Birds and Spring, Tra La

Citizen science is a way for you to learn about birds, science, and conservation by participating in real scientific studies. As a partnership between the public and professional scientists, we make up one of the world's largest research teams! www.birds.cornell.edu

Youth celebrate urban birds as local birder and SSPP student Frankie Lewis can testify. Cornell University's Ornithology Lab once again offers young birders opportunity to learn about urban birds, those birds in their own neighborhood.

My current interest is in pigeons--there is a nest with two pigeon eggs in the lightwell outside my bathroom window in San Francisco's Sunset District. Through Project Pigeon Watch I discovered that pigeons are truly good parents--have you ever seen a baby pigeon? Probably not as their parents don't let them wander off until they are full grown. And all this time you couldn't think of a nice thing to say about pigeons. Courtship behaviors are quite interesting. Did you know they mate for life?

Feral pigeons display courtship behaviors throughout the year although they are more likely to mate in late winter and spring. Once a pair has formed a "bond" they will stay together for life. www.birds.cornell.edu/pigeonwatch

What's so special about pigeons? There are up to 28 morphs or colors of pigeons! See the Project Pigeon Watch video to learn more. So, what to read? For fun there are the classic Mo Willems Pigeon books. But, for serious birders, you might want to start with Birds of San Francisco and the Bay Area by Chris C. Fisher and Joseph Morlan (Lone Pine Publishing 1996). Check out birdwatching.com for a comprehensive list of reading material.

Graphic from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pigeonwatch/your-questions/photos/ROCPIG_3000x2000_Roseanne%20CALECA.jpg/image_preview

Swallows Return to Capistrano

March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph, marks the traditional date those in Capistrano, California, celebrate the return of the fascinating migratory bird, the Cliff Swallow. The beautifully illustrated classic, Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi (1949), was the 1950 Caldecott Award Winner. Politi tells the tale of a young boy preparing the Mission garden as he anxiously awaits the return of the swallows.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. (ALA.org)

The American Library Association maintains a list of award winners dating back to 1938.

Cliff Swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) make an annual migratory journey of 6,000 miles-- between Argentina in the winter and California in the summer. Their return to Capistrano is celebrated at Mission San Juan Capistrano every year, even as the cliff swallow has been losing ground to development in the area and fewer numbers return to the Mission.

According to legend the birds, who have visited the San Juan Capistrano area every Summer for centuries, first took refuge at the Mission when an irate innkeeper began destroying their mud nests (the birds also frequent the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo). The Mission's location near two rivers made it an ideal location for the swallows to nest, as there was a constant supply of the insects on which they feed, and the young birds are well-protected inside the ruins of the old stone church. (Wikipedia.org)

Animal DiversityWeb, a site sponsored by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology and the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University are must see links for budding zoologists and ornithologists.

Other science news, the Vernal Equinox is soon upon us. Happy Spring!

Graphic from http://images.swaptree.com/images/books/09/0689711409.jpg

Kids and The Economy

It's not just the hour change to Daylight Saving Time that has folks tired, it's the economy. . . day after day on the TV, Internet, radio, podcasts, and on and on. Maybe it's time to come clean and talk dollars and sense (!) with our students. Explain supply and demand, stimulus, depression, recession, unemployment, money and banking, and maybe even their allowance.

One place to start is Econ for Kids at Rutgers University. They have compiled a comprehensive Bibliography of Children's Books that cover Economic Concepts or Scholastic Publishers on-line Kid's Economic Glossary. The Nebraska Council on Economic Education offers these tips to help parents teach children about economics:

- Sometimes parents are too quick to solve problems for children. Help children
think through the possible outcomes or consequences of their daily choices.
- Let young children learn about personal finance by making their own earning and spending decisions. If they have to earn the money, they will have a better appreciation and understanding of the saving or spending outcomes.
- Provide children opportunities to work and incentives to save. Offer rewards for
attaining savings goals and explain howa the savings makes it possible to do big things. Consider running a family bank where children deposit money, earn interest and make spending choices.
- Bring children grocery shopping and teach about buying, comparison-shopping and saving.

Don't forget to take a look at the U.S. Department of the Treasury--its history and purpose explained at their education site.
Graphic from http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/today_impact/2008/10/large_kids-money-lessons.jpg

March: National Women's History Month

The National Women's History Project (NWHP) began as a grassroots organization in Santa Rosa, California in 1980 and has become national institution committed to writing women back into history.

Today, the NWHP is known nationally as the only clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history for educators, community organizations, and parents-for anyone wanting to expand their understanding of women contributions to U. S. history. . .Recognizing the achievements of women in all facets of life – science, community, government, literature, art, sports, medicine – has a huge impact on the development of self-respect and new opportunities for girls and young women. (NWHP.org)

So, who inspires your mom, sister, cousin, aunt, daughter, grandmother? Read, Write, Think , a partnership of the International Reading Association (IRA) the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and Verizon Foundation, has well researched lessons ready for teacher use in all aspects of developing literacy. While much of the material is suited to the classroom, there are parts of these lessons that can be utilized by parents/guardians and their children to further literacy development. The lessons on National Women's History Month are well worth a look and include links to NWHP, Time for Kids, and the My Hero Project.

The Library of Congress has a homepage for the study of Women's History and Culture in the United States. LOC's Today in History is always an interesting read. The San Francisco Public Library also marks Women's History Month with several events titled Women Making Waves.

Graphic from http://www.nwhp.org/images/poster_new_small.jpg