20 THE EXTENSION 
SPECIAL WORK IN BIRD STUDY 
Field excursions. While books and pictures may be 
helpful in interesting children in this work, the use of 
these alone would be placing bird study on a very narrow 
basis. Here, as in all other branches of nature study, by 
far the best way is to take Mother Nature for our teacher 
and study the birds in their native haunts. There is no 
better way to lead the children to see the value of bird life 
than by actual observation. With this idea in view, much 
good may be accomplished by taking a few children at a 
time on field excursions. If it is not possible for the teach- 
_er to go, the children may be encouraged to take walks by 
themselves and report on what they have seen. 
Note books. Children can make attractive bird book- 
lets of their own by writing descriptions of the birds stud- 
ied. Poems and stories may also be included in these. If 
more elaborate ones are desired, they may be illustrated 
with colored drawings of birds made by the children, or 
with bird pictures, and appropriate covers may be made. 
Scrap book on birds. A valuable scrap book may be 
prepared by having the children bring in chppings on 
birds, ineluding articles, poems, stories, and songs. This 
material will be found very useful when preparing for the 
Bird and Arbor Day program. 
Birds games and debates. An occasional bird game 
will give variety to the work. The following very simple 
one will serve as an illustration. Some child describes a 
bird, giving as many points about it as possible, but not 
telling its name. The other children guess what bird it 1s, 
and the one who gets it right has the privilege of deserib- 
ing the next bird. This may be used as a review exercisé 
after a number of birds have been studied. With younger 
children games in which they impersonate the birds may 
be used. In the higher grade a debate often adds interest 
to the bird study. Some such topic as the following may 
be chosen: Resolved, that birds save much more than they 
destroy. 
Bird calendar. Children will be interested in keeping 
a bird calendar. This should include the birds studied, 
with a few points about each one, as follows: 
Name of bird. 
When seen (resident, found all the year in one loeali- 
ty; summer, found only in summer; or _ winter, 
found only in winter.) 
