Helping Birds in Winter – Play online

Read the two sources

Our class question is: How can people help birds in winter? Read both sources to find facts.

Article: Winter Bird Helpers

1Winter can be a hard time for birds. The days are short and the air is cold. Snow may cover seeds and bugs, so food is harder to find. Many birds fluff up their feathers to stay warm.

2People can help birds in winter. A feeder filled with sunflower seeds gives birds a meal, and many kinds of birds like these seeds. A feeder should be cleaned often so the birds stay healthy.

3Birds need water, too. In cold weather, the water in a dish can freeze. When people put out fresh water in a shallow dish, birds can get a drink.

Ravi's Bird Log

1Monday: I filled a feeder with sunflower seeds. I hung it on a branch near my window.

2Tuesday: Two small gray birds visited the feeder. They ate some seeds and flew away.

3Wednesday: The wind was strong. The feeder was empty by lunch, so I filled it up.

4Thursday: The water in the dish was frozen. I put out fresh water. A bright red bird took a long drink.

5Friday: I cleaned the feeder and let it dry. Then I filled it with more seeds.

Find the facts

Use the article and Ravi's log to answer each question.

Use the article. Why can winter be a hard time for birds?

A. Birds cannot fly when the days are short.B. Strong winds blow the bird feeders away.C. Snow can cover the seeds and bugs birds eat.D. Most bird nests are too small for the cold.

Use paragraph 1 of the article. Write the word that tells what many birds fluff up to stay warm.

Many birds fluff up their to stay warm.

Read paragraph 4 of Ravi's log. Underline the sentence that tells what Ravi did about the frozen water.

Which source tells each fact? Sort the facts.

Use Ravi's log. Match each day to what happened.

Answer the class question

Now use what you learned to answer the class question: How can people help birds in winter?

Which sentence best answers the class question, "How can people help birds in winter?"

A. People can wash the birds in warm soapy water.B. People can fill a feeder and put out fresh water.C. People can build tiny houses for every bird in town.D. People can ask the birds to fly to a new place.

Finish the answer with words from the word bank.

People can help birds by filling a feeder with seeds, putting out water, and the feeder often.

From your own experience: Think of an animal you have seen near your home or school. Write one thing you remember about it.

From the sources: Write one sentence that answers the class question. Use a fact from the article or from Ravi's log.