A Lesson on Birds
In a normal science lesson on birds and how they live, for a third grade classroom,
the teacher usually follows a pretty set curriculum and doesn’t include
as many projects as they should. It is a lot of reading and gathering information
about certain topics. Maybe a few different books or coloring sheets, but it is
definitely not a hands-on environment. If Dewey were teaching this science lesson
on birds, he would have the children doing actual projects to help them better
understand birds. Dewey states on page twenty-two, “With the growth of the
child’s mind in power and knowledge it ceases to be a pleasant occupation
merely and becomes more and more a medium, an instrument, an organ of understanding—and
I thereby transformed” (22). This is stating that he believes the children
will mold their own minds by being able to think critically and learn by doing,
not just listening.
In the bird lesson, Dewey would teach the children about all different kinds of
birds through interaction. Not necessarily bringing the birds into the classroom,
but rather going out and observing the birds in their natural habitat. By sitting
outside and observing the birds, Dewey would have the kids take a few notes on
what they see and how it is different than other types of birds, animals, or species
that live on the earth. A field trip to the zoo would also be another option so
the students could study other types of birds that are not in the area they live.
He would also have them create birdhouses and feeders to observe more in depth
how the live, what they eat, and what kind of different bird foods attract different
birds.
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