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How can you help a lost baby animal find its parents?
Animal Superpowers Unit | Lesson 1 of 5
Back > Share

How can you help a lost baby animal find its parents?

Animal Superpowers Unit | Lesson 1 of 5
Lesson narration:
English Spanish
Scroll for prep
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Discuss:
What do you see about the mother and baby that is the same?
What do you see that is different?
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Discuss:
How would you match these baby animals with their parents?
What did you notice that helped you match them?
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Check out this baby eagle and adult eagle. Discuss:
Which traits stay the SAME?
Which traits CHANGE?
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DISCUSS:

Some traits of baby birds change as they grow.

So, how could you match a baby bird with its parent?

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01/14
Find a partner.
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Let’s do a practice round together.
Discuss.
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Here’s what we noticed.
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Get your supplies.
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Challenge #1: Open your envelope that is labeled “A.”
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Here are three adult birds that also live in the forest. Talk with your
partner about which of these you think may be the parent of the
baby bird that Brenda found.
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07a/14
Circle the traits of the baby bird that helped you match it to an adult
bird.
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Here’s what we noticed.
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Challenge #2: Open your envelope that is labeled “B.”
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Here are three adult birds that also live near the lake. Talk with your
partner about which of these adult birds you think may be the parent
of the baby bird.
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10a/14
Circle the traits of the baby bird that helped you match it to an adult bird.
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Here’s what we noticed.
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Challenge #3: Open your envelope that is labeled “C.”
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Here are three adult birds that also live in the town. Talk with your
partner about which of these adult birds you think may be the parent
of the baby bird.
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Step
13a/14
Circle the traits of the baby bird that helped you match it to an adult
bird.
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Here’s what we noticed.
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Discuss:
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# Extensions
Below are ideas for extending this topic beyond the activity and exploration you just completed.
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# Readings

This set of articles about baby animals reinforces the concept that some animals are born looking very similar to their parents while others take some time to develop similar traits. These readings are free with registration on ReadWorks.

On Epic (an online digital library that offers free membership to teachers), Meet My Family! explores baby animals around the world and how the families of those baby animals can come in all different shapes and sizes.

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# Activity: DIY Binoculars & Nature Walks

Encourage your students to observe animals more closely by creating simple cardboard binoculars with recycled materials. Instructions for how to make these are available from the National Audubon Society.

If you have the opportunity to explore outside with your students, here are some tips on how to engage them in listening for and looking for birds!

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# Videos: Live Baby Animal Cams!

You can observe baby birds from your classroom via webcams on Explore. You can explore bald eagles, owls, and even tiny hummingbirds.

If it's not the right time of year for baby birds, you can also observe puppies and kittens!

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animal


1 of 7

a living thing that needs to eat other living things
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offspring


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babies
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wildlife


3 of 7

animals and plants in nature
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trait


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something you can observe about a living thing, such as the pointy beak of a bird
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observe


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to pay close attention to something
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identify


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to figure out what or who something is
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evidence


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information that can be used to support or reject an idea
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Lesson narration:
English Spanish

Grade 1

Animal Traits & Survival

Parent & Offspring Traits

1-LS3-1

Activity Prep

Print Prep

In this lesson, students make observations of baby animals and their parents, gathering evidence that they look similar because they share many of the same traits. In the activity, Baby Bird Rescue, students help identify lost baby birds based on observations of their specific traits.

Preview activity
Number of students:

I have a Mystery Pack

Baby Birds printout Print 3 copies
Envelopes
45 envelopes
Prep Instructions

We suggest students work in pairs.

Prepare Bird Cards

Cut along all dotted lines so that you have six individual birds per sheet. A paper cutter will make this task go quickly. Make sure to keep bird “A,” “B,” and “C” in separate piles.

Prepare Envelopes

Divide envelopes into three equal piles. Use a marker to label all envelopes in one pile “A.” Label all envelopes in another pile “B,” and label all envelopes in the third pile “C.”

Then, place one bird card in each labeled envelope, making sure to put bird “A” in envelopes labeled “A,” bird “B” in envelopes labeled “B,” and bird “C” in envelopes labeled “C.” Each pair of students working together will need three envelopes (“A,” “B,” and “C”) for the activity.

Exploration

16 mins

Hands-On Activity

30 mins

Wrap-Up

4 mins

Grade 1

Animal Traits & Survival

Parent & Offspring Traits

1-LS3-1

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Credits