Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Webinar: How Birds Stay Warm

Archived Webinar

The Zoom webinar with Ornithologist Sahas Barve aired April 2, 2020, as part of the Smithsonian Science How series. Watch a recording in the player above.

Description

How do birds stay warm, especially in some of the coldest places on Earth, like the Himalayas? Explore the science behind how bird feathers help them conserve body heat with Smithsonian ornithologist (bird nerd) Sahas Barve from the National Museum of Natural History. Sahas studies how birds stay warm across Earth’s highest mountain range, the Himalayas, and will use examples from his research during the program.

Teaching Resources 

Use these resources to support pre/post activities:

Next Generation Science Standards

Life Science

3rd Grade

3-LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  • 3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive 

3-LS3 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  • 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment

3-LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

  • 3-LS4-2 Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing. 
  • 3-LS4-3 Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

4th Grade

4-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  • 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

5th Grade

5-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  • LS1.C Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms, Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion

 

Resource Type
Videos and Webcasts
Grade Level
3-5
Learning Standards
Next Generation Science Standards
Topics
Life Science