English Teacher Adriaan Louw

　　While we often forget that they even exist, birds are never really far away from us. From the flamboyant birds of the tropics, to the shabby ground nesting ones of small islands, birds are almost everywhere on earth. This term, students were tasked with learning about birds with the aim of designing and building a feeder that would cater to a specific endemic bird. Bird food is served!

　　As with all projects, this one started with guiding the students through the basic knowledge and vocabulary they needed to successfully navigate the information they would encounter in their research. The practical aspect of this section was focused on how birds are adapted to their environment and food, and how different beak shapes can interact more or less successfully with food.

　　Following on this base of knowledge, students were asked to consider possible solutions to the problem posed by the project, “How can you attract a specific species of bird to your feeder?” Students spent their time during this phase learning more about the endemic birds in Taiwan, and specifically about how and what they eat.

　　Using this new found information, paired with a basic introduction to the different types of feeders they could base their designs on, students were asked to plan a feeder that would be able to attract the bird they chose to focus on. They then created this feeder, making a proportionally big mess in the classroom, but having plenty of fun, and practicing a lot of problem solving.

　　After finishing and installing these feeders, students had to observe them over the course of a week to see if they achieved the desired outcome, and while some failed, the experience was useful nonetheless. No result is still a result in KCFS, and students could give reasons for the failure to attract birds. While there were some disappointed faces, learning had still taken place.