Great Falls Students Learn by Helping Scientists Study Birds

Cynde Swartz’ fifth-grade class at Lewis and Clark Elementary School and Ruth Carlstrom’s gifted education program at West Elementary School are joining students across the country in making important contributions to science.

Taking part in an interdisciplinary, inquiry-based curriculum called “Classroom FeederWatch,” these students are collecting data about local birds and sending information to scientists who study bird populations and develop bird conservation programs.

Montana Audubon and the local chapter of the Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon are sponsoring the Classroom FeederWatch program with PPL Montana’s financial support.

“At PPL Montana, we look for new ways to partner with schools and environmental groups on projects that will help students learn more about the environment and how to protect precious resources for the future,” said Lisa Perry, PPL Montana community affairs manager. “This initiative allowed us to respond to teachers’ needs for quality environmental education resources.”

Classroom FeederWatch is part of a series of Citizen Science curricula for elementary and middle school students. These curricula are based on citizen-science projects underway at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.

With the help of their teachers and Audubon naturalists, students sharpen their observation skills, learn about the birds that live in the Great Falls area, learn basic ecology of birds and wildlife and meet many of the National Science Standards. 

“My students are really excited about learning and I am able to integrate this project across the curricula touching on subjects in math, reading, writing, art, social studies, and even computer skills,” Swartz said. “The fact that student observations are entered into a national database used by scientists makes the learning fun, real, and relevant for the students.”

According to Paul Belanger, Montana Audubon’s education director, birds are a great subject for integrating the natural world with traditional curriculum needs because they are one of our most visible wildlife and easy to observe. Students get excited to report what birds they are seeing at home or on the way to school.

“Science education research has shown that hands-on experiential learning like the Classroom FeederWatch curriculum encourages and really helps make the learning process come alive for the students. In turn, the students are more engaged in the learning process,” Belanger said.

To learn more the Classroom FeederWatch program, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/cfw/.