Goldifinch and the Three Scales: Investigating Songbird Habitats Near Rivers
Some scientists think that wildlife is mostly dependent on the immediate natural area in which it lives. The scientist in this study was interested in exploring this idea because she thought that native songbirds might also be affected by the larger environment surrounding their immediate forest home.
A FACTivity is included with the article in the FACTivity tab below and as a separate pdf in the Activities tab.
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To better understand songbird habitat, Dr. Saab wanted to look at the big picture. In this FACTivity, we are going to make observations at different scales, just like Dr. Saab....FACTivity – Goldifinch and the Three Scales
To better understand songbird habitat, Dr. Saab wanted to look at the big picture. In this FACTivity, we are going to make observations at different scales, just like Dr. Saab.... -
After reading “Goldifinch and the Three Scales,” test your knowledge with a word search.Word Search – Goldifinch and the Three Scales
After reading “Goldifinch and the Three Scales,” test your knowledge with a word search.
Glossary
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Victoria Saab
I like being a scientist because it is exciting to discover new information about our natural world and to solve problems that will help save animals and plants from extinction....View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
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The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
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Education Files
To better understand songbird habitat, Dr. Saab wanted to look at the big picture. In this FACTivity, we are going to make observations at different scales, just like Dr. Saab.
Materials:
- Two lengths of string or twine – one 36 inches long and one 50 feet long; each length will be tied into a circle.
- Writing utensil
- Somewhere to record observations (a sample observation chart is included)
To do this FACTivity, your class will become a spaceship full of Martian scientists. Your spaceship has just landed on Earth. The Martian leader (your teacher!) has asked for a report about the Earth’s environment. Some of your class will be “small-scale Martian scientists,” some will be “medium-scale Martian scientists,” and others will be “large-scale Martian scientists.”
The Martian leader should divide your class into three groups, each representing a different scale. The small-scale Martian group should have only two students (remember – small scale!). The medium-scale Martian group should not have more than six students. The large-scale Martian group should include the rest of the students, and should work in teams of six Martian scientists each.
Using a large ball of string or twine, the Martian leader should cut one string 36 inches and one 50 feet. Tie the ends of each string together to make two circles with the two strings. After you go outside, place the two string circles on different areas of the ground—the smaller circle should be placed inside the larger circle. The larger circle should include an “edge.” An edge defines a change in the environment, such as from a grassy area to a wooded area. It might include the edge of a stream, the edge of a parking lot, a sidewalk, or any other kind of change in the environment.
If you are a small-scale Martian scientist, you will explore the small circle. If you are a medium-scale Martian scientist, you will explore the large circle. If you are a large-scale Martian scientist, you will explore the whole schoolyard.
Spend 15 minutes exploring your area and record what you find. You may use the chart below as an example. With other Martians in your group, compare what you found and prepare an oral report to present to the Martian leader and the rest of the class. In this report, you must explain what the schoolyard environment on Earth is like, based on your explorations within your study area.
After the presentations, discuss what each Martian group discovered with the rest of the class.
- How were the observations similar?
- How were they different?
- If the observations were different, why?
- Which area had the greatest variety of things?
- Which was the most accurate description of the schoolyard environment?
- Which was the most difficult to describe? Why?
- What does this exercise tell you about making observations at different scales?
