United Tweets of America

1. Fill the classroom with the birds that represent our states. Read the book “United Tweets of America” with students. Inspire them to look at our state birds in a comical way.
2. Assign each student a state. Have students research and record facts about the state and bird.
3. Using information from their research, have students think of a creative way to costume their state bird that would represent the state in a comical way. Use the book “United Tweets of America” as a reference.
4. Students draw and color the state birds using Crayola® Washable Markers.
5. Cut out the birds with Crayola Scissors.
6. Cut out a paper banner and write the state name and the type of bird with Crayola Washable Markers.
7. Glue the bird to the banner with a Crayola Glue Stick.
8. Decorate the classroom with the comical state birds. Set up a bulletin board or hang the birds from the ceiling with string.

LA: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

LA: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

LA: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

LA: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

SCI: Ask questions about the natural and human-built world.

SS: Identify examples of institutions and describe the interactions of people with institutions.

SS: Give examples of the role of institutions in furthering both continuity and change.

SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, data bases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

VA: Students will investigate, plan and work through materials and ideas to make works of art and design.

Hold an America Tweets pageant in the classroom. Have each student represent a bird as a contestant competing with facts, representation of visual appearance, and bird sounds.

Take students to a local wildlife conservatory or zoo to see a presentation of some of the state birds.

Classroom resources include: National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America: The Best Birding Book for Kids from National Geographic's Bird Experts by Jonathan Adlerfer and The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies.