Materials Needed:

Information sheets and pencils for each student in each of the four expert groups.
Desk space for four expert groups.
Two Half sheet poster boards for each expert group.
Crayons, markers or colored pencils for each group.
Books with pictures of Swans.

Preparation:

Before students begin selecting a swan to shadow, it will be helpful for them to learn as much as they can about  this beautiful animal. Students at the elementary level are more likely to buy into the project once they have a visual representation of the swan in their heads as well as an understanding of how this species of bird lives. The four segments of information on the Tundra Swan (Nesting habits, Migration behavior, Physical description, and body parts) can be easily adapted to a "Jigsaw" lesson as described by Spencer Kagan and Elliot Aronson.

Divide the class into groups of four.  Each student in each group is assigned a number; 1,2,3, or 4. Have all the students with the same number reassemble in expert groups.  Expert group #1 will study the body parts of the swan.  Expert group #2 will study the physical description of the swan.  Expert group #3 will study the migration behavior of the swan.  Expert group #4 will study the nesting habits of the swan. The following internet site provides a good diagram of the head and eyes of the Tundra Swan: http://www.taiga.net/swans/head_and_bill.html

Lesson Activity:

1.  The students should gather in their "expert groups" and spend 30 - 40 minutes reading and taking notes on their information contained in their expert sheet. This time can also be used by the expert group to create a poster illustrating and labeling the key information from their expert sheet.

2. After the expert groups have read, summarized, and illustrated the information on their expert sheet, they should prepare a short classroom presentation on the information learned.

3. Allow each expert group to present their information to the class.

4. After the presentation encourage the students to ask questions of each group.

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Jigsaw Information Sheets:

Expert Group #1 Fact Sheet:  Body Parts

The Tundra Swan, formerly called the Whistling Swan,  is known for its grace, beauty and speed.  Long ago yachts were designed using the structure of the swan's body as inspiration.  Tundra Swans are smaller than Trumpeter Swans, yet larger than Canadian Geese and Snow Geese.

The female Tundra Swan is called a pen and the male Tundra Swan is known as a cob. Both pen and cob have dense white feathers for plumage.  The plumage insulates the swan's body against the cold and gives it added buoyancy to help it float more easily.  The swan has a long neck, even longer than a goose.  In fact, of a swan's 60  vertebrae 25 are found in the neck.  A swan has more vertebrae than any other animal, including the giraffe!

The wings of the Tundra Swan are strong yet fragile.  Like all birds the bones in the wing are hollow and covered with skin and feathers.  Each wing is made up of an upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and "hand" (wing tip).  A bony knuckle at the end of each wing is used for defense against predators.  An adult cob, weighing in at 20 pounds can have a wingspan of 7 feet!

Swans have black webbed feet with three strongly nailed toes.  These nails are used to break up vegetation from the pond bottom.  Their webbed feet are prefect paddles in water, but swans waddle clumsily on land.
 

Expert Group #2 Fact Sheet:  Physical Description

The Tundra Swan is recognized by its white plumage, small and sleek head and black bill.  Tundra Swans can also be identified by a yellow spot just in front of their eye. The tip of the bill, called the "nail", is thick, horn like and serrated to help the swan loosen bulbs from the pond bottom.  A swan has two nasal glands above the eyes.  When salt enters the bloodstream, it is extracted through these nasal glands.

Tundra Swans depend daily on their eyesight.  The eyes of this bird are the same size as  human eyes and take up nearly all the room in the head.  The Tundra Swan's brain is tucked away in the back of its head.  Swan eyes have a third eyelid, called a nictating membrane.  This third eyelid is clear, covering the eye when the two outer eyelids are open, and acting as a windscreen wiper.  Because of this nictating membrane the swan can see clearly while flying through fog and rain or when he dips his head underwater.  Because the eyes are located on the sides of the head, the swan has a wide field of vision.  A swan can see nearly all around itself.  A Tundra Swan's eyes are amazing cameras. The retina is twice as thick as that of a human and can focus rapidly and efficiently.  Swan eyes are able to adjust quickly to different levels of light.
 

Expert Group #3 Fact Sheet:  Migration Behavior

The western Tundra Swan population nests in Alaska.  While in Alaska the Tundra Swan eats a great deal. They are lining their bodies with fat for energy during the fall migration.  Swans begin migrating shortly after the hours of daily sunlight start to decrease in the fall.  Less sunlight causes hormones in the bird to change, which signals the bird that its time to fly!  Three month old cygnets, baby swans, migrate south with the others.  They follow their parents closely.

To begin flying the swans must face into the wind and "run" along the surface of the water using their strong and webbed feet.  It takes about 15 to 20 feet of open water for the swans to gain enough speed to launch themselves into the air.  Just before beginning their migratory flight, one can usually hear a strong "coo" from the entire flock.

Tundra Swans fly in a V formation.  The V formation gives each bird extra lift from the slip stream of the bird in front.  While migrating the swans fly some 2,000 to 5,000 feet in the air; lower when there is a strong headwind and higher when there is an assisting tailwind. Swans fly an average of 30 m.p.h. (that's about 160 wing flaps per minute!!). Some swans flying in V formation, with a tailwind have been clocked at 100 miles per hour.
 

Expert Group #4 Fact Sheet:  Nesting Habits

The Tundra Swans arrive in the Alaskan Tundra each spring.  They gather and pile up grass, feathers, sedges, reeds, and mosses to make a nest.  The nest can be very large; up to six feet across and three feet high.  These nests can often be seen from several miles away.  A large swan nest can support the eggs above the water level as well as serve as a lookout point  for the swan to watch for dangerous predators.

A swan's cream colored egg is among the largest of all bird eggs.  Two to seven eggs are laid and incubated for 32 days.  Baby swans hatch in late June and are called cygnets.  The cygnets enter the water soon after hatching and stay with their parents for about one year.

Tundra Swans pair for life, but if one dies, the other will find a new mate.  Both male and female take turns caring for the young.  Tundra Swans are peaceful birds, they fight only to defend their territory or to protect their nest and brood.  If  an attacking predator is killed, the swan will not eat it.

Tundra Swans fee din fresh waters up to three feet deep.  Swans are vegetarians.  Swans feed on bulbous roots of water plants and wild celery.  To get their food swans often dig at the pond bottom with their feet, and then dip their head down into the water (tail up) and nip off shoots of vegetation with their long, broad bill.  They select their food by taste and touch -not sight.