An ark has arrived at the Gan.

Animals have been hiding around our classroom, waiting to be picked up and put safely aboard.

Birds are the vertebrate of the week.

We have learned a lot about these "really cool animals".

Ben is using water colors to paint a honey guide bird.

Honey guide birds work with honey badgers and Maasai tribes people to find bee hives, and enjoy the honey from bees.

Levi is creating a penguin from a paper plate.

Penguins are non-flying birds that spend most of their time in the ocean.

Scout is "running as fast as an ostrich!"

Ostriches are non-flying birds that can run up to 40 mph (as fast as a car!)

Our week has been full of play and learning, 

and conversations about birds.

Morah Katie: What is unique to birds, that other vertebrates do not have?

Levi: Birds have wings and scaly legs.

Ben: Birds live in nests.

Kian: Beaks, birds have beaks.

Gracie: They have eggs.

Morah Katie: Do birds have anything else special that other vertebrates do not have? 

Dena: Feathers.

 

Morah Katie: Do all birds move the same way?

Shalom: Ostriches run

Levi: Penguins swim.

Kian: Fly, birds fly.

Morah Katie: How do honey guide birds move?

Noah: They fly.

We had ostrich races.

Some of the Gan ostriches ran across the playground in 6 seconds or less!

Morah Katie: I was thinking of getting a honey guide as a pet, then it could find me honey for my peanut butter and honey sandwiches!

Levi: Yeah that would be good.

Morah Katie: What if you had a penguin for a pet?

Levi: No. It is not cold enough for a penguin.

Dena: And there is not enough water, no pools or anything.

Shalom: I wouldn't want one, I don't have water for a penguin.

Tori: I would want one. 

Morah Katie: Why ?

Tori: Penguins would waddle around and then when they had babies they would be so cute and fluffy.

Morah Katie: if you had a pet ostrich you could just ride it to school, you wouldn't need your parents to drive you.

Kian: And they go so fast it would be so awesome.