This week we’re looking at different aspects of flight and ways that we can explore those at home.

Like most animals, birds have evolved so that their bodies match their behavior—flying birds have hollow bones and light beaks, rather than heavy, bony jaws, to reduce weight, powerful wing muscles to create thrust in flight, and lightweight, smooth feathers to reduce drag. But birds come in all shapes and sizes, and each species of flying bird has specific adaptations for the type of flight they do most.

Today, learn about how different wing shapes affect how a bird flies and then make a flapping bird puppet to simulate how a bird’s wings move through the air!

In honor of National Wildflower Week, this week’s Distance Learning offerings are focusing on the plant world.

An animal that helps plants cross-pollinate is called a pollinator, and they are an especially important for farming and for the ecosystem as a whole. In New England, the most common pollinators are bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Let’s learn about why plants need pollinators and ways we can make the outside of a home an inviting space for this essential creatures!