Third Grade Students Use STEM To Create Bird Feeders

Third grade students have been learning about animal traits and adaptations in science class and recently turned their focus to birds. This week they worked in collaborative groups to draw a plan for a bird feeder that they then built from scratch with the help of parent volunteers. Students used power tools, recycled materials, and followed their engineering plans in the Cordell Library and Innovation Center. The construction of bird feeders is a prime opportunity to engage students in engineering and mathematics through design, measurement, geometry, and problem solving. The bird feeders aren’t just tools for attracting birds; they are bridges to a lifetime of STEM learning and environmental stewardship.

“Creating bird feeders in science class is an exciting and educational project for our third grade students that encourages scientific inquiry, problem-solving, and creativity,” said Ashley Ann McGehee, Beaches Campus third grade teacher. “Bird feeding isn’t just about hanging up a bird feeder and hoping for the best; it involves a good understanding of the natural world. Ms. Johnson, Beaches Campus science teacher, also introduced basic ornithology, the study of birds, to help them appreciate the different species that will visit their feeders.”