Teaching Science with Pigeons v2

• Biologie / Verzorging
• Middelbare school
• Leerjaar 1,2

This module offers a citizen science project for 1st and 2nd year secondary school. The module introduces students to research methods in the context of urban animals. Students become researchers and take part in a pigeon counting experiment! Historical significance of pigeons and popular misconceptions are also parts of the module.

The module uses two pigeon mascots (Paddy and Mr. Pidge) to guide students through the activity.

Links

Download the material needed

to use the module here: 

                ------>   Download link  <-----

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Links

With this module you can measure attitude changes of students towards pigeons!

To do this, provide students with the questionnaire before starting the module:

                    ------> Animal attitude questionnaire <------

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Beginning of Part 1.

Introduce research and citizen science to students. Some students may be familiar with research already. They will have a change to share their knowledge in the next exercise.

Discuss the question with the whole class. 

What do students know about research? What does research look like to them?

Let students share their opinion and debate with each other if possible.

To use this exercise digitally, students can scan the QR code. The code connects to Wooclap, an interactive platform where students can submit answers directly from their phones. A word cloud of each answer will appear on the board/shared teacher screen.

This question focuses on the role of scientists. Many students believe that science only happens in labs. Discuss the question with the whole class first. Let students share their opinion and debate with each other if possible.

To use this exercise digitally, students can use the Wooclap QR code.

The following 4 questions can be used to identify common problems in research protocols. Can students spot the issue in the text?

Discuss the question with the whole class. Let students share their opinion and debate with each other before revealing the answer. Use Wooclap for a more digital approach. 

This question focuses on the steps of research. Can students rearrange them in the correct order? Discuss the question with the whole class. Let students answer by writing down the steps on paper or use the Wooclap code for a more digital approach. 

Explain that research has steps. Read and explain each step description 

Introduction to the citizen science activity. Can students think of what a good research question is?

Discuss the question with the whole class. Let students share their opinion and debate with each other before revealing the answer.

Use Wooclap for a more digital approach. 

Read and explain each criteria.

For the exercise:

Discuss the question with the whole class or in small groups. Let students share their opinion and debate with each other before revealing the answer.

Use Wooclap for a more digital approach. 

Divide students in groups of 3-4.

Give each group one copy of the "Research question worksheet" file. Guide students through the activity.

This slide is the end of Part 1.

Beginning of Part 2. 

This section focuses on Pigeons and animal attitude. It aims at sharing knowledge on the birds and targets misconceptions that students may have

Explain that pigeons were domesticated and have a long history with humans

Discuss with students the questions:

Can you think of ways in which pigeons helped humans? What else do you know about pigeons?

Let students look at the pictures and discuss opinions, ideas, anecdotes that they may know about pigeons. Debate among students in encouraged.

Use wooclap for the digital wordcloud approach.

Entertainment

Pigeons have a big role in entertainment. They are used in magic shows for their intelligence and surprise appearances. Animated films also showcase pigeons for humor. Their cooing is used for calm and quiet scenes. Live performances and interactive street art also feature pigeons. The birds are very good at captivating audiences!

Pigeon Racing

Pigeon racing is a popular hobby in many countries. During the race, male pigeons take part as the racer, while the female pigeons are hold on their trainer’s hand to guide the males to the finish line. It takes months or even years of training male pigeons until they are all ready for the race! Pigeons racing isn’t a cheap hobby. Pigeons that win a national racing competition can be worth up to 130.000$. In 2020, one Belgian racing pigeon was sold for nearly 1.9 million $ at an auction!

Symbol of Peace

The pigeon, particularly the white dove, is a universal symbol of peace.  Since ancient time, a dove symbolizes the collective human hope for peace and for a world free from conflict. 

Pigeon Photography

Pigeon photography started in the early 20th century. It involves strapping small cameras onto pigeons for aerial shots. At the time, this was one of the cheapest and most effective ways to capture images from the sky. Today, this technique has been mostly replaced by modern drone technology, but some enthusiasts still mount cameras on pigeons to capture unique photos!

Messenger Pigeons

During World War II, messenger pigeons played a vital role as reliable communication channels. Deployed by both the Allies and Axis powers, pigeons carried critical messages across enemy lines when other means of communication were not available. Their ability to fly over vast distances and deliver messages with precision contributed significantly to military strategies, making them little heroes in one of the most difficult time of human history. Paddy was the original name of an Irish messanger pigeon!

Ornamental Pigeons

Ornamental pigeons are bred for their aesthetics. They have many diverse colors, patterns, and distinctive features which are shown in pigeon shows. Breeds like the "Fantail", "Jacobin", and the "Peacock pigeon" are admired for their unique traits. These captivating birds are prized for their beauty, much like in the case of dog and cat breeds. Pigeon breeding is considered a form of art in many cases.

Navigation

Pigeons have been described as nature's living compasses due to their extraordinary navigational skills. Studies reveal that they use Earth's magnetic fields and visual cues to find their way, acting like living compass needles. This makes them well suited for navigation, as they can explore great distances from ships before returning to the ship. Many ancient tales across different cultures mention pigeons use in navigation. 

Natural Fertilizers

Pigeon fertilizer, or pigeon guano, is a valuable organic fertilizer produced from pigeon droppings. It is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and can enhances soil fertility, promoting plant growth. Widely used in agriculture and gardening, pigeon fertilizer is prized for its nutrient content and ability to improve soil structure, making it a sustainable and natural choice for farmes to get bigger and healthier crops. Before the industrial production of chemical fertilizers started in the 1800s, much of Europe relied on pigeon guano for agriculture!

Scientific Research

Pigeons have helped scientists make many discoveries in medical research. They are valuable helpers for studies on learning, memory and vision. Pigeons have great eyesight and are smart birds. Lately, pigeons have even been able to identify tumors in medical images! But it goes beyond medicine: in recent years, pigeons have been used for environmental research. Trained pigeons equipped with lightweight sensors can monitor air quality in cities, providing valuable data on how much pollution is around. Overall, pigeons are very versatile research collaborators!

Weddings and Religion

Pigeons are important religious symbols across cultures. In Christianity, a dove represents the Holy Spirit. In Islam, pigeons symbolize peace and are associated with Prophet Muhammad. Hinduism recognizes pigeons as messengers of love and fertility.  Pigeons play a symbolic role in weddings across cultures. Releasing pigeons at weddings is considered a good gesture to symbolize the couple's unity and the hope for a prosperous marriage. However, pigeons are often kept in cages before release and get stressed during these events.

Answers are revealed. Go through the labels that students are interested in

Answer

TRUE!  Well, kind of:

Pigeons do not produce milk. Like other birds, do not nurse their young with milk. Instead, pigeons feed their chicks with a substance known as "pigeon milk," a secretion produced in their crops (a part of their digestive system). Pigeon milk is regurgitated and fed to the chicks during the early days of their lives, providing essential nutrients for their growth. It's not true milk as mammals produce, but a unique adaptation in pigeon parenting.

Answer

FALSE!

More than 300 species of pigeons exist in the world. Some of them live in cities and next to human settlements. However, many wild pigeon species that live in the forest and on seashore cliffs still exists!

Answer

TRUE and FALSE!  

Pigeons are generally very clean birds and it is safe to have short contacts with them. When they are in big groups, they can carry pathogens, especially if the group lives in a dirty environments. There is a misconceptions that pigeons carry more diseases than other birds. This is false. Research as shown that other birds species such as Seagulls, Ducks and Geese can carry the same amount of diseases that pigeons do! 

Answer

TRUE!  

Pigeons are known for forming monogamous pairs, often mating for life. Once a male and female pigeon form a bond, they typically remain devoted to each other. This monogamous behavior is exhibited through shared nest-building, incubating eggs, and raising chicks together. While not all pigeon species do this, the strong bond that connects two pigeons is a remarkable aspect of their social and reproductive behavior that is not very common in other animals!

Answer

TRUE!

Pigeons are remarkable flyers and can achieve impressive speeds. Racing pigeons have been recorded flying at speeds of up to 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph)!

Answer

FALSE!  

Pigeons and Dove are words that people use to describe the same bird. The term "dove" often refers to the white colored feral pigeons

Discuss each statement with the whole class before revealing answers. Some statements are more controversial than others. Let students think of different standpoints and share their opinion.

This is a reflective exercise. Students can vote via Wooclap or by raising hands on which category fits each animal. 

There is no correct answer. 

Have students discuss why they think some animals fit in specific categories. If different opinions are present, let students discuss and moderate the debate.

This slide shows one of the possible answers of the previous exercise.

This slide is the end of Part 2. 

It is recommended to stop the activity here if the module is used over two sessions.

This is the beginning of part 3.

Divide students in small groups. Provide each group with one copy of the "pigeon counting manual. Follow instruction on the manual

Help students with selecting a study area where they can count pigeons. Make sure students record details about it in the pigeon counting manual.

Provide the students with the "Pigeon identification guide"

Note: The "Pigeon counting form" also has the identification guide at the back. It is possible to only use the counting form if preferred

Chekered Pigeon

• Predominantly dark blue-gray
• Gray undertones
• Small dots or markings on plumage

White Pigeon

• White or very light gray
• No other colors on plumage

Spread Pigeon

• Black or very dark-blue-gray
• No highlights
• The dark color "spread" to the entire body

Pied Pigeon

• White or very light gray
• No other colors on plumage

Red Pigeon

• Predominantly red or red-brown plumage
• Gray undertones
• 
  

Red-bar Pigeon

• Predominantly gray
• Red or reddish-brown highlights
• No dark blue-gray tones (except on neck)

Blue-bar Pigeon

• Predominantly gray
• Dark "blue-gray" highlights
• No red tones in plumage (except on neck)

Explain each label carefully. Let students look at this slide for some time and ask questions.

Students will have access to the same information in the "pigeon counting form" when they are counting.

Explain that the counting experiment only focuses on feral pigeons. 

No other species should be counted.

Ask students to share their knowledge on other pigeons species that they may know

Choose a fun name for your pigeon counting research group and write down your research question here

What does your study area look like? Write down coordinates and details about the location. Is it in the city center? park? farmland? 

Where are you counting?

Keep track of when you start counting! Write down the start time of the experiment here

If not provided already, give the "Pigeon counting form" to students (one per group). Make sure that students fill the top part of the form before leaving to count

Students count pigeons for 30min

Open the "Class result sheet" 

Let each student group make a graph (on paper/on a separate file) of how many pigeons they counted. Then, move to the Class result sheet and fill in the results of the entire class. It is advised that teachers fill in the result sheet. Graphs in the result sheet will update automatically once data are inserted. 

Discuss the results with students. Let students look at each graph and ask them if they answered their question. All results (from all groups) may be used to answer the research question. If some students didn't answer the RQ, can they think of why?

Congratulate students for their work! 

Give student the "reward certificate" (printout, digital).

Send the Class result sheet back to [e-mail] and don't forget to fill in the teacher's questionnaire to let us know how the activity went for you! Your feedback helps us improve the module!

Links

Let us know how this module was for you! We really appreciate your feedback: 

                 -----> Teacher's feedback questionnaire <-----

and don't forget to give students the animal attitude questionnaire again, to see if they improved!           

 

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