Puerto Rican Parrots

1. Share the book Parrots Over Puerto Rico, by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore, with the class as a read aloud. Its visually intriguing pages flip up and allow artwork to be presented as three-dimensional. This non-fiction story shares a tale of the near extinction of the Puerto Rican Parrot accompanied by a history of Puerto Rico. As a follow-up activity, students create textural parrots using Crayola® Crayons, paper and scissors.
2. Each student will need 4 pieces of white paper and one piece of colored construction paper.
3. Ask members of the class to color one sheet of white paper with a variety of shades of blue Crayola Crayons. Color another sheet of white paper with different shades of green crayons.
4. Cut the colored papers into strips. Cut slits into each of the strips of colored papers and crimp the paper, thus creating a feathery look.
5. Students draw the parrot's body on one piece of white paper and the two parrot wings on a second piece of white paper. Cut the pieces out with scissors. Use a Crayola Glue Stick to to attach the feathery strips of paper in layered rows.
6. Cut out an eye and beak using white paper scraps and attach to the parrot with a glue stick. Mount the parrot onto a piece of colored construction paper.
7. Invite students to share science connections by compiling a list of scientific characteristics of the parrot. Create a chart about the parrot species, indicating where they live and what food items are in their diet. Report on the Puerto Rican Parrot's near extinction and the explain the Puerto Rican Parrot Recovery Program. Encourage textual connections with use of vocabulary and definitions shared in the read aloud.

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

LA: LA: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

LA: LA: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

MATH: Represent and interpret data.

MATH: Draw a scaled picture graph and a scaled bar graph to represent a data set with several categories. Solve one-and two-step “how many more” and “how many less" problems using information presented in scaled bar graphs.

SCI: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.

SS: Identify examples of laws and policies that govern scientific and technological applications, such as the Endangered Species Act and environmental protection policies.

SS: Examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of cities, and ecosystem changes in selected locales and regions.

SS: Explore ways that the earth’s physical features have changed over time in the local region and beyond and how these changes may be connected to one another.

SS:Compare and contrast different stories or accounts about past events, people, places, or situations, identifying how they contribute to our understanding of the past.

VA: Create personally satisfying artwork using a variety of artistic processes and materials.

VA: Interpret art by analyzing use of media to create subject matter, characteristics of form, and mood.

Students connect to social studies by identifying the historic facts about Puerto Rico found in the book.

Students make a connection to math by graphing the population of parrots in Puerto Rico.

Students make a connection to Visual Arts by experimenting with texture when creating collages. The use of scissors and glue and creating patterned paper. Share examples of children's books that illustrate with collage art with the class. For example, books illustrated by Susan L. Roth and Eric Carle.