Fun Bird Facts & Creativity

We started our bird unit finally. I had planned on starting it Monday but I was having printer issues which are now fixed. Since we are doing a lapbook, I needed to get the little books printed out before we could really begin.

We are using the Live 'N Learn Folder based on Birds that I got from the HomeschooleStore. There are several versions of it (based on age groups). We are using the Grade 4 and up because that's the one I happen to have. Looking through it, it looks like we'll be learning some fun and interesting facts about birds and completing some fun experiments and crafts.

Today we learned some facts about some amazing birds. Did you know...

• The smallest bird is a Bee Hummingbird. It is only 2 inches long and weighs less than a penny. The smallest bird egg (also from a type of hummingbird) is the size of a small pea.
• The largest bird is the Ostrich, of course. But did you know it stands 9 feet tall? Ostrich eggs are the largest bird eggs at 6-7 inches long.
• The fastest flying bird is the Spine-tailed Swift. It can fly 106 mph. The Peregrine Falcon can reach speeds over 200 mph in a dive. The Ostrich can run 43 mph. The Gentoo Penguin takes the gold for swimming the fastest.
• The Wandering Albatross has the longest wingspan at 12 feet which is 3 times the length of its body.

After learning some fun bird facts we tried to flap our arms wings at the same speed some birds flap theirs. We came to the conclusion that we could keep up with crows and robins but keeping up with the chickadee (270 beats every 10 seconds) and the hummingbird (up to 700 beats every 10 seconds) was hopeless.

Then we moved on to some creative writing. Here's the question: If a hummingbird had a conversation with an albatross would would they say? What do YOU think they would say? Here's my kids' answers:

Mika's:
Hummingbird: Hummmm....
Albatross: What?
Hummingbird: Hummmmm....
Albatross: Huh?
Hummingbird: Sorry. I was doing yoga.

I think she was kind of witty. Here's Sammy's:

Hummingbird: Hello. Can I tell you a funny story?
Albatross: Yes, you can tell me a funny story.
Hummingbird: This is the story. There was this snowman that was like a regular snowman but then it comes to life somehow. There was nothing on it to make it come alive. Then the snowman sees a ghost. The ghost said, "Get to a normal snowman." Then it gets to a normal snowman. That's it.
Albatross: That was a funny story.

He thought he was hilarious. I have no idea where he got one from especially since I reviewed the two birds to try to give them some ideas of what might be said between them. But, since it was creative writing, I let it be.