Hummingbird Research: Questions from Every Side

Our Hummingbird Project

1Our class is doing short research projects about animals we can see near our school. Kofi, Dalia, and I formed a group and chose hummingbirds. A tiny green one visits the red flowers outside our classroom window almost every morning. Our teacher, Ms. Petrov, told us that a good project looks at a topic from different sides. So we decided that each of us would study a different part of a hummingbird's life.

2First, we wrote research questions. Ms. Petrov said a good research question cannot be answered with just yes or no. It also should not be so big that it would take a whole book to answer. Kofi chose the question "How do hummingbirds fly?" Dalia picked "What do hummingbirds eat?" I chose "How do hummingbirds build their nests?"

3Next, we looked for sources. We found two library books, a children's science magazine, and a website made by a nature center. Ms. Petrov reminded us to check who made each website. Sites made by experts, such as museums, nature centers, and universities, are good places to find facts we can trust.

4Then we took notes. Kofi learned that hummingbirds can hover in one spot and can even fly backward. Their wings beat so fast that they make a humming sound, which is how the birds got their name. Dalia found out that hummingbirds drink sweet nectar from flowers. They also catch tiny insects, which give them protein. I read that many hummingbird mothers use spider silk to hold their small nests together. The silk lets the nest stretch as the babies grow.

5Finally, we will put our notes together. Each of us will write one section of a short report. We will add a title page at the front and a list of our sources at the end. When we finish, we will know much more about the little green visitor outside our window.