Pause for Thought: Consider the Birds
The Big Garden Birdwatch is happening on the weekend of 28 to 30 January 2022
by Becky May
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To encourage us to participate in the RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch and reflect on what we can learn from birds.
Preparation and materials
- Have available the YouTube video ‘BGBW results 2021’ and the means to show it during the assembly. It is 1.43 minutes long and is available at: https://youtu.be/PJhrkow4xUY
- You will need the means to display the children’s answers in the ‘Assembly’, Step 4.
- More information about the Big Garden Birdwatch is available at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
Assembly
- Welcome the children to the assembly and ask them whether they can think of any special events that are happening in January. They may recall New Year’s Day, and perhaps any birthdays that have been celebrated this month.
- Ask the children whether they have ever heard of something called the Big Garden Birdwatch. Have they signed up to participate this year? Maybe they took part in the count last year, while they were at home?
- Explain that every year, families across the UK sit down for one hour over the course of a given weekend to count all the feathered visitors to their garden. If any children have participated in this before, give them the opportunity to share their stories of the birds that they spotted, or perhaps where they sat to watch them. Did they use any special equipment such as a pair of binoculars or a bird-spotting guide?
- Ask the children to guess which birds were most commonly counted last year. Write down their suggestions as a list that everyone can see.
- Show the YouTube video ‘BGBW results 2021’ (1.43 minutes long) to reveal the results.
Alternatively, if you prefer, you can simply read the bird names from the list at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/results/
Compare the results to the children’s list. Were they right? Does anything surprise them? - Explain to the children that on the last weekend in January, we will have the opportunity to take part in this year’s birdwatch. The RSPB will use the statistics that they gather to help discover more about the health and welfare of bird species in the country. By doing so, they can implement changes to help where needed.
Time for reflection
Encourage the children to make themselves really quiet.
Explain that birds are mentioned many times in the Bible. (You may like to ask the children whether they can think of any examples.) For example, there is the story of creation, Noah sending the dove out from the ark, Elijah being fed by ravens in the desert, Jesus speaking about sparrows and so on.
Explain that Jesus told stories about birds. He once told a crowd not to worry about anything, but to look at the birds. He explained that the birds didn’t grow their food or worry about it; instead, God made sure that they had more than enough. Jesus pointed out that we are more valuable than birds to God.
Pause to allow time for the children to think about what this means for them. Encourage them to think about how important each person is to God.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for the many different kinds of birds that visit our gardens.
Please help us to take the time to remember how beautiful they are.
Thank you that we are so precious to you.
Amen.
Song/music
‘Why worry?’ (Songs for Everybody by Mark and Helen Johnson, Out of the Ark Music)
Extension activities
- Encourage the children to participate in the Big Garden Birdwatch, sharing information about how families can register at home. You could collect some data at school to show which are the most common birds in your local area.
- Create or develop a space for nature in the school grounds, perhaps forming a wild garden, bug hotel or bird feeder for which the children can share responsibility.
- Use some of the Big Garden Birdwatch activities that are available at: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/
