Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

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Survival of the Fanciest: Backyard Ornithology Challenge

Backyard Ornithology Challenge!

We learned a lot about the survival and breeding strategies of many different bird species and even danced along with the Birds-of-Paradise! Now it is time to create your own bird with its own set of fancy adaptations. Here are a few fun facts about our fabulous feathered friends:

  • Birds don’t have teeth, but some birds like ducks and geese, have comb-like structures called lamellae in their bill that almost look like tiny teeth! These lamellae help the birds grasp slippery food items.
  • There are approximately 10,000 bird species on Earth!
bird measurements
  • Scientist called ornithologists study bird life. At the Powdermill Avian Research Station, the scientists safely capture birds in mist nets and place a lightweight band on their legs. This helps keep track of population health.
  • So far, over 750,000 birds have been safely captured at the Powdermill Avian Research Station! This banding station has been operating for over 55 years!

Now it is time to make your very own feathered friend and give it some fancy adaptations! Using recycled and craft materials, transform a sock or paper lunch bag into a beautiful bird! Feel free to take some inspiration from the Birds-of-Paradise and make your bird puppet as bright and colorful as you want. Just like an ornithologist, make a journal of the birds you observe throughout the week!

Kids: be sure to get permission from a grown-up before using any materials (especially scissors)!

Meet our American Kestrel, She-Ra!

Suggested Materials

Here are some suggestions but you can be creative and use whatever materials that you find around your house. Check with a grownup before using anything:

Note to the Grown-ups: school glue will work on sock fabric, but it takes a while to dry and may not stick as well. With your guidance and supervision, tacky glue, fabric glue, and hot glue are stronger glue options that will work well with this craft.

General Materials

  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Colored Pencils/markers

Bird Puppet Materials

  • Clean sock
  • Craft feathers
  • Buttons
  • Pom Poms
  • Colored Paper
  • Tin Foil
  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Glue
  • Paper bag (alternative to sock)
  • Dried beans, dried rice, cotton balls (stuffing for puppet)

Journal Materials

  • Construction Paper
  • Paper
  • String
  • Stapler or brass fasteners
  • Hole punch

Challenge One: Build a Bird Puppet

Remember to check with an adult before using any materials. 

  1. Think about the habitat, or where you want your birds to live. Is your bird from a tropical paradise, scorching desert, the chilly arctic, the sea cliffs, calm beach, or a temperate forest?  Feel free to make up your own habitat!
  2. Gather the materials you will be using to build your bird. Feel free to reference the material checklist for ideas. Using a pencil and paper, draw what you want your bird to look like.
    • What color will your bird be? Will it blend in or stand out in its environment?
    • What shape is its beak? Will your bird eat small seeds, big seeds, insects, fruit, meat, or a variety of foods?
    • What special features will you give your bird? Will it have a fancy crest, a colorful bib, puffy feathers, dazzling pendants…etc.? Let your creativity shine!
    • How will your bird use its special features? Will it attract a mate or ward off predators and other birds? Or both? Feel free to create another reason for your bird to use its special features.
  3. You may need glue, scissors, and puppet stuffing to help build your bird puppet. If filling the sock puppet with dried beans, cotton balls, or rice, make sure to leave enough room in the sock to tie off the end.
    1. Remember: allow time for glue to dry.
  4. Now that you have built your bird, think of how your bird will display those special features. Come up with a fun dance or wacky call that will help your bird show off!

Challenge Two: Become a Backyard Ornithologist

Ornithologists are scientists that study the lives of birds! They keep details records of their discoveries. A journal is one way you can keep track of your own discoveries! Check with your grown-up before using any materials.

  1. Create your own journal to record your observations using the suggested materials. Get creative!  
    • Decide how big you want your journal to be. You can use full-sized paper or use scissors to cut the pages down to size. 
    • Construction paper works well as a front cover, but it is okay if you don’t have any or want to use something different.  
    • Think about how you will hold your journal together and how you can add more pages later, if you want. Some suggestions include staples, string, or brass fasteners. Check with your grown-up before using these materials.  
  2. Now that you have constructed your own scientific journal, feel free to decorate the front and back covers if you desire. 
  3. Observe or watch the birds that you can see at your home, neighborhood, park, trail, or wherever is safe to explore. Record as much information as you would like about the birds you find. This can include: 
    • Drawings of your birds  
    • The common name for the bird and, if you want to take it a step further, the scientific name  
    • Written descriptions of the birds. How do they look? What color is the bird? Shape and color of the beak? Any features that stand out?  
    • Remember: your journal is a great place to write down any questions you have about the birds you observe, or maybe even questions you want to ask sometime during the program. 

 Happy discovering! We are excited to hear all about your findings during the final wrap-up activity on Friday! Don’t forget to bring along your new bird puppet 😊  

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Animal Olympics: Animal Launcher Challenge

Animal Launcher Challenge!

We’ve learned about the amazing adaptations and abilities of animals and now it’s time to put your brain power to the test.  Here are some fun facts about jumping animals to review while you build your model  animal and launcher!

  • Highest High Jumper:  Fleas can jump up to 200 times their body length.  Their back legs act like springs to launch them great distances. 
  • Sneaky Jumper:  Jumping spiders don’t make webs to catch their prey, they jump on them instead!  They can jump up to 50 times their body length!
jumping spider
  • The Quick Jumper: Long-legged frogs use quick, powerful jumps to escape predators.  Some frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length!
frog on a person's arm

Use recycled items, household items, and craft materials to construct your animal and animal launcher. Be sure to get permission from a grown-up before using any materials.  Below, you will find some helpful material suggestions and instructions. You may use as many or as few of the materials as you like. Get permission from an adult before launching your animal!  Have fun and good luck!

Kids: be sure to get permission from a grown-up before using any materials (especially scissors)!

Hear from a science educator about jumping spiders!

Suggested Materials

Here are some suggestions but you can be creative and use whatever materials that you find around your house. Check with a grown-up before using anything:  

General Materials

  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Tape
  • Glue
  • Colored Pencils/markers

Animal Model Materials

  • Toothpicks
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Paper plates
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Construction paper
  • Recyclables, like milk or egg cartons or cardboard

Launcher Materials

  • Toilet Paper/Paper Towel tubes
  • Plastic Spoons
  • Rubber Bands
  • Ruler
  • Pencils/Pens
  • Popsicle Sticks
  • Paper clips
  • Plastic Cups
  • Recyclables like egg cartons or milk cartons or soda bottles

Target Materials

  • Plastic/paper bowl
  • Construction paper

Challenge One: Create your animal model

Remember to check with an adult before using any materials. 

  1. Use your imagination and available materials to make an animal that you’ll use for the other two challenges.  Here are some ideas to get you started:
    • Wrap pipe cleaners together to form the shape of your animal.
    • Crumple, roll or fold paper origami-style to create your animal.
    • Cut out pieces of cardboard and tape them together to form your animal.
    • Don’t forget to use markers or colored pencils to decorate your animal.
  2. Questions to consider when building your animal:
    • Do your animal’s parts stay in place when you move it? Flapping parts may change how your animal moves through the air. You also want it to be sturdy so it to stays together when you launch it and when it lands. 
    • How heavy does your animal feel when you hold it in your hand?  If it’s too heavy, it will be harder to launch.  If it’s too light, it might have a hard time moving through the air.  If you think your animal is too light, you can tape paper clips to it.
    • How is the weight balanced?  The placement of weight may affect how your animal moves through the air.  You can test different weight placements (like making the front or back heavier) to see how that changes the results.
    • What is the shape and size of your animal?  Small, compact animals may work better for moving through the air.  The size of your animal will also help determine the size of your launcher.
    • Are you ready for the challenge?

Challenge Two: Long Jump

Remember to check with a grownup before using any materials and before launching your animal. Always point your launcher in a safe direction away from people and pets.

  1. Use available materials to design and build a launcher to make your animal jump.  The launcher must be built to be placed on and used from the floor. You may want to sketch designs on a piece of paper before you start building.  Here are some ideas to get you started:
    •  A lever may be useful to launch your animal.  A seesaw is an example of a lever.  A ruler may make a good lever for your launcher.  Where you place the center of balance (fulcrum), as well as the length of your lever, may change how far your animal travels. 
    • Rubber bands may be helpful in building a launcher.  You can use them to release their stored energy and send your animal jumping!  We’d suggest attaching rubber bands to a base.  The angle (how steep you make your base) will help determine how far your animal travels.
    • A plastic spoon can also have stored energy if you bend it.  A plastic spoon would also need to be attached to a base.  Maybe a bent spoon launcher designed like a catapult would send your animal a long distance? The angle (how steep you make your base) will help determine how far your animal travels.
  2. Questions to consider when building your launcher:
    • Is your launcher designed to hold your animal?  For the animal to successfully launch, it must be placed in a position to take full advantage of the launcher’s capabilities. The part of the launcher that the animal rests on must be the correct size.  If this part is too small, it may not support the animal through the entire motion needed to send the animal sky bound.  The part of the launcher where the animal rests can be designed so that the animal is placed on top of it or inside it.
    • How will you set the launcher in motion?  You will need to make sure that your animal is set and ready before launching it.  Your hand may be used to hold the launching part in place.  You can get creative and come up with other ways to keep the launcher ready so you can use both hands to load the animal.
    • Is your launcher  sturdy?  Will it hold together for multiple tests?  You’ll need to test your launcher many times and maybe even modify it to make your animal go further.  Extra tape may be needed to keep your launcher sturdy.  If you use glue to make your launcher, make sure the glue is dry before testing it.
    • Are you feeling ready for the fun part of the challenge?

Challenge Three: Accuracy Test

Use available materials to design an animal themed target for your animal to land on.  Remember to check with a grownup before using any materials and before launching your animal. Always point your launcher in a safe direction away from people and pets.

  1. On a piece of construction paper, draw your target and then cut it out.
    • Examples: If your animal is a jumping spider, draw and cutout a prey insect for them to land on.  If your animal is a frog, draw and cut out a lily pad for them to land on. 
  2. Now tape your target inside the bowl. 
  3. Test your launcher to see if you can get your animal to land in the bowl!
    • You may need to change the distance between your launcher and the target.
    • You may need to modify your launcher with extra parts to make it more accurate.
  4. If you’d like to share your animal and launcher with the class, you can bring them to show and talk about them at the Wrap-Up Sessions at the end of the week!

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Land of the Giants: Dino Mashup Challenge

Dino Mashup Challenge!

It’s paleontology week with Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Online Museum Classes.  This week we’ll learn about dinosaurs, their habitats, and their adaptations.  We’ll dig deeper during our sessions through the week, but if you’re wondering what to expect, these definitions may prove helpful: 

  • Adaptation – a special feature that an animal has or a special behavior that it does to help it survive.   
  • Carnivore – an animal that eats meat.  Carnivores usually have long, sharp teeth that are good for ripping and tearing meet. 
  • Habitat – a place where an animal lives that provides its basic needs like food, water and shelter.   
  • Herbivore – an animal that eats plants.  Herbivores usually have flat teeth (or teeth-like parts) that are good for grinding 
  • Omnivore – an animal that easts plants and meet.  Omnivores usually have sharp teeth for cutting meat and flat teeth for grinding plants. 

This week we’ll imagine ourselves as team members at the world’s premier, dinosaur-themed adventure park—Jurassic Planet!  We’ll use what we learn through the week (and what you already know) to create a 3-D model of a brand-new dinosaur that will excite and delight the park-going public.  And no dinosaur exhibit is complete without a full habitat for your creation to roam- so we’ll design that too! 

Kids: be sure to get permission from a grown-up before using any materials (especially scissors)!

Suggested Materials

General Materials

  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • One Pencil
  • Tape
  • Glue
  • Cards with Dinosaurs on them (print ours out or make your own!)
  • Cards with food on them (print ours out or make your own!)

Dino Diorama Materials

Here are some suggestions but you can be creative and use whatever materials that you find around your house. Check with a grown-up before using anything:  

  • Aluminum foil
  • Toothpicks
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Paper plates
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Construction paper
  • Play dough/clay
  • Colored pencils/markers
  • Recyclables, like milk or egg cartons or cardboard
  • Natural materials like leaves, sticks or rocks

Hear from one of our Paleontologists, Matt Lamanna

Challenge One: Dino Mashup

Remember to check with an adult before using any materials. 

  1. Look at the Foods Cards below. (These do not need to be printed out, you can view them here.)  Pick one food from the List of Foods below.  Is your food something a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore would eat?  Based on that answer, pick two dinosaurs on the next list that would eat that food.   

Foods

leaf

Leaves from Trees

seeds

Seeds and Twigs

small dinosaur

Small Dinosaurs

fish

Fish

Egg

Eggs and Leaves

question mark

You pick the food!

Which two dinosaurs would eat the food you picked?

Triceratops

Triceratops – Herbivore

Diplodocus

Diplodocus – Herbivore

Pachycephalosaurus

Pachycephalosaurus – Herbivore

Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurus – Herbivore

Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus – Herbivore

Tyrannosaurus rex

Tyrannosaurus rex – Carnivore

Spinosaurus

Spinosaurus – Carnivore

velociraptor

Velociraptor – Carnivore

Microraptor

Microraptor- Carnivore

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx – Carnivore

Anzu

Anzu – Omnivore

Oviraptor

Oviraptor – Omnivore

  1. Think about what adaptations help your dinosaurs to eat their favorite foods. 
  1. Now, combine adaptations from your two dinosaurs to make an all new dinosaur that would be really great at eating that food. 
  • For example: I picked the leaves on the trees as my food card.  I picked the Diplodocus and Triceratops cards because both are herbivores.  I design a new dinosaur with a long neck and horns.  The long neck helps my dinosaur reach the leaves, and the horns help it mark which trees it wants to eat leaves from. 
  1. Using a piece of paper and pencil, make a sketch of your new dinosaur.  You can get creative and color it if you like. 
  1. Don’t forget to give your new dinosaur a name!  
  1. Check out Challenge Two if you’d like to make a 3-D model of your new dinosaur and construct a habitat for it! 

diorama example

Challenge Two: Create a Diorama

Make a 3-D diorama that includes a 3-D model of your newly created dinosaur and its habitat.   

  1. Gather materials to build a 3-D model of your newly created dinosaur and its habitat. See the suggested materials checklist and read through these instructions for some suggestions.  
  • You can use any materials you have at your house as long as your grown-up approves.  Get creative and have fun! 
  1. Here are some ideas to help you make a 3-D version of your dinosaur: 
  • Use play dough or aluminum foil to make a full 3-D model 
  • Use pipe cleaners to make a frame-like 3-D model. 
  • Use a piece of paper to make a paper doll-like model.  Draw your dinosaur, color it and cut it out.  Leave an extra piece at the bottom so you can fold that back and tape it to your diorama.  
  1. Here are some ideas to help you construct the frame of your diorama: 
  •  Use a shoebox or other box turned on it’s side.   
  • Tape or glue cardboard or construction paper to make a box-like structure.  Your diorama will need to have a bottom, a back and sides to support the back and keep it standing. 
  • Follow these instructions to use a single sheet of paper to create a diorama. 
  •  Take your sheet of paper and fold it in half hamburger style.   
  • Cut about 1/2 inch slits on the fold.   
  • Fold the 1/2 inch edges of either side of the paper (the sides where you cut the slits) towards the middle.  These folds should be perpendicular to the rest of the paper.   
  • To make the backing of the diorama, stand up half of your paper (along the original fold) so it is perpendicular to the other half.   
  • Now tape the two corners of the folded edges so that the back half stays upright.  This is the base and back of your diorama. 
  • Your diorama frame should look like this: 
  1. Now that you’ve made your 3-D dinosaur and built your diorama frame , you need to decorate your diorama: 
  • Remember: Your diorama should reflect the habitat where your dinosaur would live.  Think about the dinosaur’s needs like food, water and shelter. 
  • Color the bottom, back and sides. 
  • You can use materials from your house to represent plants, rocks etc. Or with grownup permission, you can go outside and collect natural objects to use! 

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