American Kestrel Jigsaw Puzzle

Creating a classroom hybrid reference can be fun and engaging.  Teachers set a theme. In this case it is American Birds.  Students have a system created where they

• research one bird that is not already on the list
• find a photo an image on free resource sites such as MorgueFiles
• write a (formal) paragraph about the bird
• create a jigsaw and upload it to the class room blog reference centre

After the unit is over the class should have a reference centre all ready to run

If this is an important theme teachers or parents may consider having the jigsaws cut into wooden pieces so that they become classroom resources.

Another way of augmenting the lesson would be to have them find a movie like this one of UK Kestrel.

If the whole theme was about birds. For example birds of prey.

• have some simple straight forward drawing lessons like the one featured directly above.   How to Use Guidelines 
• spend some time Gesture Drawing  (PDF worksheet) so that the students get a feel for birds in flight
• set up a class room display of these drawings

Resources:

• JigZone.  Registration.   HowTo.
• Global Citizens Creative Arts Text. Insights and Activities.
• Gesture Drawing  Just a Sense of overall form.  (PDF worksheet)
• How to Use Guidelines 
• Teachers Pay Teachers. Open Market Place for Educators
• How to Make Online Jigsaws   Printable Worksheet  PDF
• Video on the Golden Mean.  Uploaded to Youtube by Angie Greek (2007)
• A Lesson on Composition.