Project: Measuring Your Wingspan

Do you sometimes wish you could fly like a bird?  Even if we had feathers all over our arms, we still couldn’t fly because we are too heavy.  But it is fun to imagine what it would be like to fly.  What kind of bird would YOU be if you could fly?
One of my favorite activities during my school visit presentations is measuring the “wingspans” of the students.  I ask them to spread out their arms as if they were flying and I use my wingspan measuring tape to identify what kind of bird they would be.  First graders are usually peregrine falcons.  Third graders are almost always red-tailed hawks.  Two students together make one bald eagle and two and half students are needed to measure the wingspan of a California condor, the largest flying bird in North America.Click here to find out how you can make your own wingspan measuring tape.
Learn about birds in Birds: Nature's Magnificent Flying Machines and many of my other books about birds.