Why do birds lay eggs in the spring?

Why do birds lay eggs in the spring?
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

DISCUSS:

Why do you think most birds lay their eggs in spring, and not other seasons?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
DISCUSS: What do mother robins and father robins do to help their babies grow up?
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?

DISCUSS:

Every spring, birds build nests. Why does a bird need a nest?

Can you think of ways having a nest helps a bird?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
01/15
Get your supplies.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
02/15
Find a partner. You and your partner will help each other build your
nests. If you’re working alone, that’s okay too.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
03/15
Some birds use twigs to make a nest that’s shaped like a bowl.
You don’t have twigs, but you do have a paper bag. Discuss:
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
04/15
Put your bag on your table or desk, like this. Stand up and put your
hand in the bag. Have your partner use both hands to squash down
the sides of the bag.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
05/15
Your bag started out flat. Suppose a bird laid an egg on that flat bag.
Watch what would happen. Now watch what would happen if a bird
laid an egg in the nest you made from a bag. Discuss:
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
06/15
Your nest is off to a great start. But you aren’t done yet! Watch this
little bird to figure out what might make your nest better! Discuss:
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
07/15
You have some things you could use to make your nest soft inside.
Feel each one. Decide which would make the paper bag a softer place
for eggs and chicks.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
08/15
Now you have to figure out how to use the soft things you have.
Experiment with what you have! Make the inside of your nest soft
and cozy.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
09/15
Make your hand into a fist like this. Put your hand on the paper, with
the bottom of your hand at the edge of the paper. Trace around your
hand with a pencil.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
10/15
Color your bird. You can color it so it looks like a real bird, or like a bird
you made up. Add a tail.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
11/15
Draw a box around your bird, like this. The bird’s beak and tail should
just touch the line of the box. Now cut along the lines of the box. Your
bird is ready to sit on its nest!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
12/15
Put your bird in your nest. Your nest may not look like ours — or like
anyone else’s nest. There are many different kinds of bird nests!
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
13/15
Take a look at these three bird nests. Discuss:
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
14/15
Every nest keeps eggs from rolling away! But each nest is made of
different stuff. Flamingoes use mud. Robins use twigs. Hummingbirds
use spider webs & bits of plants.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Step
15/15
Just for fun, imagine that you’re a bird. Think about what you could
use to build your nest. Have fun, and stay curious.
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

season


1 of 7

a time of year with specific weather that repeats every year
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

spring


2 of 7

one of the four seasons, when the weather starts to warm up in some places
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

nest


3 of 7

a thing built by an animal where they raise their young
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

egg


4 of 7

laid by some animals, a baby animal can grow inside
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Slide Image

hatch


5 of 7

to come out of an egg
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

experiment


6 of 7

a test used to discover new information about a question
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Video trouble?
Slide Image

model


7 of 7

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students learn why spring is the best time for babies to be born. In the activity, Build A Bird Nest, students make a model of a bird nest and notice how birds can change their environment to meet their needs when they build their nests.
Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Blank Paper (8.5 x 11")
1 sheet per student
Crayons
Colored pencils will also work.
Details
3 crayons per student
Scissors
1 pair per student
Soft Materials
Students will use these to pad their nest. You can use tissue paper, facial tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, cotton balls, or even scraps of fabric or yarn.
Details
3 items per student
Paper Lunch Bags
1 bag per student
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Get Creative With Materials Distribution (Optional)

Students will be lining their paper bird nests with tissue paper and/or other soft material. If you have a high tolerance for chaos, you can put these materials at different stations around the room — and have your students “fly” to the stations to gather their materials. It’s fun, but chaotic.

We also suggest encouraging students to modify the materials you provide -- tearing and crumpling them to make them fit in their nest. That’s what birds do, after all!

Surprise students with a pompom egg! (Optional)

If you have a supply of pompoms, consider surprising each student with a pompom “egg” for their nest! We think 1-inch pompoms are about the right size for a paper bag nest.

Exploration

10 mins

Hands-On Activity

30 mins

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Activity

Mini-lessons

Transcripts

Download this Lesson to your device so you can play it offline:
Credits