Experiencing birds in your green space
Use this resource to experience birds in your school grounds or another local green space.

It has been developed in collaboration with Landcare Research, and promotes the NZ Garden Bird Survey.

This resource is part of the Protecting your environment series, to encourage primary and intermediate students to go outdoors, explore and connect to a local green space.

Published: 2016

Download the resource

Experiencing birds in your green space cover.

Experiencing birds in your green space (PDF, 3,920K)

Learning outcomes

Using this resource students will:

  • gather and interpret data about birds living in a local green space
  • identify and learn about key native, endemic and introduced birds
  • begin to understand how birds are part of a wider ecosystem.

Curriculum links

Level 1-4 Science

  • Living World: Evolution, Ecology, Life Processes
  • Nature of Science: Investigating in science, communicating in science, Understanding about science, Participating and contributing

Students doing bird survey.
Verran School students doing bird survey

Science capabilities

  • Gather and interpret data
  • Use evidence
  • Critique evidence
  • Interpret representations
  • Engage with science

Learning sequence

  1. Experience birds outdoors and introduce a bird learning context with an introductory activity.
  2. Plan your investigation, learn about NZ birds and form/add to a learning inquiry.
  3. Gather data about birds in your area and examine the data.
  4. Find out more about birds linking in your local green space.
  5. Contribute to local and community information and share knowledge.

Supporting resources

LEARNZ virtual field trips:

  • Garden Bird Survey – who's in your backyard?
    On this virtual field trip your students will become citizen scientists! They will join thousands of other citizen scientists all over New Zealand as they take part in the annual NZ Garden Bird Survey. View the field trip videos on Vimeo.
  • Kererū Count – kaitiakitanga in action 
    On this field trip you will find plenty of good news stories of people working effectively to increase the population of kererū. Running during Term 3, 2016. More about the Kererū Count field trip. 

Learning levels

  • Primary
  • Secondary 

Topics

  • Native animals
  • Forests and green spaces

Curriculum learning areas

  • Science
  • Social science
  • Education for sustainability
  • English
  • Maths and statistics

Webinars 

Webinars are available to view on the Science Learning Hub website. They use the Exploring your local environment resources to model how conservation education can support student inquiry into a local green space:

Special thanks to Science Learning Hub for partnering with us to deliver these fantastic webinars.

Contact

For questions or feedback about these resources, email engagement@doc.govt.nz.