TRAFTON] STUDENTS TO TEACH ABOUT BIRDS 89 



In the discussion of the teaching aspect, special attention is 

 given to the preparation of lesson plans, in which some bird topic 

 is chosen and a lesson planned for a particular grade and a par- 

 ticiilar season of the year. These are carefully discussed in the 

 class. 



The following sample plan shows the outline used and suggests 

 something of the various features which it is desired to bring out 

 in connection with each heading. 



I. Topic. 



Building nesting houses for the wren. 



II. Grade and season. 



Fourth grade — early spring about the time that the wren 

 is due to come back. (In S. E. Minn. Apl. 27.) 



III. Materials 



Collection of various kinds of wren houses, one with a nest 

 in it, colored picture of wren. 



IV. Giving the lesson. 



A. Preparation. 



1. Introducing the child's problem by relating to previous 



knowledge. 



What birds have you seen this spring? Have any of 

 them begun to make nests yet ? How many know what 

 this bird in the picture is? Have you seen it this 

 spring? It may come any day now, so watch carefully 

 for it. Why would you like to have this bird live in 

 your yard this spring? In what sort of a place does it 

 make its nest ? 



2. Stating the child's problem. 



Let us see what kind of a house we should make so as 

 to get a pair of wrens to nest in our yard this spring. 



B. Development. 



Outline. Questions and Observations 



Materials. What different kinds of materials do you find in 



these houses? Which do you think would be 

 best? Why? 



Size of house. How can we tell how big to make the house ? How 

 much difference in size is there among these houses ? 



