National Simultaneous Storytime 2024

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Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker 

This years NSS 2024 is using the book Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. What a lovely way to link a native Australian bird with some interesting habits and mating rituals with literacy and technology.

Technology Links - Data Representation

Satin Bowerbirds collect blue objects. This is a lesson that links to the book and allows you to teach about data representation and address digital technology content and link to any literacy activities you have planned for NSS 2024. 

Data Representation

Collect a range of blue items and sort them according a particular characteristic - colour, shape, size or material.

Arrange the objects into a presentation, tally them and photograph or draw them. The lesson provides templates for students to count, draw and explain their representations. It also includes an assessment activity that can be marked and then added to a student portfolio.

The lesson is available 

  • Australian Teachers Marketplace - $5 AUD cheaper due to less fees and no currency conversion. On special from 2/4/2024-7/4/2024 for $3.95.
  • Direct Message Make Create Educate on your preferred platform if you don't have paypal or access to these sites.
Find all links and stores here: https://linktr.ee/imerinet

Research Questions

What is the purpose about the bowerbird's bower? 

Which bowerbird collects blue objects?

Are there other colours or objects different species of bowerbird like to collect?

How is a bower different to a nest?

What is special about the bowerbirds call? 

Satin Bowerbird

https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/1572

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/satin-bowerbird/

Sightings https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/d6192a35-3f44-458b-9505-a571955fc476

What blue item might be dangerous to satin bowerbird? 

The blue ring from milk bottles is dangerous for small animals as it can get caught on their neck. You can reduce this danger by cutting the ring from the top of your milk and other bottles.

Spotted Bowerbird 

https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/32890/Spotted_Bowerbird_Chlamydera_maculata.pdf

https://echidnawalkabout.com.au/special-birds-of-australia/

https://wildambience.com/wildlife-sounds/spotted-bowerbird/

Facts about Bowerbirds

Some resources with facts about bowerbirds including species and their location.

https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/bowerbirds  

https://carolinabirds.org/HTML/Ptilonorhynchidae.htm

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/bowerbird

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerbird

Birds in Backyards https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/search/node/bowerbird 

Video with place holders for each species - https://youtu.be/ymbNmD7T5Uo?si=wBtLL0NjWhfkJ2jM

NSW Bowerbirds

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/native-animals/native-animal-facts/bowerbirds

NT Bowerbirds

https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/199946/bowerbirds.pdf

Vocabulary

The links in this blog contain many words that might be useful for language activities. Below are a list of words from the bush heritage site as an example of words that could be used for english activities with the book https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/bowerbirds

Tier 1

  • bird
  • nest
  • metre
  • season
  • bright
  • colour
  • health
  • dance

Tier 2 words

  • male 
  • female
  • breeding
  • threat
  • demonstration
  • competition
  • habitat
  • adornment
  • endangered
  • feral
  • predators
  • mimic
  • prowess

Tier 3 words

  • species
  • maypoles
  • bower
  • ritual
  • plumage
  • theatrical display
  • childrearing
  • polyandrous
  • scientific



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