Flying WILD: An Educator's Guide to Celebrating Birds includes these key elements:
enriching and meaningful experiences for students while meeting educational objectives in science, social studies, language arts, etc.
- Urban environmental education “guidelines”
Communicates best practices for urban educators.
Introduces students to the conservation of migratory birds.
- Step-by-step guidelines for planning a bird festival
Illustrate how a classroom or school-wide educational festival can be developed around the migratory bird theme. Includes information on how students can become involved in IMBD through displays, poster contests, migratory bird knowledge
bowls, art contests, birdhouse building workshops, landscaping
for wildlife, etc.
- 43 fun, hands-on, minds-on activities
Provide students with ample opportunity to learn about basic avian biology, migratory bird facts, bird identification (bird flash cards) and environmental issues affecting migratory birds...before, during, and after a Flying WILD bird festival.
- A list of bird education resources
Includes NFWF’s bird education website, additional bird education materials, bird education groups, other applicable web sites, posters, maps, and videos on migratory birds and IMBD.
Provide ideas for correspondence to keep parents informed, solicit volunteer help, raise funds, thank contributors and other tasks associated with planning and implementing a festival.
- Sample floor plans
Suggest ways that a classroom, an outdoor space, and a gymnasium might be set up for a Flying WILD bird festival.
- Suggestions for post-festival action
Suggests action students can undertake to improve habitat for migratory birds around their schools and in their communities and to continue learning about migratory birds. Highlights existing programs such as Project Feeder Watch, NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat Program, American Birding Association bird-a-thons, North American Bluebird Society bluebird trails, Christmas Count, and Spring Breeding Bird Surveys, and contains contact information so that a class can become involved in migratory bird projects that extend throughout the school year.
- A mail-back survey instrument
Encourages students and teachers to provide program feedback.
- A"how to" fundraising section
Provides guidance for schools in securing supplies and donations for Flying WILD festivals and action projects.
- "In Step with Science Standards" boxes
Accompany each activity and indicate the activity's specific correlations to National Science Education Standards.
Accompany each activity as a means of assessing student knowledge and attitudes as they learn more about birds and their conservation needs.
- A Service-Learning Projects section
Provides ideas for potential bird-related service-learning projects, including a case study of one successful project, and step-by-step instructions for participating in an ongoing nationwide bird count.
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An overview for teachers
