My Interests- A List of Informative Websites

Hello all~

If any of you have visited my sampler site, or listened to what I have said in class, you would know that one of my greatest interests is aviculture. In other words, I am owned by three large parrots; two umbrella cockatoos and one blue and gold macaw. The cockatoos are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-seven, while the blue and gold macaw is seventeen. (I have had two of them since they were babies. The other cockatoo was adopted from a rescue.)

Here is the link to the Rescue for Saving the WIldlife in Northbrook, Illinois. http://rescuethebirds.org/


I created a unit called, Tropical Dilemma: The Interconnection Between the Vanishing Rainforests and our Feathered Friends. When I first began my avian adventure, I did it on a volunteer basis. I started by bringing my live parrots to one school for “pet club”. The purpose of this was to introduce the students to birds as pets and to discuss how amazing they can be. Once I discovered the wonder the children expressed when they saw my birds, and the questions and the interest that was evident, it made me realize that my birds made a wonderful conduit to other topics. Therefore I reworked the lesson, doing many hours of research and study. I was able to create an entire unit based on how the children responded to the initial presentation. My ‘bird lesson’ became a medium to global understanding that encompasses subject areas of global warming, the destruction of the rainforest, other cultures, and the influence people have on the environment.

Additionally, I was able to include all of the subject areas. For the science portion, we discuss the taxonomy order, and how that applies to the real world. I include math and social studies by having the students study the flight patterns of the birds, as well as the countries and continents that they come from. I discuss the destruction of the rainforest, and how it affects the cultures of people in those regions. I have implemented various writing programs from this lesson as well, from narrative stories, to historical biographies about the people in the regions that the birds come from. I have had the students portray the birds in pictures, from taking photographs to charcoal drawings. Finally, I have been able to incorporate the music the birds make by having students listen to the different sounds that are found naturally in the rainforests. My initial goal was to familiarize the students with parrots and their behavior. However, I came to realize through the feedback I received from parents, teachers and administrators, that I had actually started to shape the next generation of aviculturists!

In order to present this lesson and go into the schools, it was necessary to communicate my intentions to various school districts, teachers, principals, and parents. I did this by drafting a letter, which I followed up with a phone call. Once I was given the green light, I continued by sending a flyer to all the parents of the students who were interested in attending with my phone number and email address. This way, if the parents had any questions, concerns or interest about the topics discussed, they would be able to get in touch with me prior to the lesson. Furthermore, I have invited any and all parents and community members to attend the lesson. By doing this, the parent is aware of what type of lesson their children are attending, and they may come along if they like. What started out as a 15 minute introduction to birds has turned into a ninety minute, hands-on, interactive presentation on the destruction of the rainforest, the cultures of the people who live in the region, and the influence we all have on our planet Earth.

Some of the links that have been helpful to me regarding research for this unit are listed below.

http://www.mytoos.com/
This is a comprehensive website filled with the best information about cockatoos on the web. It clearly states in no uncertain terms what the potential owner may be getting into if they chose to purchase/adopt a parrot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockatoo
I realize that this link is to Wikipedia, however, there is very detailed specific information that can be found here. It is worthwhile for the novice aviculturalist.

http://www.avianweb.com/cockatooinfo.htm
This is another great site for information about cockatoos. It provides multiple links to all areas of bird ownership including screaming, biting, and the destruction that a pet parrot will do to the novice owner’s home.

http://www.birdsnways.com/cockatoo/
Cockatoo Heaven is a more laid back website that talks of the joys of owning a cockatoo. It has useful information.

http://rescuethebirds.org/
The Refuge for Saving the Wildlife is located in Northbrook, Illinois. I am a senior volunteer at this shelter where people can place their unwanted cockatoos.

That is all for now! If you are interested in more cockatoo information,or having the birds come to your classroom, you may visit me at: http://cuip.net/~kgreen3/Sampler/index.htm