One of the fun "String of Memories" bead activities that is available for guests visiting the Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House focuses on flamingo behaviors. This activity is offered twice a day, from 9:00 am -10:00 am and again from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm at the Jambo House Flamingo Pond near the main pool. The activity takes about 15 to 20 minutes. You can arrive anytime during the hour. If you arrive after a group of guests has started the activity, the cast member will either try to catch you up, or have you wait for another round of the activity.
Guests gather next to the Flamingo Pond with an animal behavioral expert. The expert talks with the group about the various behaviors that flamingos exhibit throughout the day. Photographs of the behaviors are placed on a display board.
Everyone is then given a behavioral observation board. Participants are able to stand by the Flamingo Pond and can choose to either record the number of flamingos they see performing each specific behavior or observe an individual flamingo. If they choose one flamingo to watch, they record its band number on the board and then watch that flamingo and record its behaviors.
After several minutes of observation time the group is brought back together and the result are tallied. The cast member explains how this information is used by scientists and the important role that observation plays in understanding species. On hot afternoons, when the flamingos are mostly sleeping, the cast member has an iPad to show videos of the various behaviors.
This activity gives children the opportunity to conduct authentic scientific observation, collect data and then analyse the group data. Students can then learn how this data is used by scientists in ethology, the study of animal behavior.
You can expand this activity by using an Animal Behavior Observation Sheet (Ethogram). From your balcony, choose an animal in the savanna, or if you do not have a savanna view you can use one of the many public observation areas dotted around the two resort buildings and pools. Choose one animal and record their behavior for a set period of time, such as 15 minutes. This can be repeated over several days, or even multiple times during the same day. Don't forget to including the Sunset Savanna night vision goggle viewing. The data can then be plotted in a graph and analysed.
Here is a sample Animal Behavior Observation Sheet to get you started. Happy observing!
Flamingo Behavior Activity Fast Facts:
Location: Jambo House Animal Kingdom Lodge - Flamingo Pond
Time offered: Between 9:00 am and 10:00 am , also 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Length: 15 - 20 minutes
Curriculum Connections: Conducting scientific research, collecting and analyzing data, animal adaptations, Ethology
My Favorite additional Flamingo resources
Books:
Flamingos
Author: Quinn Arnold
Level: Beginning Reader
Summary: "A Kindergarten-level introduction to Flamingos, covering their growth processes, behaviors, the lakes they call home, and such defining features as their long legs." This books has beautiful photos and one sentence per page. Key words are introduced in color with a glossary in the back for a full definition.
ISBN: 978-1628324822 - Soft cover
Publisher: Creative Education
2018
Link: Publisher's web site
Flamingo Sunset
Author: Johathan London
Illustrator: Kristina Rodanas
Level: Early Elementary
Summary: This is an early picture book that follows the story of a flamingo family having a baby and describes how they care for their young. There is an author's note in the back that provides more facts to supplement the story.
ISBN: 978-1477816745
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children
2008
Flamingos
Author: Melissa Gish
Level: Late Elementary, 8-12 years
Summary: " A scientific look at flamingos, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as their coloration, behaviors, relationships with humans, and numbers of the tropical birds in the world today." An excellent resource for students not intimidated by the more text based format. The inclusion of mythology and cultural reference to Flamingos sets this book apart.
ISBN: 978-1-60818-416-3 Hard Cover
9781628320022 - Soft Cover
Publisher: Creative Education
2015
Link: Publisher's web site
Flamingos
Author: Jodie Shepherd
Level: Elementary, 8-12 years
Summary: This is a fantastic reference book for elementary aged children. Included is a handy "Fact File" providing an easy location to find basic data. Additional "Fast Facts" are interspersed through out. The photos are beautiful and add to the information being presented in the chapters. The chapter on the impact of humans on flamingos and their environment is an important inclusion. The appealing format of this book will engage elementary students, and the added glossary make it accessible to all. A great resource.
ISBN: 978-0531128992 - Soft Cover
Publisher: Scholastic 2019
Websites Links:
Movie:
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingo - Disney Nature
Comments