Schools Winterwatch Lesson for pupils aged 7 to 11

You can also register for a special session with BBC Teach for KS2, The Big Schools Winterwatch Lesson. The session will arm your pupils with the necessary skills to go out and explore their local wildlife and will cover key curriculum objectives across English, maths and science. It will explore working scientifically using classification keys and how to present data using bar graphs.

Science learning activities with Explorify

Explore the science related to birds and their habitats with one or more of the many activities in our new birds-related activities collection, Fun science with feathered friends!. And don't forget our Explorify at home: Birds collection for home learners.

Image credit: Black Tern by IPK Photography via Shutterstock SL