Kakapo Rescue: Saving the world's strangest parrot

On a remote island off the coast of New Zealand live the last 91 kakapo parrots on earth. Humans brought predators to the island which has brought this species near the brink of extinction.  Now this island serves as a refuge and a team of scientists are trying to restore the kakapo population.

Reading Level:    
     Lexile: 950
   
Genre/Theme:    
     Nonfiction
     Birds

Subject:    
     Science
     English Language Arts

Teaching ideas for a 4th Grade Class:
     Web Resources:  http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/ is a great website for students to visit.  This website offers a Kids Track to follow the Kakapo rescue.  It also lets students meet the people who are working to save this beautiful bird. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbQgu0ilg8U Stephen Fry offers a 2:14 minute insight to the Kakapo and Codfish Island. 

Suggested Delivery:  Read aloud

Before Reading: 

     Vocabulary to introduce:  extinction, conservationists, quarantine, autopsy, predators, incubator

Give students an anticipation guide that will have the following questions:  What makes the Kakapo the world's strangest parrot?  What are some of the reasons they are near extinction?  Where is Codfish Island?  (Locate on world map)  Where is Lisa's nest?  What is meant by "mast years"?  What are nest-minders and why are they important?

During Reading:

Have students work on anticipation guide questions.  Help students take notes by using a split-page note taking technique.

After Reading:

Have students visit the Kakapo Recovery website from above.  Students can then compare information from their split-page note taking to the actual website.  Have students write a paragraph that entails the current status of this beautiful bird.

Montgomery, S., & Bishop, N. (2010). Kakapo rescue: saving the world's strangest parrot. Boston Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.