Build the Change Tuesday: Build for Birds
Birds are facing environmental challenges and habitat loss. Hosted in partnership with the LEGO Group, our Build for Birds live lesson inspired 7-14-year-old students to care about bird conservation and use their creativity to design safer spaces for our feathered friends to rest, feed and shelter in.
Build for Birds Live Lesson replay
UK bird species are in decline because of habitat loss. This is where Build for Birds comes in! In this lesson, we want to empower students to help make their schools into safer homes and spaces for our feathered friends to rest, feed and shelter in.
In this free live lesson, we:
- Taught your class all about bird species and biodiversity on location at WWT London Wetland Centre.
- Introduced them to environmental careers with our guest expert Lara Nouri.
- Improved their creative problem-solving skills.
Our interactive online lesson explored why birds are under threat and will inspire your class to design innovative solutions to help our feathered friends.
This lesson is filled with opportunities to learn through play and filled with unique games and quizzes. This lesson is perfect for ages 7-14 and supports PSHE, science, and design and technology curricula.
By the end of the lesson, your pupils will have a new appreciation for the natural world and will feel empowered to use their creative thinking to protect our planet.
Let your creativity fly high!
It’s time to design a solution to make our community a safer space for birds.
The Day and the LEGO Group challenged 7-14-year-olds to reimagine their school or local green space to make it into a safer home and space for our feathered friends to rest, feed, and shelter in.
Following the live lesson, their task was to create a safe space for birds that is both sustainable and functional. A few key factors that needed to be considered:
- Firstly, it’s important to think about how the shelter will work in the space available. Your design should aim to support the birds that can be found in your area. The shelter could also serve as a decorative feature or a space for education.
- Secondly, your design should work for your chosen birds. Consider the types of birds that live in the area and whether there are any new species you would like to attract. The shelter should provide a safe and comfortable habitat for birds, while also enhancing the surrounding ecosystem.
- Finally, your design should be good for the planet! Sustainability must be a top priority when considering your design. Also, it will be important to consider how its design can withstand extreme weather events in your area. Additionally, try to use sustainable materials in the construction of the shelter to minimise its environmental impact.
Here are some top tips on how to design a safe space for birds from our expert Lara Nouri!
Don’t forget to read News Detectives: Build the Change every Tuesday throughout February for inspiration!
Competition Winners!
Our two winners will be announced soon! The chosen designs have won:
- Your designs and ideas published on The Day’s website.
- A virtual Build the Change workshop taught by a real-life LEGO designer for your class.
- A free rewilding installation at your school to help your wildlife and encourage biodiversity.
- A free 3-month subscription to The Day for your school (new members only).
- A Build the Change Classroom Kit so you can keep building and playing.
- A bird-watching kit for your school.
- A certificate.
- The opportunity to put your design idea in front of sustainability leaders later in the year!
Meet our experts!
Lara Nouri
Lara has been working with birds for almost ten years. This has involved photographing museum specimens at the Natural History Museum in London to researching feather colouration and beak evolution. Lara has also studied bird flight behaviour, which involved putting GPS-tracking backpacks on pigeons!
Since 2016, she has been a licensed bird ringer for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), meaning she catches and surveys birds for science and conservation projects. This has included ringing seabirds on steep coastal cliffs in Scotland, being out at midnight ringing Nightjar in heathlands, and even ringing Barn Owl chicks. Lara’s work with Nightingales with the team at Knepp Rewilding Estate was even featured in David Attenborough's Wonder of Song BBC One documentary.
David Pallash
David works on the LEGO Group's Social Responsibility team, designing programs and experiences that connect more children around the world to environmental and social topics, and give them a chance to share their ideas for a better future, all via learning through play. He spends most of his time on the Build the Change programme, a space where his own passion for all things nature-based and social causes meet with the LEGO Group's objective of being a global force for play. Outside of work he is a conservationist, wildlife photographer and loves music almost as much as nature.
Natalie Rodden
Natalie has worked in the spaces between education, social impact and the creative industries for over twenty years. In 2011 she took the plunge into formal teaching with Teach First, and spent the next 3-years teaching English and Media Studies in two busy inner-city London secondary schools. Since then, she’s focused on using her skills to help brands and charities create learning programmes that deliver real benefits for busy teachers and content that inspires young people from all backgrounds to reach their potential.
WWT London Wetland Centre
During our live lesson, our wildlife expert will take us on an on-site tour of the amazing London Wetland Centre. We are happy to share this message from our friends for anyone who would like to find out more about this location!
Are you looking for a unique and exciting way to teach your students about wetland wildlife? Look no further than London Wetland Centre!
London Wetland Centre offers a range of educational visit packages that cater to learners of all ages and skill levels. Their curriculum-linked learning sessions, pre- and post-visit session plans, and interactive resources are all designed to help enhance children’s learning and provide them with a real-life, hands-on experience.
As one of the UK’s leading providers of outdoor education, they can deliver an action-packed day of exploration and discovery that your students won’t soon forget. So why not join us and get up close and personal with wetland wildlife from the UK and around the world?
Access our News Detectives: Build the Change articles for even more sustainability inspiration!
Build the Change Tuesday is our free, weekly sustainability resource for 7 – 14-year-olds, designed for busy teachers looking for a quick, preparation-free activity. During our competition, each News Detectives will feature a bird-themed story to inspire your pupil’s competition entries.
This sustainability resource was created in partnership with the LEGO Group®, and The Day allows students to think critically about, discuss and debate a new sustainability issue every single week. It’s ideal for settling students into the day, and developing reading, comprehension and discussion skills.
Click here to register for this FREE weekly resource.
Build the Change Tuesday is a sustainability resource brought to you by The Day and the LEGO Group®, which forms part of our News Detectives programme, a no-fuss daily dip into the news for ages 8 – 13. A different theme every day of the week.