The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1917-04-28
BIRD DAY IN
THE SCHOOLS
Suggestions by the State Department
of Education.

Friday was the day set apart by !
law in Utah for the official observ-
ance of Bird Day. The schools of
the state therefore remembered
the day with appropriate exer
cises. 1t will be well this year
to consider bird life chiefly from its
economic side. We should pay most
attention to the services which the
birds render in conserving the for
ests and in defending the crops. since
the ravages of the insect hordes
would otherwise destroy them. Saw
ing the song bird in particular means
increasing the food stuffs of the ma
ton. Our most important resource
is the food supply. For its insur-
ance against destruction by insects,
the food supply is directly dependent
upon the abundance of bird life. To
bring this simple but momentous fact
clearly to the consciousness OF pupils
is the task that confronts the schools.
This is truly a patriotic duty of the
hour. The following suggestions
will be helpful to teachers:
How To Make
Ready.
/. Take up as rl1py birds as the
pupils have learned about. or may
be able to observe in the cp,n, in
the order given in the text book on
bird life adopted for the schools OF
this state-either the teachers or
the pupils edition of tho "Out of
Doors in the West" A list of the
best colored plates, etc, for the per-
manent use of the teacher will be
sent to any school upon application
to the orrespondence-study depart
ment of the University Of Utah.
: 2. Assign to each grade in the
school a definite group of birds a
few days in advance OF April eth
and have one or more of the pupils
from that grade discuss the bird as
. signed to him. Emphasize the food
! saving work and refer also to the
ways, songs, nest, flight, migration
etc.
3. II possible have drawings made
, of the birds to be represented by each
t grade. and II any colored plates OF
bird specimens are available, use
these in illustration. Let the teach
er take the pupils out on brief field
trips In order to observe and identi.
fly as many OF the birds as can be
= found near to the towns. This, In
fact. will constitute the best prepare
ton for the exercises of Bird Day.
T. Let the teachers of the severa
a grades find from the text or other
\ wise the answers to the following
: groups OF questions. and explain sc
D fully to the pupils that they will b'
able to state the chief facts about
. the group assigned to their grade.
s A Program For
$ Each Grade.
e First and Second Grades-Why ar;
the bluebird and its relatives, the
!, robin and the thrust, regarded al
a valuable bird neighbors? What doe
Y the bluebird live upon? How man!
!. months of the year does it work fol
: us? How can we encourage it t.
" live near us? How can we assis
,. bluebirds against the sparrows
y What Is the truth as to the food hab
= its of the robin? How does 1t liv,
y in our region? What about the goot
Z that thrushes do? Where do the!
. live? Why are they not general!
n known? What can any boy or cir
Y do to help bluebirds, robins ant
$, thrushes? (See "Out of Doors II
t the West" pages 71-7S).
= Third Grade-Prove that al
=, abundance of meadowlarks is neces
IS sary for good hay crop How man!
It grasshoppers does each meadowlarl
II probably capture per day on the hill
e. sides during the month of May? How
y many for the summer months? Wha
other values has this bird? How cal
20 we increase its numbers? (By keep
4 ing far from its nest, which II will
&c desert II visited by man, etc. o