Photo of a toucan sitting on a branch
JOE AUSTIN PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Life Science,

Meet the Toucan

What you never knew about these fancy fliers

By Alice Sun
From the September 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will ask questions and obtain information about toucans.

Key Focus Area: Structure & Function, Ecosystems,
Other Focus Areas: Fractions & Decimals
Standards
  • NGSS
    Core Ideas: LS1.A, LS2.A, LS2.D
  • CCSS
    Reading: RI.1; Writing: W.7, W.8; Speaking and Listening: SL.1; Math: 3.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.1
  • TEKS
    Science: 3.5F, 3.13A, 3.5F, 5.5F, 5.13B, 6.5F; ELA: 3.1A, 3.6B, 4.1A, 4.6B, 5.1A, 5.6B, 6.1A, 6.5B

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Hungry Birds

STEFAN HUWILER/NATUREPL.COM

There are more than 40 species of toucans. This one is a toco toucan. Toucans use their beak to peel the skin from fruits. A toucan’s beak is about 4 times the size of its head! 

Sweet tooth? More like sweet beak! Fruits like berries, figs, and guavas make up 96 percent of a toucan’s diet. By eating a lot of fruit, toucans help trees reproduce. After toucans eat a fruit, they fly off and later poop out the seeds. Some seeds grow into new fruit trees!

But toucans don’t just munch on fruit—they’re also predators. They hunt insects, frogs, and even baby birds!

Cooling Beak

GLENN TATTERSALL

The yellow and orange areas in this image show heat leaving a toucan’s body through its beak.

The toucan’s enormous beak has a secret power: It can help the bird control its body temperature! Scientists found that toucans can push heat from their bodies to their beaks. This helps them stay cool in the afternoon sun. The birds live in steamy rainforests, where temperatures can reach 100°F (38°C)!

Flock Together

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Toucans are social birds. They usually travel around the rainforest in pairs or large groups. These birds work together to find food or spot predators.

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN®


Toucans are found in the wild in South America and Central America.

Compare the toucan with a bird you’ve seen near your home. How are they similar and different?

Activities (5)
Question & Answer Sheets
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARE TO READ (10 minutes)
Use an article to make observations and ask questions about toucans.

  • Project the article in presentation view. Use the spotlight tool to focus students’ attention on the main image.
  • Distribute the graphic organizer I Notice, I Wonder to students and review the instructions. If needed, discuss what an observation is (something you notice with your senses, like something you see). Share an observation about the image with the class. Then have students record their observations in the left-hand column and questions in the right-hand column of the graphic organizer. Encourage them to write as many as they can!

2. READ AND ANALYZE (15 minutes)
Explore the article and describe key adaptations.

  • Read the article aloud to the class while they follow along in the print magazine. Discuss which student questions were answered in the text. Have students highlight questions that remain unanswered.
  • Summarize what students have learned about toucans and their adaptations (e.g., Their large beak helps them stay cool.) Encourage students to refer to the text as they complete the following sentence: One adaptation that toucans have is ___________. This adaptation helps them survive because ____________________________. Have volunteers share their sentences with the class.

2. RESPOND TO READING (20 minutes)
Use the article, and other sources, to answer students’ questions about toucans.

  • Read aloud the last prompt on the I Notice, I Wonder activity sheet. Allow students to work in pairs to answer the questions, encouraging them to use the text. Then select volunteers to share their answers with the class.
  • Revisit any student questions that are still unanswered. Discuss how those could be answered by using reliable online sources or books. Let students conduct research to find answers to any remaining questions about toucans.

STEM INTEGRATION

RESEARCH & WRITING: Conduct research on a bird and summarize its adaptations (CCSS ELA: W.7, W.8; NGSS: LS1.A)

Brainstorm a class list of other birds students find interesting (e.g., kingfishers, penguins, hummingbirds, and eagles). Share the Creature Research graphic organizer. Discuss sources that students can use, such as the SuperSTEM website, other reputable websites, and books. Have students conduct and present their research in small groups.

MATH: Use fractions to show how toucans spread fruit seeds (CCSS MATH: 3.NF.A.1, 4.NF.A.1; NGSS: LS2.A)

Distribute the activity Hands-on Math: Fruit Seed Fractions. Read the introduction aloud. Model the instructions in step 3 (of part 1) for students, showing them how to drop the “seeds.” You can also model how to answer the questions in part 2, explaining how students can find and simplify the fractions of seeds that landed in each area. If students need more support, remind them to use the “Need a Hand?” box on page 2.

SCIENCE: Analyze a map of a toco toucan’s range (NGSS: LS4.C, LS4.D)

Distribute the Map: Where the Toco Toucan Lives activity sheet. Review the map key, then have student pairs complete the questions. Reconvene and discuss their answers as a class.

Text-to-Speech