trafton] students TO TEACH ABOUT BIRDS 85 



III. Class discussions. 



A. Subject matter. 



B. Methods of teaching. 



1. What to teach. 



2. How to teach. 

 a. Lesson plans. 



h. Observation and discussion of actual teaching. 

 c. General suggestions. 



One of the chief purposes of the laboratory work is to enable 

 the students to identify the common birds. 



The equipment for this work consists of bird skins, mounted 

 specimens, nests and eggs, of about one hundred birds, and samples 

 of bird nesting boxes sold by various firms, including six companies 

 in this country and one in Germany. 



Each student is supplied with a copy of Reed's Guide to the 

 Land Birds, and with a chart of about 150 common birds of Minn. 

 On this chart the permanent residents are first listed, and for each 

 bird is given; date of nesting, field marks, birds with which con- 

 fused, and its occurrence, whether common, uncommon or rare. 



Next follows a list of the winter residents, for which the same 

 points are given as for the permanent residents, except the nesting 

 date, and in addition are given the date of arrival in the fall and 

 the date of departure in the spring. 



Following this is a list of the summer residents and transient 

 visitants arranged in the order in which they arrive in the spring. 

 Below is a sample of the points given for the summer residents. 



Name of Date of Date of Date of Field Confused 



Bird arrival nesting leaving Marks with 



Robin-c Mch. 8 Apr. 28 Nov. 11 Breast Chewink 



Bluebird-c Mch. 16 Apr. 16 Oct. 31 Breast, back Indigo bird, 

 Yellow blue] ay 



Warbler-c Apr. 28 May 24 Sep. 10 Breast, back Goldfinch 



For the transient visitants the date of nesting is omitted and the 

 dates of arrival and departure in the spring and fall are given. 



The following directions are given the students to guide them 

 in their study. 



Birds 



L Study of Birds for the Purpose of Identification. 



For each bird studied record the following: 



1. Name. (Find by using the key, pictures and descriptions in 

 "Reed's Guide to the Land Birds.") 



