MCDOWELL VOLUNTARY PROGRAM: Pupils sharpen skills by focusing on birds

Exiting third- and fourth-grade students had the opportunity to participate in a voluntary four-day summer program at McDowell Elementary, June 24-27. 

The focus of the program was to sharpen non-fiction reading skills. Self-proclaimed “Bird Nerd” and third-grade teacher, Ms. Bochenek, and Ms.Sutphen, the school’s upper elementary resource teacher, designed and co-taught the program around the topic of “birds."  

Students were able to observe birds in their natural environment while learning about them through their participation in a variety of mini-lessons that focused on important reading skills. Students learned how to differentiate between fiction and non-fiction text, identify key features of non-fiction text,
determine author’s purpose, understand the meanings and differences between carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, locate important details,identify and use  headings, and determine the main idea of a paragraph. 

In between mini-lessons, students learned how to use a field guide and binoculars to identify common birds in the habitat that surrounded the school.  

They jotted down notes about birds they spotted in journals that they designed. In addition to designing their own covers to their journals, students delved into their creative side by creating poems about birds of their choice, and creating colorful “owl art."

The program was a success and enjoyed by all who participated.