One Dark Bird Activity

Summary

Can you guess what a murmuration is? The image above might give you a hint. A murmuration occurs when starlings fly together and change direction in a fluid movement. Their flight pattern looks like a choreographed dance that fills the sky with swarming spirals.

One Dark Bird describes a murmuration in a fascinating way. The story begins as a counting book with one starling in a tree. The bird takes flight, and soon other starlings join him. Each bird is tallied as it enters the group. The counting pauses when hundreds of birds join the first group of ten. A hawk appears, and the birds dive and swerve to escape danger. Lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations sweep the reader into an acrobatic whirl. A countdown commences when danger is averted and the group disperses. The story ends as it begins with one starling in a tree.

One Dark Bird Activity

AASL Standards Framework for Learners: Inquire/Think I.A.2 Learners display curiosity and initiative by recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.

A murmuration is a phenomena that will fascinate learners. Share One Dark Bird with a classroom educator. Collaborate on a lesson that supports the Next Generation Science Standards.

• Learn why the Next Generation Science Standards respect exploring phenomenon by watching Phenomena Video.
• Read One Dark Bird, stopping along the way to notice and wonder. Record questions on chart paper.
• Watch Flight of the Starlings: Watch This Eerie but Beautiful Phenomenon/ Short Film Showcase. Wonder how hundreds of starlings fly together without running into each other.
• Ask, “How can we explain murmurations with what we already know about animal behavior? How is it that hundreds of birds can fly so closely together without bumping into each other?” Record ideas.
• Explore What is a Murmuration on Wonderopolis, an AASL Best Website for Teaching and Learning.
• Invite learners to synthesize new information to explain how starlings maneuver together.

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