Scene: Flamingos in a Fix

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Flamingos in a Fix

Optimal Conditions Video

Killer Crystals

Comparing Two Lakes

Dustville Dilemmas

Deciding about Lake Natron

Scene: Flamingos in a Fix

Duration: Approximately 50 minutes

In this Science Scene, a dialogue to read aloud as a class, students play the roles of a family of Lesser Flamingos that is flying to their breeding ground at Lake Natron in Tanzania. Five characters—Flora, Flavio, Flynn, Flo, and Uncle Willy—discuss the history of their use of different lakes in The Great Rift Valley in East Africa. The script briefly introduces this unit's focus words: habitat, condition, source, destruction, extinction, optimal, threat, impact, and preservation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Students learn important scientific terminology used in studying environmental impact and practice using this vocabulary. Students also explore the differences between open and closed questions.

Students are introduced to the Focus Words, scientific language used throughout this unit.

Students demonstrate careful reading by identifying details accurately.

Students consider the perspectives of the characters through related questions.

Teacher Tips

Think ahead about how you will assign the five roles (Flora, Flavio, Flynn, Flo, and Uncle Willy), perhaps in groups or by having volunteers read in front of the class. Note that students often willingly take on roles regardless of the gender of the characters.
While it is possible for the students to read the PDF of the script online, we suggest printing the script for the students so they can hold it in their hands and mark it as they read. Consider scaffolding the lesson for English language learners: you could let them preview the script before the lesson or read the dialogue silently once and ask questions to a partner.
Prior to the reading the script, explain to students that they will encounter new vocabulary terms and ideas that may not be familiar. Reassure them that this lack of familiarity is okay. The reading is meant to introduce the ideas, not explain them completely.
Review the focus words of the week. The focus word chart linked on the unit overview page should be used as a resource for students to review definitions and sample sentences.
This activity is intended only as an introduction to the concepts.

Teacher Tune-ups

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Set the context (10 minutes)
Engage with the script (25 minutes)
Partner work: Identify open and closed questions (15 minutes)

Set the context (10 minutes)

Initiate a class discussion prior to beginning the Science Scene.

Sample Prompts:

Have you ever seen birds flying together as a group and who seem to be on a long migration?

Why do you think flamingos are such a famous bird species?

Where are the countries of Tanzania and Kenya?

Engage with the script (25 minutes)

Some teachers have several groups of students read at the same time. Other teachers select a few students to "perform" in front of the class.

Assigning Roles and Reading Aloud:

When roles are assigned, it is recommended that the teacher read the part of the narrator.

The Script:

Characters: Flora, Flavio, Flynn, Flo, Uncle Willy

A family of Lesser Flamingos is flying to their breeding ground at Lake Natron in Tanzania.

Flynn: Hey Dad! Are we there yet? My wings are tired from all this flapping.

Flo: And I’m hungry. As in, I could eat an entire lake of blue-green algae all by myself.

Flynn: Yeah, right.

Flo: I could!

Flynn: Yeah, right.

Flo: I could!

Flavio: Kids, just settle down! We’ll be at Lake Natron before you know it.

Flo: Why can’t we just stop now? (points) Look, there’s a really cool lake right there we could call home!

Flynn: Yeah! She’s right. If we start heading down now, we could make a real impact with an awesome splash landing!

Flora: Flynn and Flo aren’t serious, are they, Flavio? Could our very own offspring not understand what fantastically fussy creatures we flamingos are?

Flavio: I—

Flora: Have we failed in our fundamental job of teaching them how to avoid the threat of extinction?! Have we not instilled in them the importance of preservation—

Flavio: Hold on! Hold on! Kids, you’re worrying your mother and me.

Flynn and Flo: (grumbling) For something new and different.

Flavio: So, Flynn and Flo, why do you think we’re moving to Lake Natron?

Flynn: Because we can?

Flo: Because you and Mom like it there. It’s where you met. And where we were born.

Flavio: Well, all of those things are true. But there’s so much more to the story.

Flora: We couldn’t just plunk down in any old habitat and be happy and healthy.

Flavio: The conditions at Lake Natron are optimal for birds like us to breed.

Flora: (with a dramatic sigh) Lovely freshwater springs that flow into the salt lake so we can drink and wash up!

Flavio: Perfect mud for making perfect nests!

Flora: Private nesting sites that every new flamingo mama needs! Imagine trying to relax when there are intruders nearby!

Flavio: Honey, I think the kids are old enough now to hear about what happened at Lake Magadi.

Flora: Oh dear! Such a sad story. But I think you’re right. I’ll call my brother. (yells) William! William T. Flamingo! Come flap with us.

Uncle Willy: At your service, Sis. What’s going on? Hi, Flavio! Hi, kids!

Flora: Flavio and I think it’s time for your niece and nephew to hear about what happened in 1962.

Uncle Willy: Oh, dark days. Terrible times. You really think you kids are up for this story?

Flynn: We’re not babies!

Flo: Yeah, we’ve been nailing our splash landings for, like, ever!

Uncle Willy: Okay. Well, it was a long time ago, 1962 to be exact. There were rains, huge rains, and our traditional nesting sites on Lake Natron flooded. Your aunt and I had no choice—

Flynn: Aunt Winifred?

Flo: Don’t interrupt!

Uncle Willy: Yes, your Aunt Winifred. She and I moved to Lake Magadi and built a lovely nest in the nesting site and your aunt laid a precious egg. Before long, our baby hatched—

Flynn: Was that our—?

Flo: Shhh…

Uncle Willy: But then more rains came and the nesting grounds flooded with very salty water. There was a soda ash factory nearby and it limited the flow of fresh water into the lake. So our beautiful boy— (overcome with emotion)

Flavio: Thick bracelets of salt formed around his ankles. The same thing happened to many, many chicks.

Flynn: But how could they—?

Flo: Shhh…

Uncle Willy: One day, Aunt Winifred and I came back from feeding and he was gone.

Flo: Gone?

Flora: Drowned.

Flavio: That was a time of great sorrow for us and many other flamingo families. It’s a source of deep sadness to this day.

Flynn: (sadly) He was our cousin. Our cousin we never met.

Uncle Willy: Yes. Yes, that was Winston.

Flora: So, except for that one fateful year, Lake Natron is where our family has always and will always go to breed.

Flavio: Where life is safe and peaceful—free from destruction.

Flynn: Hey! Is that it? That beautiful lake down there? (pointing)

Flo: Come on, everyone! Let’s show them how awesome a perfect splash landing can be!

Flynn: Going down!

Partner work: Identify open and closed questions (15 minutes)

Explain to students:

You’ve probably noticed that there are many ways to ask questions.

Closed questions typically have one right answer. They’re factual and simple. Questions that can be answered “yes” or “no” are examples of closed questions. Questions that can be answered with very few words are also closed questions.

Open questions have more than one right answer. They typically require thought and reflection. They might ask for an opinion or suggest that you evaluate information. You can’t answer an open question with only one or two words. They demand longer answers. Got the concept?

With a partner, please read and answer the following questions about the Science Scene. Select “C” if it is a closed question. Select “O” if it is an open question. We will discuss the questions as a class after you and your partners have a few minutes to think about them.

What’s the name of Flynn’s sister?

Why do you think Flora asked Uncle Willy to tell the kids about what happened at Lake Magadi?

What year did nesting sites at Lake Magadi flood?

Why does Flora say, “We couldn’t just plunk down in any old habitat”?

Is Lake Natron in Tanzania?

Environmental Impact