On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, ARTSED4ALL launches “THE HUMMINGBIRD EFFECT,” an integrated arts project and school-wide study of birds at Rooftop School.
“THE HUMMINGBIRD EFFECT,” is a phrase coined to describe how an innovation in one field can trigger unexpected breakthroughs in wholly different domains.
We invite you to experience “THE HUMMINGBIRD EFFECT,” by helping your students to enjoy and “Celebrate Urban Birds” by engaging with the bird-rich environs of Twin Peaks. With support from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, our students will explore our connection to birds, as well as the cultural significance of birds as symbols of community identity.
This inaugural STEAM Learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) effort encourages students to innovate with Nature and explore the fascinating interchange between nature and technology. Classrooms may participate in The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen science efforts by bird watching and submitting data on 16 focal bird species. In addition, students will learn about the Anna’s Hummingbird and other birds familiar to our school site, such as the cherry-headed conures and, of course, Rooftop’s mascot the Raven. This month-long exploration aims to raise a greater community awareness of the importance of birds to the health and the well-being of our ecosystem. Exhibits sharing student work and classroom engagement will be on display at the Burnett Campus from April 30th (Open House) through May 22nd, the International Day of Biodiversity.
With coordinated effort, individual ideas can inspire collaborative action that adds up to real, positive change. By sharing the richly diverse arts learning that happens within Rooftop classrooms with the larger school community, we show our students that the little things do matter.
We can all do our part to inspire action that sustains and celebrates life.
“I will be a hummingbird; I will do the best I can” — Professor Wangari Maathai
In 1977, Wangari Maathai, the first environmentalist and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya to address the challenges of deforestation, soil erosion and lack of water. She began with the simple act of teaching others to plant trees. Her actions resulted in the planting of over 40 million trees in Kenya.
RESOURCES
CELEBRATE URBAN BIRDS participation packets for every classroom include the following items (in English & Spanish):
- “Welcome to Celebrate Urban Birds” Letter with illustrations of 16 Focal Species
- Data Sheet with Return Envelope
- Little Green Places Poster
- Focal Species Silhouette Poster with Cool Facts
- A packet of Lemon Queen Sunflower Seeds
- “Zero Means a Lot” sticker
Additional Celebrate Urban Birds (CUBs) resources, including a PowerPoint presentation to identify the 16 Celebrate Urban Birds focal species, can be found here: http://celebrateurbanbirds.org/community/minigrants/resources-for-mini-grants/
THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY is a world leader in the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. Their hallmarks are scientific excellence and technological innovation to advance the understanding of nature and to engage people of all ages in learning about birds and protecting the planet. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/
All About Birds – An online guide to birds and bird watching with ID tips, sound, and video for 216 species. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/
Bird Cams – Get up close and personal with a live camera view of Owls, Albatross, Red-Tailed Hawks and more! http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/
BirdSleuth K-12 – BirdSleuth K-12 creates innovative resources that build science skills while inspiring young people to connect to local habitats, explore biodiversity, and engage in citizen science projects. http://www.birdsleuth.org/
Celebrate Hummingbirds – Your observations will help scientists better understand how hummingbirds are using urban areas. http://test.celebrateurbanbirds.org/celebrate-hummingbirds/
Merlin Bird ID App – A free app that can help you to identify 400 North American birds. http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Physics of Animal Behavior – Teaching resources for K-12 educators to explore how birds fly, migrate, and communicate, and how researchers study them. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/physics
YardMap – YardMap is a citizen science project designed to cultivate a richer understanding of bird habitat, for both professional scientists and people concerned with their local environments. http://content.yardmap.org/
Visit the Rooftop Library website for more birdwatching resources http://rooftopk8.org/programs/library/
Please let us know how we can help to support your classroom interests and assist you in documenting and sharing your student work. Watch “The Hummingbird Project” unfold on the ArtsEd4All blog.
We look forward to Celebrating Urban Birds with you!
ArtsEd4All 
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