Bald Eagle Lessons

"The American Bald Eagle Unit Study is a multi-level, 3 to 9 day lesson with information and suggested activities."

Soaring your way, our Bald Eagle unit study is ALMOST ready. And it's worth the wait!.
(However, if you need it NOW, contact us via our Contact Us button and we can let you have an early look at the activities that are ready to go.)

Bald Eagle Dot to Dot

Activity #1

Youngest students can start this activity with a dot-to-dot of a flying eagle.

Can they guess what this unit is about before they complete the picture?

Size of Eagles

Activity #2

Height of Bald Eagle

We start with a hands-on activity measuring the average height of a bald eagle. (If you were sitting on the ground and a bald eagle walked up to you, who would be taller?)

We also give students practice with the metric system. Compare the height in English and metric.

Bald Eagle Wingspan

From tip to tip do you know how wide the eagle is when flying?

The average is 85 cm. Compare that to the height of an average grown man.

Weight

Okay, so if the bald eagle can look you in the eye when you are seated on the ground, and is as long as a grown man is tall when wings are out, how much is this bird going to weigh?

4500 grams. About ten pounds.

Some of the big ones get even heavier; they big ones come in at a whopping 6400 grams (14 pounds.)

When it comes to weight, you can basically compare our majestic bald eagle to your Thanksgiving turkey.

Did you know that female bald eagles are larger than their male counterparts? That is true of most birds of prey.

Scientific Classification of the Bald Eagle

Activity #3 - Meet Haliaeetus leucocephalus

What Is An Eagle, Anyway?

Eagles are diuranal birds of prey in the accipitriformes order.

Here is the scientific classification of eagles:

• Domain: Eukarya (multicellular organisms with complex cells with a membrane-bound nucleus)
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordota (has a spinal cord)
• Class: Aves (birds)
• Order: Accipitriformes (diurnal birds of prey)
• Family: Accipitridae (talons that tear: includes hawks, eagles, kites, buzzards)
• Genus: Haliaeetus (sea eagles) Greek Hali = sea; aetus = taker, hunter, thief
• Species: Leucocephalus (white head) leuco=white; cephalus=head

Bald Eagle Scientific Classification Activity

Card-Selecting, Poster-Making Project

We include a classification activity of selecting cards for each taxonomy level and creating a poster for Haliaeetus leucocephalus.

Additional information is provided in charts for teachers and high school students.

Colors of the Eagle

Activity #4 - Art Project

Blending, Layering, Feathering

Yellow eyes, orange talons, white-feathered head (they really aren't bald), deep varigated brown with golden wing tips: the colors of the bald eagle are striking and majestic. Students of all levels of artistic talent enjoy the art lesson with the bald eagle pair. In this lesson, they will learn blending, layering, and feathering colors.

While any color pencils (or other medium) can be used, we recommend artist quality pencils (like Prismacolor or Faber Castell). Recommended pencil colors include:

• 3 colors of brown (light, medium, dark)
• Two colors of green (light, dark)
• Yellow
• Orange
• Peach or pink
• Light blue
• Black
• White (optional)
• Metallic gold (optional)

Students will learn how to make seven different colors of brown just with the three color pencils. Even more colors emerge from their pencils as they apply the other colors.