Share+Your+Action!

Share Your Actions!
**Big Idea:** Students will share their positive actions for bird conservation with others.

**Learning Objectives:**
 * 1) Students will be able to name three ways to improve habitat for birds.
 * 2) Students will be able to identify two non-habitat related ways to help bird conservation.
 * 3) Students will be able to synthesize ideas from the Habitat Exchange and Count Birds for Science lessons in order to take action for bird conservation.
 * 4) Students will be able to share and compare their conservation actions with those of other classrooms around the United States using a collaboration wiki.

**Time Needed:** 45 minute period, possible extension time outside depending on your Action.

**Materials:**
 * Internet access projected for class (for posting to the Share Your Actions wiki).
 * Pick a Project! (Journal Page 14)

**Getting Ready:**
 * Think about how you might like to use the Share Your Actions wiki and what types of projects you might collaborate on with other classes.
 * Optional: Complete Lesson 1 (Habitat Exchange) and Lesson 7 (Count Birds for Science) in advance.

**Conducting the Activity:** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Complete a Conservation Action

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brainstorm with your students about what action(s) they would like to take for birds. You can:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Participate in Citizen Science (you may have done this already in Lesson 7);
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Improve your schoolyard habitat for birds by providing food, water, and shelter (you may have done this already in Lesson 9);
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Take action toward sustainability in your school community; and/or
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Build community awareness and appreciation for birds.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Online Conservation Badges** will be awarded to schools who have taken steps to help birds! Possible actions by area may include:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Scientists** > ent centered around birds ||
 * [[image:bird.jpg width="150" height="119" align="center"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Citizen**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Submitting data to eBird
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Submitting data to CUBS
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Submitting data to another citizen science program ||
 * [[image:feeder.gif width="152" height="138" align="center"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Food Habitat Helpers**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Putting up bird feeders
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Planting a garden for birds ||
 * [[image:bath.png width="120" height="145" align="center"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Water Habitat Helpers**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Adding a bird bath
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Adding a pond
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Creek or beach clean up ||
 * [[image:Picture1.png width="153" height="157" align="center"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Shelter Habitat Helpers**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Planting trees and bushes
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Putting up nest boxes
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Schoolyard clean-up ||
 * [[image:star2.png width="140" height="143" align="center"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Sustainability Stars**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reduce, reuse, recycle
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lowering your carbon footprint
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Taking action at school to help the environment ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[[image:hand.jpg width="176" height="165"]] || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Community Builders**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Raising money for bird conservation
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sharing what you know with others outside your school
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Participating in a community ev

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once you've agreed on your action(s), share your plans with your BirdSleuth Coordinator and get going! If you decide to complete a Habitat Helper project, consider taking photos before and after your changes have occurred. You will probably notice a difference in the number of birds frequenting the schoolyard!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2. Share Your Actions

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Go to the Share Your Actions wiki and follow the instructions at the bottom of the home page to create your school's wiki page. Once you have created your wiki page, you can tag the actions you plan to complete and describe the actions you have already completed. Type text directly into the wiki. Add photos and videos to your page using the Widget button in the edit toolbar. Upload podcasts using the File button in the edit toolbar. Continue to update your page throughout the year as you take more actions for birds. Browse other school's pages to see what others are up to; you can get ideas for further action on your own or connect with classrooms doing similar projects that may be interested in collaborating on a project.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3. Get Recognized for Your Actions

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The BirdSleuth team will monitor the Share Your Actions wiki throughout the year as you continue to post your conservation actions. Look out for the **Conservation Badges** you've earned to appear on your wiki page!