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| Dallas Zoological Society Partnership : Middle School Lessons Tracking Animal Movement |
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Topic Overview
Quick Facts
Animals on land have padded feet in order to
sneak up on their prey.
There are four types of tracks left by a snake,
each representing a different method of travel – rectinilear, concertina,
serpentine, and sidewinding.
The single greatest threat to green sea turtles
is the development of Fibropapilloma Tumors, a disease caused by unknown
reasons has reached epidemic proportions in geographic locations as distant as Hawaii,
Florida and Australia.
Night vision goggles and glow-in-the-dark
tracking powder can be used to track animals at night.
Black bears use the same trails over and over
for generations. They tend to place their paws in exactly the same spot every
time they follow the trail.
Male and female deer leave different tracks.
Males have wider shoulders, so that the hind tracks (the ones on top) will tend
to fall inside the line of travel. Female deer have wider hips, so that the
hind tracks will fall outside the line of travel.
There are four satellites used to track animals.
These satellites are part of the Argos
data collection system sponsored in part by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Animal scat dries from the inside out.
Salvador Dali owned a pet ocelot. He once traveled
with this pet aboard the luxury cruise liner SS France.
Begin the Lesson
Animal tracking is the process of finding animals in the wild.
It is important to observe animals in their natural habitat in order to measure
biodiversity, estimate population size, monitor ecological interactions, and
study behavior. The large variety of techniques for tracking animals includes:
1) the collection of visual and acoustic observations; 2) the analysis of
footprints and other physical tracks through mud, sand, snow, and vegetation;
3) the analysis of animal scat, hair, and fur; 4) the use of live traps and
camera traps; and 5) the use of radiotelemetry and
satellite tracking.
Whole Class Introduction to the
Lesson
You will need at least one
computer with Internet connectivity and a projection device, a classroom with
more than one computer, or access to a computer lab.� This introduction will take approximately 10
minutes to complete.
Go to the page
http://nwwoodsman.com/TrackingGame/TrackinGame.html Read the introductory slide to the class and then click on
“Start Tracking Game.” As a class, try to guess the five mystery animals using
the tracking clues provided in the pictures and audio.
Sample Questions:
What do you see in the picture.
How did the animal leave this mark?
How might we tell what time the animal passed by
this location?
Where do you think this animal lives?
What do you think the weather is like where this
animal is?
What does the sound tell us about the animal?
What type of animal do you believe made these
tracks?
As part of the introduction, you
may want to review some of the glossary terms in advance of students going
online. At this point you can launch the WebLesson as whole-class activity
using a projection device, or you can assign students to work individually or
in teams in a computer lab.
WebLesson Sites
Introduction We see amazing animals that we would not usually see in our own communities when we are at the zoo. We can watch polar bears or gaze on a giant anaconda. Zoos bring animals out of the wild and into our own towns.
Zoos are also important as a refuge for threatened species. Humans build more cities and roads and this destroys the natural habitats. Many zoos around the country participate in conservation. They want to preserve and restore habitats for endangered species. Animal scientists, called biologists, work hard to understand the needs of each species. They locate and track animal populations in the wild. They find, tag, and follow animals. They look at animal tracks, fur, and droppings. This helps the biologists understand animal behavior and diet. They even use satellites to trace the movement of animals. Tracking animals is also a fun activity. You can use simple tracking techniques to discover what types of animals roam through our backyards and parks. We can even use tracking techniques to keep track of members of our own species. Scenario You have befriended a brown bear from the local zoo. You decide to go on a field trip to the forest. Together, you will follow the track that bears take and learn about the way they live and how they survive.
Lesson Pages
EEK! – Tracks Quiz for Beginners
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/trackQuizLVLOne.htm Rich Media
Beartracker’s Animal Tracks Den
http://www.bear-tracker.com/index.html
Satellite Tracking Endangered Birds & Animals
http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Tracking/SatTracking.html
Kid’s Corner: Animal Tracks Quiz
http://www.eparks.net/smc/department/home/0,,5556687_11603477_11756935,00.html Rich Media
Crittercam – Animal Pictures, Maps, Videos, Games, More
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/ Rich Media
The Secret Lives of Wild Animals
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/animals/dragonfly.jsp Rich Media
WWF – Tracking Polar Bears
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/what_we_do/arctic/polar_bear/index.cfm Rich Media
Satellite Tracking
http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=66&dyn=1190941500 Conclusion & Project
Conclusion We can learn more about animals by watching them. Both art and science are a part of animal tracking. Searching for paw prints in the snow, thinking about damaged plants, and picking through scat all help us to guess the recent behavior and locations of animals. Different technologies are appropriate for different animals. Camera traps and Crittercams give us direct images of animals in their native habitats. Satellite tracking gives tracking information about animals all over the world. Using these techniques will help us to understand the behavior and needs of individual species as well as how humans affect these animals.
Project You have spent a fabulous day in the forest with your friend the bear from the zoo. Describe all of the ways the bear moved in the forest and the various activities. You will have to use what you have learned about tracking animals to help you record your observations.
Glossary
track - to follow a trail made by an animal
survey - detailed gathering of data and information
forefoot - front foot of a four-legged animal
hind foot - back foot of a four-legged animal
satellite - an object launched to orbit the Earth; used to study space and Earth
ecological - organisms and their environments
scat - animal droppings
territorial marking - something that identifies a piece of land as belonging to an individual animal
limb dominance - use of one leg (or limb) more than another; seen in the length of stride
search and rescue - operation to find a person or animal that is lost or injured in a remote area such as a mountain or forest
camera trap - camera that can be triggered to take pictures by the motion of a nearby animal
conservation - the protection of wildlife and of natural resources
Crittercam - research video camera that can be attached directly to an animal
animal-borne imaging - taking pictures from the perspective of the animal itself
migration - to move from one country or region and settle in another
generation - form or stage in the life cycle of an organism
range - geographic distribution of a particular species
habitat - place where an animal lives, often characterized by dominant plant forms or physical characteristics
territory - area that an animal defends against intruders from its own species
radio collar - collar fitted around the neck of an animal that carries a radio transmitter
tagging - to mark an animal for tracking purposes using a tag, collar, leg band, etc.
biodiversity - number of different kinds of animals and plants
population - the number of animals of the same species that live in the same area
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