Adaptive Radiation in Rain Forest Birds

Unit 3 – Rain Forest Birds: A Study In Adaptation

Activity 2 – Adaptive Radiation in Rain Forest Birds

Materials & Setup

 In Advance Student Reading

• Assign the Student Page “Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers” (pp. 4-8) as homework.

Class Period One

For each student
• Student Page “Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers” (pp. 4-8)
• Student Page “Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Questions on the Reading” (pp. 9-10)

Instructions

1) Have students complete the Student Page “Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Questions on the Reading” in class.

2) Spend the remainder of the class discussing adaptive radiation and the homework reading, beginning with student responses to the questions.

Journal Ideas

• Many native birds are not found in low-elevation areas on Maui. Do you think that native birds once occupied these lowland areas? How would you go about finding out?
• Do you think anything should be done to protect the remaining Hawaiian honeycreepers? Why or why not?
• Keeping in mind the different human-caused pressures that have led to declines and extinctions among Hawaiian honeycreepers, what do you think can be done to protect the species that remain?
• Imagine being a traditional Hawaiian bird catcher, collecting thousands of feathers over your lifetime. What do you think it would have been like to work mostly alone in the forests of the gods?

Assessment Tools

• Student Page “Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Honeycreepers: Questions on the Reading” (teacher version, pp. 2-3)
• Participation in class discussion
• Journal entries

Media Resources

None.