This document outlines an educational lesson plan where students will create journals to record their research about bald eagles over the course of a week. Students will learn about the bald eagle's life cycle, diet, and habitat by researching online. Each day, students will summarize and sketch their findings in their homemade journals. To assess learning, students will be graded on their ability to summarize research, compare and contrast bald eagles and humans, and cite sources. The goal is for students to improve their research, writing, and art skills while learning about bald eagles.

1. Eagle Journals
Introduction: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no…. wait, it is a bird! And not just any bird, it’s a bald
eagle! As these majestic creatures soar above us, confidence and fierceness resonating from
their powerful wings, curiosity may arise within one’s mind. What would it be like to live the life
of an eagle? Through observation and studying this amazing bird, which has become a symbol
for many nations, one can begin to understand the life of a bald eagle.
Subject Areas: English, Science, Art
Grade Level: 4-8
Lesson Objectives:
1) Understand how to summarize thoughts/research
2) Develop research skills
3) Understand and list similarities/differences between humans and bald eagles
4) To learn about the life cycle of eagles
5) To learn about an eagle’s diet
6) To learn about an eagle’s habitat
Estimated Time: Five to six class periods (depending on amount of research)
Materials Needed:
1) Recycled material for journals: old cereal boxes, fabric, newspaper, wrapping
paper, paint, string and needle, and any other decoration students wish to add
2) Computer for journal making directions, eagle cam, and websites containing
eagle facts
3) This site gives step-by-step directions for book making
http://www.lilblueboo.com/2009/07/making-composition-book-art-journal.html
(old library books/notebooks could be an alternative choice)
http://www.jamiebutler.com/tutorials/bookbinding3.php
http://www.squidoo.com/bookbindingtutorial
4) Facts about eagles
http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/2835-bald-eagles.html
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/bald-eagle/
Procedures:
1) Begin class with a discussion about eagles.
2) Explain to the students that they will be writing daily summaries and drawing
sketches (for a week) consisting of various eagle facts and observations taken
from the eagle cam.

2. 3) Then give the class instructions on how to make the journals in which they will be
writing/sketching. Create a power point giving step –by- step instructions on how
to make the journals.
Instructions for journal making:
http://www.lilblueboo.com/2009/07/making-composition-book-art-journal.html
(old library books/notebooks could be an alternative choice)
http://www.jamiebutler.com/tutorials/bookbinding3.php
http://www.squidoo.com/bookbindingtutorial (less complicated than the other
websites)
4) Day 1: With the instructions above, divide the class into small groups so students
may help fellow classmates and share materials needed for journal making. Ask
students (the day before you begin the eagle lesson) to bring in any recycled
material that they wish to decorate their journals with.
5) Upon completion of their journals, spend at least twenty minutes each day for a
week in the computer lab letting students research bald eagles. Another 20
minutes will be used for the students to journal and summarize what they have
found.
6) Day 2: The first day of research will be finding information on the life cycle of a
bald eagle. After research students will summarize and sketch the topic in their
journal.
7) Day 3: Day 3 students will research a bald eagle’s diet and how they obtain food.
Students will then summarize and sketch the topic in their journal.
8) Day 4: On the last day of research students will obtain and summarize facts about
a bald eagles habitat.
9) Day 5: For each of the three journal entries, students will go back to compare and
contrast humans to bald eagles. Students will do this by creating Venn diagrams
in their journals. This could take up to a whole class period.
10) At the end of the journal students will hand in notes from each day of research
and list the sources they used for their information.
Assessment Suggestions:
1) Students could receive grades on how well they have summarized their research.
2) Students could be graded on the comparing and contrasting.
3) They could also be graded on whether or not they included the websites they
used for information.