Bird Beaks

Part of the fifth grade curriculum is studying adaptations and how animals evolve and change to fit their environments.  One example we have used is birds, how they have beaks that fit their habitats and the type of food they eat.
A project that I have done in the past, is use different grips or vices as "bird beaks" and the children explore picking up various types of "food" with the tools provided.
I set up bowls with grains of rice (seeds), cooked and uncooked spaghetti as nest materials, twigs, gummy worms, and chunks of a material to show meat.  This can be extended in many ways and with a variety of materials.
The different types of beaks we used were tongs, scissors, a cup, tweezers, and pliers.  The kids had a chart to fill out as they used each type of beak with a different material.  We made observations in science notebooks and held a discussion afterwards to share our findings.