Why Teach About Shorebirds?

With all the curricula that already exist on specialized topics, the natural question arises, why should teachers use this one? While at first glance the focus appears to be on shorebirds only, a closer look reveals that these lessons teach a broad range of scientific concepts and offer a global connection to other students, scientists, and educators. Consider what makes this program unique.

The Shorebird Theme Easily Integrates Many Subjects and the Curriculum is Correlated with National Education Standards!

• The sheer magnitude of what shorebirds accomplish in their yearly migratory cycle is truly amazing and ties into numerous subjects.  For example, Hawaii has a rich indigenous culture that incorporates its most well-known shorebird, the Kolea or Pacific Golden Plover, into its folklore, traditional songs and dances.  Studying the Kolea provides a great opportunity to teach life science, as well as history and social studies.

• Calculating migration times and distances and mapping migration localities are great opportunities for bringing mathematics and geography into the classroom in a relevant and fun way.

• By learning about and protecting shorebirds, you are protecting an entire ecosystem and all the plants and animals that depend on these important natural areas.

• Shorebirds are among the longest distance migrants of the bird world, crossing numerous international boundaries in the Western Hemisphere, Asia and Australia.

• The Shorebird Sister Schools Program can connect your field site and education program to different countries and cultures through our network.

Shorebirds can tell us a lot about the overall health of the habitats in which they live. They are also part of our earth’s incredible biodiversity. Scientists fear that many shorebird populations are declining largely due to the loss of habitat and pollution. To protect shorebirds and their habitat means to protect the very environment on which we all depend.