BEAKS AND FEET
MAKE THE CONNECTION OF FORM TO FUNCTION

SWIMMING FEET, RUNNING FEET, PERCHING FEET, SCOOPING BEAK, PROBING BEAK, TEARING BEAK, SCRATCHING FEET, GRASHPING FEET, SEED-EATING BEAK

KATHERINE KILBRIDE, ARCHBISHOP CHAPELLE HIGH SCHOOL

MODULE DESIGNED FOR 6-12 GRADE STUDENTS
BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

SUMMARY|INTRODUCTION|OBJECTIVES|ACTIVITY|ASSESSMENT|REFERENCES|CONCLUSION|TEACHER GUIDE

SUMMARY

BEAKS AND FEET MODULE IS DESIGNED TO INTRODUCE THE CONCEPT THAT BIRDS DEMONSTRATE PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS, SUCH AS BEAK SHAPE AND FOOT DESIGN. STUDENTS WILL INITIALLY OBSERVE VARYING BEAKS AND FEET OF BIRDS FROM SELECTED ZOO ENVIRONMENTS. EXTENSION ACTIVITIES WILL DIRECT THE STUDENT TO EXPLORE A SEARCHABLE ZOOBASE WHERE THEY WILL ENCOUNTER A DIVERSITY OF PHYSIOLOGICAL, AS WELL AS BEHAVIORIAL ADAPTATIONS, IN MANY OTHER ANIMALS FROM THE AUDUOBON ZOO. INFORMING/ENTERTAINING WWW LINKS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY AND/OR MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES WILL BE INCLUDED.

INTRODUCTION

IN NATURE STRUCTURE IS ALMOST ALWAYS RELATED TO FUNCTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, OBSERVE THE TOUCAN'S BILL. WHAT A BILL! THE POINTED TIP OF THE BILL IS USED TO SNIP OFF BITS OF FRUIT,WHICH IT TOSSES INTO ITS THROAT AND GULPS THE FRUIT DOWN WHOLE!!!!
BIRDS, ALONG WITH OTHER ANIMALS, EXHIBIT SPECIALIZED BEAKS AND FEET THAT ARE SUITED TO THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

OBJECTIVES

OBSERVE MORPHOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, PARTICULARLY BIRD BEAKS AND FEET
RESEARCH ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS
DESIGN AN ANIMAL WITH SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS TO FIT A SELECTED HABITAT

ACTIVITY

KEY TERMS
ADAPTATION---THE MODIFICATION OF AN ORGANISM OR ITS PARTS
HABITAT-------THE PHYSICAL AREA IN WHICH AN ORGANISM LIVES
MORPHOLOGY---THE STRUCTURE AND FORM OF AN ORGANISM OR ANY OF ITS PARTS

OBSERVE THE MORPHYLOGY OF THE MARIBOU STORK'S BEAK AND FEET

DESCRIBE THE BEAK STRUCTURE AS TO COLOR, SIZE, AND SHAPE.
REPEAT FOR THE FEET .
BASED ON ITS MORPHOLOGY, DISCUSS THE HABITAT TO WHICH THIS STORK WOULD BE SUITED. *hint: land, water, air
FROM ITS BEAK STRUCTURE, HOW DO YOU THINK THE MARIBOU STORK FEEDS?
FYI
CLICK AND DRAG THE MOUSE IN THE SPACE BELOW AND THE ANSWERS WILL APPEAR.
THE BEAK STRUCTURE WOULD INDICATE THAT THE STORK CAN PROBE ALONG SHORELINES AND IS A WATER FEEDER. LOOK CLOSELY AT THE FEET, THERE IS A BIT OF WEBBING BETWEEN THE TOES. THIS WOULD INDICATE THAT THE STORK IS SUITED TO A WET OR WATER ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS LAND. THE BIRD ORDER IN WHICH THE MARIBOU STORK IS CLASSIFIED IS THE CHARADRIFORMES.

OBSERVE THE NEXT BEAK/FEET SET.

HOW DOES THE BEAK OF THE COCKATOO DIFFER FROM THAN OF THE STORK?
LOOK CLOSELY AT THE COOKATOO'S FEET. COUNT THE TOES. DOES THERE APPEAR TO BE WEBBING BETWEEN THE TOES? DO THE TOES APPEAR TO BE EVEN IN LENGTH?
WHY DO YOU THINK THE TOES HAVE SUCH LONG, SHARP TALONS (NAILS)?
AGAIN CLICK AND DRAG THE MOUSE OVER THE SPACE BELOW AND THE ANSWERS WILL APPEAR.
FYI
THE COCKATOO IS A PERCHING, SONGBIRD. ITS BEAK IS ADAPTED FOR EATING SEEDS, AND ITS FEET ARE DESIGNED TO HOLD TIGHTLY ONTO BRANCHES OF TREES. THE LONG, SHARP TALONS HELPS IT TO ATTACH SECURELY TO ITS PERCH. THE COOKATOO IS CLASSED INTO THE ORDER, PASSERIFORMES.

.

THE FINAL BEAK/FEET SET TO OBSERVE IS AS FOLLOWS:

HOW IS THE FOOT STRUCTURE OF THE WHITE AFRICAN PELICAN SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE MIRABOU STORK? HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THE COCKATOO?
FROM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BEAK/FEET MORPHOLOGY, DOES THE BEAK OF THE WHITE AFRICAN PELICAN SEEM SUITED TO ITS FEET? WHY OR WHY NOT?
IN WHAT HABITAT WOULD YOU EXPECT TO FIND THE WHITE AFRICAN PELICAN (LAND, AIR, WATER)?

YOU KNOW THE ROUTINE, CLICK AND DRAG..........

FYI
DID YOU KNOW? THE BROWN PELICAN IS THE STATE BIRD OF LOUISIANA.
THE OFFICIAL SEAL OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA INCLUDES "A WHITE PELICAN WITH ITS HEAD TURNED TO THE LEFT, IN A NEST WITH THREE YOUNG ".

THE WHITE AFRICAN PELICAN IS NOT NATIVE TO LOUISIANA. HOWEVER, IT SHARES MANY CHARACTERISTICS OF BROWN PELICANS. ITS FEET ARE FULLY WEBBED AND ENABLE THE PELICAN TO SWIM EASILY. IN FACT, THE PELICAN IS AWKWARD ON LAND; IT IS AT HOME IN THE WATER. THE BEAK OF THE PELICAN CAN BE EXTENDED TO FORM A POUCH; IT IS USED AS A DIP NET FOR FISH AND CAN BE USED AS A TROUGH TO FEED YOUNG PELICANS. THE PELICAN'S POUCH IS CAPABLE OF HOLDING APPROXIMATELY THREE (3) GALLONS OF WATER. THE WATER DRAINS OUT, WHILE THE FRESH FISH ARE HELD.

ASSESSMENT
BUILD A BETTER BIRD

YOU WILL BE IN A GROUP WITH TWO OTHER STUDENTS AND WILL BE ASSIGNED (MAYBE YOUR TEACHER WILL ALLOW YOUR GROUP TO SELECT) A PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH YOUR "CREATION" WILL EXIST AND SURVIVE.

AS A GROUP, YOU WILL DESIGN A BIRD WHOSE BEAK AND FEET MEET THE CONDITIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT. EACH MEMBER OF YOUR GROUP IS EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL PROJECT. YOUR GOAL IS TO PRODUCE A REPRESENTATION OF YOUR BIRD EITHER ON PAPER, AS A MODEL, OR WITH COMPUTER GRAPHICS SOFTWARE, FOR EXAMPLE, PAINT.

ASSESSMENT TOOL
THE FOLLOWING RUBRIC WILL BE USED BY YOUR TEACHER TO ASSESS YOUR GROUP'S "CREATION".
GROUP PROJECT
BUILD A BIRD
GROUP MEMBER NAMES____________________________________________________________________
SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT___________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

Guerrierie, Frank W. "Beak Adaptations." Science Scope. January 1999: 19-21

Towle, Albert. Modern Biology. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1991.

"Create A Bird."Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia Lesson Guide For Science Excursions. 1994 ed.

Hester, Carol. Personal Interview. 11 March 2000.

Catladge, Janice Personal Interview. 11 March 2000.

PICTURED RIGHT: KORIBUSTER
PICTURED LEFT: RED PARROT

CONCLUSION

THROUGH FIRST HAND, VIRTURAL FIELD EXPERIENCES OF THE DIGITAL IMAGES OF OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS AT AUDUOBON ZOO, STUDENTS ARE BETTER ABLE TO MAKE THE CONNECTION OF FORM TO FUNCTION. COMPUTER GENERATED MODULES, SUCH AS THIS, REPLACE THE PENCIL AND PAPER, TEXT-BASED LESSONS WITH ENGAGING AND INFORMATIVE STRATEGIES FOR LEARNING. EDUCATION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CLASSROOM IS VIRTUAL REALITY.

TEACHER GUIDE
MORE GREAT IMAGES AND ACTIVITIES BELOW!! BE SURE TO BROWSE THE EXTENSION ACTIVITIES. STUDENTS WILL CONDUCT RESEARCH ON SELECTED TOPICS AND ENGAGE IN KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION. THESE EXTENSIONS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR 9-12 GRADE STUDENTS.

WWW AND INTERNET LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED THAT LINK THE TEACHER/STUDENT TO ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION RELATED TO "STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION".

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

IN NATURE, BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS ARE EXHIBITED BY ORGANISMS.
OBSERVE THE TURTLES PICTURED BELOW.

SOLAR TURTLES?????

WHY ARE THESE TURTLES EXPOSING THE INNER WEB BETWEEN THEIR TOES?
HINT: RESEARCH REPTILES AND ULTRAVIOLET RAYS.
CLICK AND DRAG THE MOUSE ON THE SPACE BELOW AND THE ANSWER WILL MAGICALLY APPEAR

FYI
AN ORGANISM'S RATE OF METABOLISM (CHEMICAL REACTIONS) IS PARTIALLY CONTROLLED BY BODY TEMPERATURE. THEREFORE REGULATING BODY TEMPERATURE BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT. IN REPTILES, AS IN FISH AND AMPHIBIANS,BODY TEMPERATURE IS AFFECTED AND LARGELY DETERMINED BY THE TEMPERATURE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THESE ANIMALS ARE REFERRED TO AS ECTOTHERMIC, OR COLD-BLOODED. REPTILES REGULATE THEIR INTERNAL BODY TEMPERATURE WITH BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, TURTLES BASKING IN THE SUN ON A LOG TO WARM UP OR SEEKING SHADE TO COOL DOWN.

WHY MIGHT BE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION OF THE SUN AND BACTERIAL GROWTH IN THE MOIST, DAMP WEBBING OF THE TURTLES TOES?

BACTERIA, SINGLE-CELLED ORGANISMS, REPRODUCE RAPIDLY. UNDER OPTIMAL CONDITIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME BACTERIA CAN DIVIDE AND PRODUCE OFFSPRING EVERY 15 MINUTES. FACTORS SUCH AS HEAT, COLD, PREDATION, AND LACK OF FOOD INHIBIT THE RATE OF REPRODUCTION AND RETARD THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA. ULTRA-VIOLET RAYS FROM THE SUN ACT INHIBIT THE BACTERIA THAT MAY GROW BETWEEN THE TOES OF THE TURTLE.

THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY "ZOO STORIES" AND "ZOO INFORMATION" RELATED BY CAROL HESTER OF THE AUDUBON INSTITUTE.

MORE ACTIVITES

PICTURED ABOVE ARE MODELS OF REPTILIAN EGGS FROM THE KOMODO DRAGON EXHIBIT.
SURF THE INTERNET AND RESERCH THE FOLLOWING:
DESCRIBE THE STRUCTURE OF THE AMNIOTE EGG.
EXPLAIN ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE EVOLUTION OF REPTILES.

INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITY: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CONNECTION

PELICAN PROJECT

LOUISIANA'S STATE BIRD, THE BROWN PELICAN, DISAPPEARED FROM LOUISIANA'S COASTLINE IN 1963. PESTICIDES CONTAINING DDT FOUND THEIR WAY INTO MARINE FOOD CHAINS BY WAY OF AGRICULTURAL RUN-OFF. THESE PESTICIDES BIOACCUMULATED WITH EACH LINK IN THE FOOD CHAIN. PELICANS, TOP LINE PREDATORS, WERE WIPED OUT DUE TO MALFUNCTIONS IN CALCIUM METABOLISM AND EGG SHELLS TOO THIN TO CARRY DEVELOPING PELICANS TO TERM.

USE THE WHITE AFRICAN PELICAN IMAGE AND HAVE STUDENTS RESEARCH INFORMATION REGARDING LOUISIANA'S BROWN PELICAN. STUDENTS SHOULD COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF EACH. *NOTE: THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN OR EIGHT SPECIES, WORLDWIDE. THE BROWN PELICAN IS THE ONLY SPECIES OF PELICANS THAT ARE STRICTLY MARINE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BROWN PELICAN, REFER TO THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATIONS:

LOUISIANA CONSERVATIONIST "THE LONG ROAD BACK, LOUISIANA'S BROWN PELICAN REVIVAL" MARCH/APRIL 2000.

STILL MORE IDEAS:

LINK TO OUR ZOOBASE INDEX PAGE http://www.classtech2000.com/techined/pics/index.htm

BROWSE THRU THE IMAGES. SELECT ANY YOU CHOOSE AND DESIGN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THESE. FOR COMMENTS,SHARING IDEAS, OR INFORMATION ON THESE MODULES, PLEASE EMAIL kkilbride@aol.com

STANDARDS CORRELATION

http://www.lcet.doe.state.la.us/doe/asps/home.asp?I=CONTENT

LIFE SCIENCE: LS-M-C1, LS-M-A2, LS-H-F4, LS-H-F1
SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT: SE-H-A8, SE-H-D3

SUGGESTED LINKS:

http://outreach.rice.edu/~niedzie/galbay/beakchallenge.htm
BIRD BEAK CHALLENGE--A HANDS-ON LAB WHERE STUDENTS WORK IN LAB GROUPS OF FIVE. EACH STUDENT IS ASSIGNED A "BEAK" TOOL. TOOLS INCLUDE SCISSORS, TOOTHPICKS, STRAWS, SPOONS, AND CLOTHESPINS. STUDENTS ARE GIVEN A SET AMOUNT OF TIME TO FEED/HARVEST A VARIETY OF FOOD ITEMS, i.e. RAISINS-GRUBS, TRAIL MIX--SEEDS, GUMMY WORMS--WORMS, STYROFOAM--WATER BUGS, ETC.

http://www.accessexcellence.org/atg/data/released/0346-CarolynNevin/description.html
"FOR THE BIRDS"--A FIVE (5) PART INTERDISCIPLINARY INDIVIDUAL PROJECT THAT INCORPORATES CREATIVE WRITING EXERCISES, PERIODICAL RESEARCH, AND GRAPHIC EXERCISES.