Last December, our Year 7 pupils had a lovely opportunity to learn a curriculum related item through a more hands on and exciting approach. All Year 7 pupils, on three different days, visited the Bird Park Malta located at St. Paul’s Bay.
Apart from seeing various different bird species, the pupils also had the opportunity to touch some of them. The following are some of species they have at the park:
Parrots: Senegal, black headed caiques, African grey, blue and gold macaws, green wing macaw, Molucca cockatoo and Eclectus parrots;
Owls: snowy owl, Eurasian eagle owl, great grey owl, Canadian eagle owl, barn owl;
Rupple neck vulture; Sacred ibis, scarlet ibis; Spoonbills; White stork, Marabou stork; Kookaburras; Flamingos; European cranes, crowned cranes, Japanese cranes; Raven.
They also familiarised themselves with some reptiles they have on the premises.
The students had to follow a handout designed specifically for this outing by their Science teachers and answer the questions listed about the bird species adaptations. This made them pay more attention to the speaker at the Park and ask several questions.
Right after the visit to the Bird Park, the pupils had another activity. They had a short fieldwork where they had to observe their surroundings and identify animals and plant species. This was done either in the fields next to the Bird Park itself or at the Salina National Park (depending on the weather on the day).
This was a great experience for our pupils were, the outdoors was their teacher and their learning experience was a more child centred one.
BirdPark from SNC Rabat Middle School on Vimeo.
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