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Duck Detectives

Elementary, Middle

Description

Duck Detectives allows the students to explore the migration patterns of ducks and the importance of bird banding and wetland conservation in maintaining healthy waterfowl populations

Students begin by discussing their knowledge of migration before reading a handout explaining bird banding and its importance as a research tool.  Each student will then get "banded"  by receiving a colored bracelet that identifies what species they are.  Using the Ducks Unlimited website, they become Duck Detectives and gather information about their (duck's) habits and habitat.  They answer a series of questions and download a certificate describing their duck. The students then complete an activity describing migration patterns of the various duck species represented by all of the bracelets.

The lesson concludes by posing two research questions for the students to consider. An extension activity of creating a poster is also included.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

This resource has a focus on developing awareness of waterfowl migration and habitat protection.  It does describe the skills involved in waterfowl banding.

Strengths

  • easy to use resource with all materials provided
  • engaging activities
  • can easily be made relevant to the lives of the students
  • good quantity of information supplied to the teacher

Weaknesses

  • no assessment materials provided
  • lack of suggestions for adapting the lesson for those students who may have difficulties with the material

Recommendation of how and where to use it

Duck Detectives is an engaging lesson best suited for the upper elementary Science classroom. It's description of waterfowl migration, banding and wetland conservation helps to address curriculum outcomes related to habitat. This lesson plan would be an excellent resource to use in conjunction with World Wetlands Day in February.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 4
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      • Science
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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interaction
    • Grade 5
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      • Science
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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions
    • Grade 6
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        • Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened through investigating natural systems and their interactions
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        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
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        • Habitat and Communities
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        • Properties and Uses of Earth Materials: Learning and Living Sustainably
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        • Habitats
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        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment
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        • Science 4: Habitats
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        • Life Systems: Habitats & Communities
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        • Life Systems: Habitats and Communities
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        • Habitats
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        • Diversity of Life
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        • Habitats and Communities
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        • Science 4: All living things sense and respond to their environment

Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (4)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Habitat Loss
  • Interdependence
  • Wildlife Protection

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Very Good

The students are presented with an informative website describing the habitat, migration pattern and life of ducks which is used to answer questions. The information is factual and the lesson does not have any biases towards any one point of view.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Poor/Not considered

The resource has a strong environmental focus as it deals with ducks and their habitats. The teacher will have to supplement the lesson plan in order to touch on the economic and social dimensions of waterfowl and wetlands.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Satisfactory

The information presented supports the importance of wetland habitats for the successful migration of the waterfowl. It addresses predators and other factors that are a danger to the ducks.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

The final activity allows the students to discuss how they might protect the wetlands and wildlife habitats. Unfortunately, there are no hands-on or practical opportunities to make a difference.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

The students discuss through the lesson their thoughts about what they have learned.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered

The focus of this resource is on wetland ecosystems.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Good
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The Duck Detectives activity allows the students to explore a website with direct links to the ducks that live in their area.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Poor/Not considered

The lesson isn't really structured in this manner.  It explains the current reality and importance of wetland habitats for the ducks. It doesn't not however create an understanding of the past nor does it address the future.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The information provided and the activities are focused on developing an awareness of the importance of wetlands.  Students are not steered in any one direction.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory
  • Literacy
  • Science
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory

The students are guided to come up with answers to the questions posed regarding the habitats and migration patterns of their species of duck.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good

The activities are novel and engaging for the students; however, there are no strategies nor suggestions for students who may have difficulty with the material.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Satisfactory

The banding description is a novel way to engage the students and help them to understand what happens during the process.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered

There are no suggestions nor tools for the assessment of learning. 

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Poor/Not considered
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good

The Ducks Unlimited website combined with the banding activity allows the students to explore the information in depth with real situations describing the ducks and their habitats.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Satisfactory

The lesson is not really structured for choice.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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