A flash of harmless lightning, a mist of rainbow dyes, the burnished sunbeams brightening from flower to flower he flies. ~John Banister Tabb
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your language arts mini spark recording page: #4: A Hummingbird Story
2. Start by watching a video about hummingbirds. Record 5 facts on your recording page.
3. Show what you learned by choosing 3 of the prompts to answer on your recording sheet.
- Describe what makes the sky islands one of the most diverse ecosystems in North America.
- Explain the significance of hummingbirds during their migratory route.
- What unique ability do hummingbirds have that sets them apart from other birds?
- Discuss how the brain size of hummingbirds compares to that of humans.
- Why do hummingbirds remember every flower patch and feeder they visit?
- What are the best times to observe hummingbirds, and why are those times optimal?
- How does the southeastern Arizona bird observatory contribute to the study of hummingbirds?
- What adaptations do hummingbirds have that help them avoid predators?
4. Listen to this this story and write a 3 sentence summary on your recording page.
5. Listen to this story and write 2-3 sentence about the hummingbird.
6. Read this interview with the author of the Courage of the Little Hummingbird. Record 3 details from the interview on your recording page.
7. In the interview, she talks about retelling the story and answers this question: What advice do you have for authors interested in retelling old tales? Write about her response and what you learned.
8. Share your language arts mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Hummingbirds hover by flapping their wings in a infinity loop movement. Hummingbirds can flap their wings in a infinity loop while other birds go up and down or front to back.
Hummingbirds can fly in rain because they shake their body like a dog does. When it’s covered in rain, it shakes and the water comes off.
I thought it was cool that they can hover for so long even when they are so tiny. I’m gonna learn more over the summer.
I didn’t know hummingbirds weighed less than a nickel.
Hummingbirds stay hovering because their wings flap in a figure 8 motion. In a storm, they would in addition, turn their bodies around and use their tail like a rudder. It will also shake off rain from its body like a wet dog.
I wonder if they ever get tired of flapping their wings and have to land?