FeederWatch in the Classroom

Many teachers at a variety of grade levels have incorporated Project FeederWatch into their classes or programs. If you are teaching in the U.S. and would like to sign up for FeederWatch, you may use the coupon code PFWEDU in our online store for a $5 discount on the registration fee. Here are stories from some of the teachers who have participated in Project FeederWatch with students at their schools.

Guilderland, New York

At a time when technology inundates our lives, it can be difficult to connect with the natural world. Jennifer Ford, a teacher at Farnsworth Middle School, has put FeederWatch to use in her classroom to do just that: connect students with nature and science in a very tangible way.

Jennifer wrote to us and said, “I have been doing Project FeederWatch with my 8th grade students for 3 years now. This year, so many students were showing up during study hall, lunch, and after school that I had to start a sign up sheet to make sure everyone was able to have space at a window to watch the feeders. Here is a picture of a group of my students watching our feeders. Thank you for this program—it is such a wonderful way to get students involved in science!”

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Dennis Demcheck, a volunteer in Pamela Fry’s 4th grade science class at Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School, put together a slide show of student drawings inspired by their classes FeederWatch participation. Dennis wrote, “Several science teachers … have come to me and remarked that the students’ intense interest in birds … has sparked a wider interest in science.” Read more and see the slide show on the FeederWatch blog.

Graduate student helps middle schoolers FeederWatch in Maine

The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Teaching Fellows program at the University of Maine places graduate students in K-12 science and technology classes to enhance the level of interest and quality. Students from four Maine schools participated in Project FeederWatch under the guidance of graduate student Brent Horton, who also showed students how birds are banded.