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Purpose
Will different colors of bird feeders affect how much seed the birds eat?
(You should do some research on this topic either online or at your library. You need to
learn enough about it to guess what will happen when you do the experiment. That guess
of course is your hypothesis).
Hypothesis
Choose one of these two based on your study of the topic:
The color of a bird feeder won't affect how much seed the birds eat.
The color of a bird feeder will affect how much seed they eat.
Materials List
- A hanging enclosed type bird feeder. Not a platform feeder.
- Large bag of bird seed.
- One piece of white construction paper.
- One piece of bright colored construction paper. Try to find flourescent orange or some
other bright color.
- Pair of scissors.
- Some small string or twine.
- Kitchen measuring cup.
Procedure
This is the experiment you will perform to test the hypothesis. Be sure to write
everything down in your journal. Someone else should be able to repeat your steps and get
the same results as you. So keep a journal for all the 5th grade science projects you do.
- If you already have a hanging type bird feeder in the yard you may use it for this experiment.
Try to find a quiet open area to hang the feeder if this is your first. A place where the birds
will be least disturbed by passing traffic, dogs, etc. is best.
- Measure the amount of seed you put in the feeder with a measuring cup.Fill it up and
write down the amount in your notebook journal. Also write down the time and date you hang
the feeder up. Label this page of your journal plain feeder.
- If this is a new feeder for your yard it may a few days for the birds to find it.
- Check the feeder once a day and add seed if needed. Write in your journal how much seed
you add each time.
- Keep the feeder up and filled for two weeks.Toward the end of that day take the feeder
down and empty the seeds in another container large enough to hold them. With the measuring
cup measure how many seeds you have out of the feeder.
- Write this amount down in your journal as Amount left over along with the date.
- Add up the total amount of seed you added to the feeder during the two weeks. Subtract
the amount left over from this amount.
- Write the total amount used in your journal.
- On a new page in your journal title it white feeder.
- Now cut a piece of the white construction paper wide enough and long anough to go
around the feeder. Get and adult to help if you need to.
- Tie the paper securely around the feeder with a piece of string. Don't block the seed areas
where the birds eat or the lid where you fill the feeder.
- As before fill the feeder with seeds while measuring the amount. Write this amount along
with the date in your journal. Put it on the new page you started and labeled white feeder.
- Hang the feeder for two more weeks and keep it filled. Write down the amounts of seed
added each time just as you did before.
- At the end of the two weeks empty the feeder and write down the amount of seeds left
over. Add up the amount of seed you used this two weeks and subtract the left over amount
from it.
- Write this amount in your journal as total amount used along with the date.
- Start a new page in your journal titled bright colored feeder.
- Remove the white paper from the feeder and cut a piece of the colored sheet as you
did before. Attach it the same way with the string.
- Fill the feeder with seed and record the amount on the bright colored feeder page of
your journal along with the date.
- Hang the feeder and keep filled writing down the amounts you add in your journal.
- At the end of two weeks take down the feeder and measure the amount of seed left
in it. Write down this amount. Now add up the amounts you added over the two week period
and subtract this left over amount from it. Write this amount in your journal as total
amount used. Write down the date.
Results
What did you observe and conclude from the experiment? Do the results support
your hypothesis?
Did the white paper or colored paper make a difference in how much seed the birds ate?
Changes to the Experiment
Can you think of any changes you might make to the 5th grade science projects experiment if you did it again?
Maybe you have an idea for a different hypothesis. Sometimes with a few changes you
can create a new project.
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