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Watch and Discuss: Chirp, Chirp, Tweet, Tweet, Chirp

Chirp is great at recognizing and imitating other birds' songs, but can she find a bird song of her own?

Materials

  • Chirp, Chirp, Tweet, Tweet, Chirp (video)

Key Science Concepts

  • Sounds vary by volume (loud or soft), and pitch (high or low).
  • A sound becomes loud when the force of the action that is creating the sound is increased (for example, when you hit a drum harder). A sounds becomes softer, or quieter, when the force is decreased. 

Directions

Before you watch: Tell children they will be watching a video about Peep and his friends, Chirp and Quack. Chirp has an amazing ability. Ask children to raise their hands when they discover what Chirp’s amazing ability is.

As you watch: Children will raise their hands when they see Chirp’s amazing ability to identify different birds by their songs—without even seeing them! Ask, how would you describe Chirp’s amazing ability? How do you think Chirp is able to recognize different bird songs?  

  • Blackbird song: Chirp imitates the sound of the blackbird (3:19). Replay that portion of the video and ask children to imitate the blackbird’s song, the way Peep does. Ask, How would you describe the sound?
  • Chickadee song: Stop and replay the video Chirp listens to in which she imitates a chickadee (3:30). Have children imitate the sound and describe it.

After you watch: Ask, Why do you think Chirp was sad in the second half of the video? What made her happy again? Replay the portion of the video in which Chirp sings her own bird song—the robin’s song. Ask, How might we imitate Chirp’s song?