GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science/Environmental Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: 1-2 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

This lesson uses video segments from the NATURE film “Crash: A Tale of Two Species” to explore the interrelationship between the horseshoe crab and a small migratory bird called the red knot. Both species are in decline, and the red knot’s future, in particular, depends on the horseshoe crab making a comeback in the waters of the Delaware Bay.

Students will first be introduced to the horseshoe crab via a video segment, learning that the species’ longevity (350 million years) makes the horseshoe crab a “living fossil,” an anomaly in terms of the Earth’s species. They will view several other video segments to explore the interconnectedness between the horseshoe crab and the red knot, following the videos with a discussion of the reasons for the decline of each species. Students will fill out an exit ticket to assess their comprehension of these concepts. An optional additional video segment can be used to explore how humans have come to depend on horseshoe crabs as well (their blood, which evolved to have primitive antibacterial properties, is used to test intravenous drugs for contamination).

As a culminating activity, students will use an interactive online map to research endangered species in the region of the United States where they live. They will discuss the environmental changes that have led to the species’ decline (often of human origin) and will discuss the strategies being employed to prevent their extinction.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Video

NATURE: Crash: A Tale of Two Species (selected segments):

Clip 1: “The Living Fossil”

The horseshoe crab has survived for 350 million years.

Clip 2: “Horseshoe Crabs and Red Knots”

Horseshoe crabs are an essential source of nutrition for migrating birds.

Clip 3: “Protecting the Horseshoe Crab”

Measures have been undertaken to protect the horseshoe crab.

Clip 4: “Horseshoe Crabs and Humans”

The horseshoe crab has immense value to humans for its uses in medical technology.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Sierra Club Endangered Species Map

This interactive map provides information on key endangered species, including efforts currently being undertaken to protect them, in different regions of the United States.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
  • Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

o        Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on the earth no longer exist.

As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

• The Interdependence of Organisms
  • Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years.
  • Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.
  • Human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected.

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Content Standard F

As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Populations, Resources, and Environments
• When an area becomes overpopulated, the environment will become degraded due to the increased use of resources.
• Causes of environmental degradation and resource depletion vary from region to region and from country to country.

Materials

For each student:

• Endangered Relationships Exit Ticket (PDF) (RTF)

For each group of 3-4 students:

• One computer with broadband internet access

For the class:

• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Describe characteristics of the horseshoe crab;
• Specify how “living fossils” like the horseshoe crab differ from most other species;
• Understand that over 99% of all species that have ever existed on earth are extinct;
• Name specific factors that can lead to species endangerment and extinction;
• List several strategies that can be undertaken by humans to protect endangered species;
• Provide at least one example of species interconnectedness: how the population decline of one species adversely affects another species.

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print and cut out a copy of the “Endangered Relationships Exit Ticket” for each student.

Next: Proceed to Activites

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: One to two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

During this video-enhanced lesson, students will watch video segments from the NATURE film “The Secret World of Sharks and Rays” and learn about adaptations that have helped sharks and rays survive. Students will explore similarities and differences between sharks, rays and other fish. They will watch segments that provide information about physical features and behaviors that have helped sharks and rays survive, with specific attention paid to the angel, wobbegong and saw sharks and the electric, sting and manta rays. Students will work in small groups to research a specific type of shark or ray and share their findings with the class. Students will discover that different types of sharks and rays have different temperaments and diets and that some of the largest sharks and rays are the most gentle.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Video

Clip 1

Fish, Sharks and Rays: A comparison of fish, sharks and rays.

Clip 2

A Close Look at Sharks: A close look at angel, wobbegong and saw sharks and their survival techniques.

Clip 3

A Close Look at Rays: A close look at electric, sting and manta rays and their survival techniques.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Ichthyology at the Florida Museum of Natural History

This site features a rich variety of information, games and photographs of a variety of fish, including sharks and rays. The following sections are recommended for this lesson:

• Sharks- This section features information, games and photographs of sharks.
• Biological Profiles- This section provides photographs and detailed information about specific sharks and rays, as well as other fish.

Kidzone Fun Facts for Kids: Sharks

This Web site features a variety of photographs, activities and facts about sharks.

National Geographic: Sharks
This Web site features many photos and facts about sharks, which can be used in this lesson.

Seaworld: Sharks and Rays

This site contains a variety of facts, photographs and diagrams of sharks and rays.

STANDARDS:

National Science Education Standards, Grades 5-8

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Regulation and behavior
  • Behavior is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental stimulus. A behavioral response requires coordination and communication at many levels, including cells, organ systems, and whole organisms. Behavioral response is a set of actions determined in part by heredity and in part from experience.
  • An organism’s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species’ evolutionary history.
• Populations and ecosystems

• Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganisms are producers-they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms
  • Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.

• Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

MATERIALS

For each group of 2-3 students:

• Books, reference materials and/or computers to conduct research on sharks and rays.

For the class:

• A large sheet of paper or board and something with which to write.
• A photograph of a bull shark and a photograph of a whale shark. (See “Prep for Teachers” section for details.)
• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system (to play video clips either downloaded or streaming from the Web).

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• Discuss similarities and differences between sharks, rays and other fish;
• Describe physical features and characteristics that have helped sharks survive, with specifics about angel, wobbegong and saw sharks;
• Provide details of physical features and characteristics that have helped rays survive, with specifics about electric, sting and manta rays;
• Explain that there are many different types of sharks and rays, with varied skills, physical features, temperaments and diets;
• Explain that some sharks and rays are harmful to humans, while others are not and provide specific examples of harmful and gentle species;
• Discuss that sometimes the largest species can be the most gentle;
• Provide detailed information about one species of shark or ray.

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out one photo of a whale shark and one photo of a bull shark to show the class. Make sure that the image of the whale shark is about 3 times larger than the bull shark. See the “Web sites” section above for a list of sites with shark photos.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: In the nineteenth-century Western frontier, the wolf was considered a menace – perpetually hunting farm animals and threatening frontier livelihoods. It was not unusual for bounty hunters to be hired to rid communities of this scourge. But one such bounty hunter, Ernest Thompson Seton, was influential in changing popular perspective on wild animals. Seton was hired to kill wolves – but one particular wolf, named Lobo, challenged Seton’s hunting abilities and piqued his more naturalistic interests. As his chase of Lobo stretched on, Seton came to believe that future generations of animals like the wolf should be protected. His focus became less on destruction and more on conservation. Seton was instrumental in spearheading environmental movements in the United States.

In this lesson, students will first learn about the “success stories” of species whose protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 saved them from extinction. They will then engage their knowledge of US History during the latter half of the nineteenth century to brainstorm reasons why so many of our wild species’ populations declined dramatically during this period. Students will use segments from NATURE’s The Wolf that Changed America to explore nineteenth-century attitudes toward wolves in the western United States, and will learn of the groundbreaking efforts of Seton to change the popular view of the American wilderness and to launch organizations concerned with the environment. In the Culminating Activity, students will use web resources to research conservation organizations active today, sharing their findings with the class.

SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science, Biology, Environmental Science, U.S. History

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe how Ernest Thomas Seton and his pursuit of Lobo the wolf changed America’s view on predatory animals;
• Describe how public opinion on animal management and endangered species protection has changed from the 19^th century to today;
• Understand the history of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and name some of the species the Act has helped protect;
• Name a list of modern-day conservation organizations and describe their initiatives.

STANDARDS

National Science Education Standards

Content Standard C: Life Science

As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ORGANISMS

• Human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors are threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected.

Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

As a result in their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES

• Humans have a major effect on other species. For example, the influence of humans on other organisms occurs through land use-which decreases space available to other species-and pollution-, which changes the chemical composition of air, soil, and water.

US History Standards

National Center for History in the Schools

Era 6
The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)

STANDARD 1: How the rise of corporations, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed the American people.

Standard 1D: The student understands the effects of rapid industrialization on the environment and the emergence of the first conservation movement.

Therefore, the student is able to:

• Explain the origins of environmentalism and the conservation movement in the late 19th century.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

NATURE: The Wolf That Changed America, selected segments.

Clip 1

“1893 New Mexico”

Clip 2

“The wolf problem”

Clip 3

“Trapping Lobo”

Clip 4

“Seton’s Legacy”

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

The following are major US and international organizations active in the field of environmental conservation. Students will research these organizations in the Culminating Activity (or substitute others of your choice).

• Conservation International

• EarthWatch Institute

• Greenpeace

• National Audubon Society

• Nature Conservancy

• Sierra Club

• Student Conservation Association

• World Wildlife Fund

MATERIALS

For the teacher:

• Video Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Computer with audiovisual projection system for showing video clips

For each student:

• Video Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Conservation Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Access to computer with Internet connection

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social book marking took such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online book marking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Make copies of the Video Organizer and Conservation Organizer for each student, and copy the Answer Key for yourself.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY

1.      Tell the students that you are going to write a list on the board. The students’ task is to try to deduce what the items on the list have in common.

2. Begin writing the following list of species from the column on the left on the board (don’t share the rest of the chart yet). Allow the students to make guesses at any time as to how the species are related (the correct answer is that they are species whose protection under the Endangered Species Act allowed for their recovery – they are Endangered Species Act “success stories”).

(source: 100 Success Stories for Endangered Species Day 2007, http://www.esasuccess.org/reports/, 3/31/2009.)

3.      Explain the list you wrote on the board – these are all species whose protection under the Endangered Species Act has led to recovery. Share some of the data from the right two columns of the chart as examples of the recovery.

4.      Explain that the facts you’ve shared track the population since the 1960s and 1970s, when data became available as the government passed laws to protect species. But going back further in time to the 19^th century, some of the species that are exceedingly rare today were once extremely common. Species populations have changed dramatically from the 19^th century to today (for example, the now-extinct passenger pigeon was once one of the most abundant birds in North America, with a population that may have reached 6 billion individuals. During the 19^th century these numbers declined dramatically, and by 1900, the bird was extinct in the wild).

5.      Ask the students to brainstorm a list of factors that might have led to these species’ decline from the 19^th century to today. What was going on in late 19^th century America that would have led to these dramatic declines in species’ population? (This was an era of westward expansion and intense development of industry and agriculture on a grand scale. Also, attitudes toward species other than humans were generally very different. There was largely no public concept that species should be protected – and no laws or governmental agencies that tried to protect animals or plants other than humans. Excessive hunting and rampant habitat destruction had an adverse effect on many, many species.)

Proceed to ACTIVITIES

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

During this video-enhanced lesson, students will learn that all dogs came from one ancestor- the wolf. Students will watch and discuss video segments from the NATURE film “Dogs that Changed the World,” and explore different theories about how this transformation happened. Students will learn about different breeds of dogs and create a book with pictures and information about a variety of dog breeds. In the culminating activity, students will interview a dog owner and create a poster and/or a presentation about his/her dog.

MEDIA RESOURCES

Video

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Clip 1: From Wolf to Dog

Reflections about the transformation from wolf to dog

Clip 2: The Speed of Change

Exploring the speed of evolution

Clip 3: Today’s Dog

A quick look at the dogs of today

Websites

American Kennel Club

This Web site includes information about the internationally-recognized breeds.

National Geographic Web sites’ Animal Section
This Web site features many photos of animals including photos of dogs and wolves, which can be used in this lesson.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards, Grades 5-8

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Regulation and behavior

o       An organism’s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species’ evolutionary history.

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms

o       Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. Although different species might look dissimilar, the unity among organisms becomes apparent from an analysis of internal structures, the similarity of their chemical processes, and the evidence of common ancestry.

o       Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Dog Breed” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• “Dog Interview” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

For the class:

• Photographs of a few very different looking dogs, such as a Chihuahua, a Saint Bernard and a Greyhound. (A good source for these photos is the American Kennel Club Web site.)
• Two photographs of a wolf (full-body and close-up of head)

OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to:

• Explain that all dogs evolved from wolves;
• Discuss theories about how the wolf evolved into the dog;
• Explain how quickly the transformation from wolf to dog might have happened;
• Understand how breeding animals for specific traits can result in the altered look and behavior of the descendents of those animals;
• Describe different breeds of dogs;
• Discuss the behaviors, skills, appearance and personality of one particular dog and explain whether the dog “fits in” with the general description of the breed.

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Print out a copy of the “Dog Breed” and “Dog Interview” Student Organizers for each student.

Print out photographs of a few (3-4) very different looking dogs, such as a Chihuahua, a Saint Bernard and a Greyhound. (A good source for these photos is the American Kennel Club Web site.)

Print out two photos of a wolf – a full body shot and a close-up of its head. (One good place to look for wolf photos is the Animal Section of the National Geographic Web site.)

Proceed to Activities

GRADE LEVEL: 5-8

TOPIC/SUBJECT MATTER: Life Science

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

During this video-enhanced lesson, students will learn about dogs’ senses and how they compare to those of humans, with particular focus on the senses of smell and hearing. Students will test their own senses of smell in a sniff test of familiar scents. Students will explore different ways that dogs help humans and watch video segments from the NATURE film “Dogs that Changed the World,” featuring 3 different situations where dogs help humans-sled dogs in the Arctic Circle, sheep dogs in the United Kingdom and a dog in the US who alerts a boy with diabetes when his blood sugar levels are low. Students will then conduct research and create a presentation about a modern dog hero.

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Video

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Clip 1: Dog Sense

A comparison of dog and human senses

Clip 2: Sled Dogs

A close look at sled dogs and their relationships with the Inuit people in the Arctic Circle

Clip 3: Moving Sheep

A close look at how dogs help perform this job

Clip 4: Delta

Delta, a German Shepherd helps prevent a boy from having diabetic seizures

Web sites

American Kennel Club

This Web site is a good source for information and photographs of dogs.

Los Angeles Natural History Museum

This Web site contains an exhibit entitled “Dogs- wolf, myth, hero and friend,” which contains a lot of information about dogs and related online activities and hands-on activities that can be done at home. One of the featured activities is “Dog Gone Perfect Laboratories,” which challenges visitors to build an online dog for a specific task (pull a sled, herd sheep, etc.). To access this activity, go to the Artificial Selection page, scroll down to the bottom and click on “Dog Gone Perfect Laboratories Activity” in the left hand column.

National Geographic Web sites’ Animal Section
This Web site features many photos of dogs, which can be used in this lesson.

Sheppard Software Web Site’s Dog Section

This Web site includes interesting facts, quizzes and activities about dogs, including a fun “Dog Heroes” quiz.

Standards:

National Science Education Standards, Grades 5-8

LIFE SCIENCE: Content Standard C

As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of

• Reproduction and heredity

o       The characteristics of an organism can be described in terms of a combination of traits. Some traits are inherited and others result from interactions with the environment.

• Regulation and behavior

o       Behavior is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental stimulus. A behavioral response requires coordination and communication at many levels, including cells, organ systems, and whole organisms. Behavioral response is a set of actions determined in part by heredity and in part from experience.

o       An organism’s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment. How a species moves, obtains food, reproduces, and responds to danger are based in the species’ evolutionary history.

• Diversity and adaptations of organisms

o       Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations. Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, or physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

MATERIALS:

For each student:

• “Dogs’ Work” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

For the class:

• A large sheet of paper or board and something with which to write
• Five small, identical, opaque containers (such as 35mm film canisters)
• Five cotton balls and aromatic items. (See the “Prep for Teachers” section for details.)

Note: For a large class, you can prepare more than 5 containers and cotton balls. See the “Prep for Teachers” section for details.

• Labels or small pieces of paper and tape (to label the containers)
• A photograph of a Bloodhound (If you need a photograph, go to the American Kennel Club’s Bloodhound page.)
• One computer for the teacher with a digital projection system and internet access
• One copy of the “Dogs’ Work” Student Organizer Answer Key for the teacher

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Compare human and dog senses;
• Provide details about how dogs use their senses of smell and hearing to help humans;
• Discuss different ways that dogs help humans;
• Describe tasks performed by sheep dogs, sled dogs and service dogs;
• Describe different skills of different breeds of dogs;
• Explain how a dogs’ features (body, head, tail, etc.) can be advantageous for specific environments and tasks.
• Provide examples of heroic acts performed by dogs;
• Discuss why dogs are referred to as “man’s best friend.”

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Prepare containers and cotton balls for the sniff test:

o       Pre-soak at least 5 cotton balls with common scents. Possible scents include: lemon, orange, pizza sauce, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, garlic “juice” squeezed from a clove, cinnamon, etc.

o        Place each cotton ball in one of the clearly-labeled, small, identical, opaque containers, making sure only to put one cotton ball in each container.

o       Place a label on each container. Write a different number, from 1to 5, on each label.

Note: During the “sniff test” activity in the lesson, you will be dividing the students into groups and giving each group one container at a time. If you have a large class, feel free to prepare more than 5 cotton balls. Make sure to have the corresponding number of containers and labels.

Make a copy of the “Dogs’ Work” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)for each student.

Make one copy of the “Dogs’ Work” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF) for the teacher.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES

GRADE LEVEL: 2 -3

TIME ALLOTMENT: One to two 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

Students learn that living things experience diverse life cycles. For example, baby birds go through distinct stages as they grow up into adult birds. This lesson uses the eagle to model universal avian life stages: from egg, to chick, to fledgling juvenile, to adult.

Students begin by creating a collage of bird images, discussing the characteristics that all birds share. A well-known story, The Ugly Duckling, is then read to introduce the concept of change over the life span. Students then use segments from the NATURE film American Eagle to learn how eagles look and act in different stages of their life cycle. At the conclusion of the lesson, students diagram the eagle life cycle, and may enhance their science learning with vocabulary and math activities.

SUBJECT MATTER:

Science, Language Arts

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe the characteristics of birds;
• Understand that different kinds of birds display a wide variety of similarities and differences;
• Identify the stages in the life cycle of birds;
• Understand vocabulary associated with the life cycle of birds;
• Diagram the life cycle of the American Bald Eagle.

STANDARDS:

From the National Science Standards for Science Content, Grades K-4.

CONTENT STANDARD C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades K-4, all students should develop understanding of:

LIFE CYCLES OF ORGANISMS

• Plants and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
• Plants and animals closely resemble their parents.
• Many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents of the organism, but other characteristics result from an individual’s interactions with the environment. Inherited characteristics include the color of flowers and the number of limbs of an animal. Other features, such as the ability to ride a bicycle, are learned through interactions with the environment and cannot be passed on to the next generation.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video:

NATURE: American Eagle, selected segments

Clip 1: “Challenges of Incubation”

Eagles must protect their eggs from cold, snow and predators.

Clip 2: “Hatching”

For eagles, getting the hang of parenting takes practice.

Clip 3: “Fledglings”

Fledglings begin to fly.

Clip 4: “Growing Independent”

Young eagles learn to catch food.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

MATERIALS:

For the class:

• Nature and wildlife magazines (or pictures of birds from other sources)
• Scissors and glue
• Oaktag, posterboard or construction paper
• Feathers (optional)
• Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling (or any other storybook demonstrating changes in the bird life cycle)
• Photo of an American Bald Eagle
• Computer and projection system for class viewing of video segments

For each student:

• Eagle life cycle student organizer (PDF) (RTF), or 4 sheets of paper to complete life cycle drawings
• Pencil and crayons or markers

Prep for Teachers

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Ask students to bring in nature and wildlife magazines from home.

Preview all of the video segments used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

If desired, make a word wall of any of the following vocabulary words your students do not yet know: Egg, chick, eagle, eaglet, incubate, fledgling, hatch, instinct, endangered species.

Proceed to ACTIVITIES

(Click here for a printer-friendly version of this lesson.)

GRADE LEVEL: 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: The traditional view of animal behavior is that it is driven by inherited, innate instincts, but recent scientific research is revealing a larger role for complex cognitive processes among many species. The lesson will explore some of the more commonly accepted indicators of animal intelligence as demonstrated by the most brainy of all birds-the raven.

Students will first explore a series of science Web sites to compile a list of certain animal behaviors and abilities that indicate higher intelligence. They will then find and analyze examples of these behaviors and abilities as demonstrated by ravens in selected clips from the NATURE episode “Ravens.” Based on what they learn, students will then work in groups to create a theoretical intelligence-challenging “obstacle course” for ravens.

This lesson could be used following (or in conjunction with) the lesson “Symbiotic Strategies.”

SUBJECT MATTER: Living Environment/Biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Compare “classical” and “modern” views of bird brain anatomy and function, and compare bird brains to human brains;
• Describe various raven behaviors and abilities that indicate intelligence;
• Explain why many of these behaviors indicate cognitive intelligence rather than simple inherited instinct;
• Assemble a realistic sequence of intelligence-testing challenges for ravens.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards

CONTENT STANDARD C: As a result of their activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of:

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ORGANISMS

• Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for hundreds or thousands of years.
• Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.

THE BEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS

• Organisms have behavioral responses to internal changes and to external stimuli. Responses to external stimuli can result from interactions with the organism’s own species and others, as well as environmental changes; these responses either can be innate or learned. The broad patterns of behavior exhibited by animals have evolved to ensure reproductive success. Animals often live in unpredictable environments, and so their behavior must be flexible enough to deal with uncertainty and change. Plants also respond to stimuli.
• Like other aspects of an organism’s biology, behaviors have evolved through natural selection. Behaviors often have an adaptive logic when viewed in terms of evolutionary principles.
• Behavioral biology has implications for humans, as it provides links to psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

CONTENT STANDARD G: As a result of activities in grades 9-12, all students should develop understanding of

NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE

• Scientific explanations must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be consistent with experimental and observational evidence about nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate, about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific.
• Because all scientific ideas depend on experimental and observational confirmation, all scientific knowledge is, in principle, subject to change as new evidence becomes available. The core ideas of science such as the conservation of energy or the laws of motion have been subjected to a wide variety of confirmations and are therefore unlikely to change in the areas in which they have been tested. In areas where data or understanding are incomplete, such as the details of human evolution or questions surrounding global warming, new data may well lead to changes in current ideas or resolve current conflicts. In situations where information is still fragmentary, it is normal for scientific ideas to be incomplete, but this is also where the opportunity for making advances may be greatest.

NEW YORK STATE CORE CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTS

Living Environment Core Curriculum

Standard 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process.

Performance Indicator 1.1: Hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts.

1.2a Inquiry involves asking questions and locating, interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources.

Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

Performance Indicator 1.1 Explain how diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems.

1.1a Populations can be categorized by the function they serve. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers carrying out either autotropic or heterotropic nutrition.

1.1b An ecosystem is shaped by the nonliving environment as well as its interacting species. The world contains a wide diversity of physical conditions, which creates a variety of environments.

1.1c In all environments, organisms compete for vital resources. The linked and changing interactions of populations and the environment compose the total ecosystem.

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

Performance Indicator 6.1 Explain factors that limit growth of individuals and populations.

6.1g Relationships between organisms may be negative, neutral, or positive. Some organisms may interact with one another in several ways. They may be in a producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship; or one organism may cause disease in, scavenge, or decompose another.

MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Video

NATURE: Ravens, selected segments:

Clip 1: “Raven Adaptability”

Ravens are the most intelligent birds in the crow family.

Clip 2: “Feeding Time”

Ravens’ smarts can be observed in many situations.

Clip 3: “The Roost”

Why do ravens gather together?

Clip 4: “Testing Intelligence”

Scientific experiments test how ravens think.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web Sites

Bird Brain
A site from PBS’s NOVA exploring the most current understanding of bird brain physiology, revealing a less instinctive and more cognitive brain structure than has traditionally been thought.

Measuring Intelligence
A site from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park addressing some of the basic difficulties in determining bird intelligence.

The Animal Mind
A NATURE site from PBS describing the intelligent behavior of four different species.

Symbiosis
A site from North Carolina State University featuring descriptions of the different types of symbiotic relationships among animals.

Nutcrackers
A PBS site exploring intelligent behavior in various bird species.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Raven Reason” Student Organizer. (PDF) (RTF)
• Computer with Internet access

For the class:

• “Raven Reason” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Computer with Internet access and projection system for showing video clips
• Blackboard or whiteboard

PREP FOR TEACHERS:

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tools such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Gather the necessary materials listed above in advance of teaching the lesson. Download and print the “Raven Reason” student organizer and make copies for each student in your classroom.

Note that the computer requirements in the “Materials” section reflect an ideal arrangement. You may find it necessary to divide the class into a number of groups equal to the computers available, adjusting the lesson instructions accordingly.

Next: Proceed to Activities

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-10

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: The structure of an organism is related to its function and the role it plays in its environment. Many structural differences can be found within a species. These structural differences are often adaptations that allow organisms to better survive in their particular environment. These evolutionary adaptations develop through the process of natural selection.

This lesson explores different adaptations and variations in birds, using the NATURE episode “Extraordinary Birds.” It focuses on bird beaks, migratory patterns, and birds’ ability to co-exist with humans. Students will define key concepts from the lesson, discuss and explore different adaptations of birds, and analyze relationships between the concepts learned. This lesson can be taught independently, or it can be used as a precursor to the New York State Core Curriculum “Beaks of Finches” lab. Students must have a basic knowledge of evolution and natural selection in order to successfully complete this lesson.

SUBJECT MATTER: Biology/ Living Environment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Discuss and define key concepts from the lesson, including adaptation, migration, and interaction between humans and birds;
• Describe how particular characteristics of bird beaks reflect birds’ adaptations to their particular environments;
• Explain how different environmental factors can affect the migration cycle of the Rufous Hummingbird;
• Demonstrate understanding of how adaptations in different species of birds assist their interactions with humans;
• Create a concept map using different adaptive traits of birds.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards:

CONTENT STANDARD A: Science Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understand about scientific inquiry. To develop scientific inquiry skills students must actively participate in scientific investigations and they must actually use the cognitive and manipulative skills associated with the formulation of scientific explanations.

CONTENT STANDARD C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop understandings of:

• Biological Evolution
• Interdependence of organisms
• Behavior of Organisms

Students’ understanding of biology will expand by incorporating more abstract knowledge, such as the theories of evolution.

NEW YORK STATE CORE CURRICULUM ALIGNMENTS

Living Environment Core Curriculum:

STANDARD 1: Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering designs, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Key Idea 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process.

Performance Indicator 1.2: Hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts.

1.2a. Inquiry involves asking questions and locating, interpreting, and processing information from a variety of sources.

Key Idea 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into natural phenomena.

Performance Indicator 3.1: Use various methods of representing and organizing observations (e.g., diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations, matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data.

3.1a Interpretation of data leads to development of additional hypotheses, the formulation of generalizations, or explanations of natural phenomena.

STANDARD 4: Students will understand and apply scientific principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.

Performance Indicator 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

3.1g: Some characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing, and the advantaged offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. The proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will increase.

3.1h: The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions.

3.1i: Behaviors have evolved through natural selection. The broad patterns of behavior exhibited by organisms are those that have resulted in greater reproductive success.

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment

Performance Indicator 6.1: Explain factors that limit the growth of individual populations

6.1g: Relationships between organisms may be negative, neutral, or positive. Some organisms may interact with one another in several ways. They may be in a producer/consumer, predator/prey, or parasite/host relationship or one organism may cause disease in, scavenge, or decompose another.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, Extraordinary Birds, selected segments:

Clip 1, “A Variety of Hummingbirds.”

Describes different traits and adaptations in various species of hummingbirds.

Clip 2, “Little Brain, Big Journey.”

Shows the migratory patterns and habits of the Rufous hummingbird.

Clip 3, “The Pigeon Express.”

Profiles a small business in which homing pigeons play a central role.

Clip 4, “Birds of Kundha Kulam.”

Demonstrates birds’ extraordinary impact on the agriculture of a small Indian community.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Bird Adaptations – Beaks
An interactive Web site featuring the beaks of nine different species of birds, with descriptions of their characteristics and what they are best adapted for. It also includes a similar page for adaptations of birds’ feet, and worksheets to assess student comprehension.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• Rufous Hummingbird Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Beak Characteristics Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Vocabulary Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Practice Regents Questions (PDF) (RTF)

For each pair or group of students:

• For the Gallery Walk Activity: one pen or marker (a different color for each group)
• For the Concept Map Activity: two flip chart pages or large sheets of paper, one pad of sticky notes, one pen or marker
• Computer with internet access

For the class:

• Computer with internet access, projector and screen
• For the Gallery Walk Activity: flip chart pages with the following vocabulary terms written at the top of the page (one word per page): variation, natural selection, adaptation, competition, environment
• Teacher Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Sample Concept Map (PDF)
• Scenarios for Vocabulary Terms – 2 copies (PDF) (RTF)
• Hat or bag (to hold Vocabulary Term scenarios)
• Regents Questions Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Prepare all classroom materials. Print out and make copies of the student organizers and answer keys. Prepare for the Gallery Walk activity by writing the following vocabulary terms at the top of flip chart pages or large pieces of paper (one term per page): Variation, Natural Selection, Adaptation, Competition, and Environment. Post the flip chart pages around the room. If you are not familiar with conducting a “Gallery Walk” in your classroom, review the procedure at the “How to Use Gallery Walk?” Web page.

For the Culminating Activity: Print two copies of the Scenarios for Vocabulary Terms sheet. Keep one sheet for teacher reference, and cut up the other sheet so that each scenario is on a separate slip of paper. Do not include the right-hand column (Vocab Key Code) on the cut-up slips. Put all the slips of paper into a hat or bag and mix well.

Next: Proceed to Activities

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 9-12

TIME ALLOTMENT: Two to three 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW: Cattle evolved through the slow process of natural selection until human domestication, which rapidly accelerated their development as an artificially selected species fit less for survival than to satisfy human needs. This lesson focuses on how and why humans have been so successful in selectively breeding cattle to suit these needs, while also exploring the limitations and consequences of this success.

Natural selection describes the process by which organisms best adapted to their environments are the ones that survive and reproduce. The Introductory Activity helps students understand that some traits, such as the ability to digest grass, made certain species more desirable for domestication by humans. The Learning Activities explore how, by nurturing and protecting animals that might not have survived in the wild, human domestication interrupted the process of natural selection. Reproductive success was no longer primarily determined by an animal’s most naturally adaptive survival traits, but rather by its artificially selected traits desirable to humans (primarily milk and meat production). The culminating activity presents a case study in which students consider the consequences of losing the naturally selected attributes of breeds less adapted to domestication.

Students should already be familiar with the concepts of evolutionary adaptation, natural selection, and DNA/genetic engineering.

SUBJECT MATTER: Biology/ Living Environment

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe the traits of cows that make them suitable for domestication.
• Explain how the cow’s digestive system has adapted to its environment.
• Compare and contrast natural and artificial selection.
• Describe various breeds of selectively bred cattle and their desirable traits.
• Discuss some limitations and negative consequences of selective breeding.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

From the National Science Standards for Science Content, Grades 9-12.

CONTENT STANDARDS C: Life Science
As a result of activities in grades 9-12 students should develop understandings of:

Biological Evolution

• Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the interactions of (1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, and (4) the ensuing selection by the environment of those offspring better able to survive and leave offspring.
• The great diversity of organisms is the result of more than 3.5 billion years of evolution that has filled every available niche with life forms.
• Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life forms, as well as for the striking molecular similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.

Behavior of Organisms

• Like other aspects of an organism’s biology, behaviors have evolved through natural selection. Behaviors often have an adaptive logic when viewed in terms of evolutionary principles.

New York State Core Curriculum Alignments
From the Living Environment Core Curriculum.

STANDARD 4: Students will understand and apply scientific principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

Performance Indicator 2.2: Explain how technology of genetic engineering allows for human to alter genetic makeup of organisms.

2.2a: For thousands of years new varieties of cultivated plants and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding for particular traits.

2.2b: In recent years new varieties of farm plant and animals have been engineered by manipulating their genetic instructions to produce new characteristics.

Key Idea 3: Individuals and species change over time.

Performance Indictor 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

3.1e: Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life-forms as well as for the molecular and structural similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.

3.1f: Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the Interaction of (1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers… (4) the ensuring selection by the environment of those better able to survive…

3.1j: Behaviors have evolved through natural selection. The broad patterns of behaviors exhibited by organisms are those that have resulted in greater reproductive success.

3.1k: Evolution does not necessitate a long-term progress in some set direction. Evolutionary changes appear to be like the growth of a bush: Some branches survive from the beginning with little or no change, many die out altogether, and others branch repeatedly, sometimes giving rise to more complex organisms.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, Holy Cow, selected segments:

Clip 1, “A Cow’s Digestive System”

Clip 2, “Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle”

Clip 3, “Different Breeds of Cattle”

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web sites

Breeds of Livestock
An Oklahoma State University Web site featuring photos and descriptions of various breeds of cattle from around the world.

World Climate Map
A map of the world showing different climate zones.

Genetic Engineering
A Regents’ preparatory Web site featuring a description of how the meaty English Shorthorn cow was selectively bred with the heat-resistant Brahman cow to produce the Santa Gertrudis, a hybrid which possesses the positive characteristics of both parent breeds.

Punnett Squares
An interactive Web-site which explains how Punnett squares can be used to determine the likelihood that certain traits will be passed on to future generations.

A Dying Breed
A New York Times article which discusses the pros and cons of increasing hybridization by Bahiman cattle ranchers in Uganda of their native Ankole cattle with Holstein cattle from the United States.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Traits of Ankole and Holstein Cattle” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)

For each group:

• “Man’s Best Friend?” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)
• “Cattle Breeding” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)
• “Finding the Balance” Student Organizer (PDF)(RTF)

For the class:

• “Traits of Ankole and Holstein Cattle” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Man’s Best Friend?” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Cattle Breeding” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• “Finding the Balance” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF)(RTF)
• Computer with Internet access, projector, and screen

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Next: Proceed to Activities.

GRADE LEVEL: 9-11

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three to four 45-minute class periods, with additional time for homework

OVERVIEW: Grizzly bears were once scarce in Yellowstone National Park and on their way to extinction. Now, however, America’s greatest predator is making a comeback. The story of the grizzly’s return is one of the biggest successes in conservation history. The restored presence of the bears has brought visitors and revenue to the park, but it has also brought frustration and destruction to local ranchers, homeowners, and tourists living and working nearby.

Using the NATURE episode “The Good, The Bad and the Grizzly,” students will discover how human beings have both saved and harmed a species. Students will investigate how human beings have interacted with and impacted the lives of grizzly bears, sometimes deliberately and sometimes inadvertently. Students will be able to articulate the complex and competing perspectives on how to best handle the burgeoning bear population, and describe the multiple factors contributing to the destabilization of the bear’s Yellowstone ecosystem.

The lesson will begin with students participating in an introductory activity, in which they will challenge their notions of what is “good,” “bad,” “true,” and “false” about grizzly bears and animal conservation efforts. Following the activity, students will research the habits and habitats of grizzly bears. Then, utilizing segments from the NATURE episode, students will explore the complex relationships between humans and grizzlies in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Students will then play and refine a classroom-based simulation game illustrating the challenges and obstacles to grizzly life in the national park and the surrounding area. As a culminating activity, students will write a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, either asking for special protection for the Yellowstone grizzly population, or endorsing the bear’s de-listing from the Endangered Species Act.

SUBJECT MATTER: Living Environment/Biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Describe intentional and inadvertent impacts human beings have had on the grizzly bear population in the Yellowstone ecosystem;
• Articulate how the relationship between humans and grizzlies has changed over time;
• Evaluate the complex contemporary relationship between humans and grizzlies, as well as the challenging aspects of wildlife protection programs;
• Identify the grizzly bear’s critical food sources in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and the threats posed to these food sources;
• Describe the challenges and obstacles faced by bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and refine a simulation game with their knowledge;
• Make an informed decision about whether or not to support the de-listing of grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT

National Science Standards for Science Content

CONTENT STANDARDS C; Life Science

As a result of activities in grades 9-12, students should develop understandings of:

• Interdependence of Organisms

• Human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected.

New York State Regents Core Curriculum Alignments
Living Environment Core Curriculum

Standard 4. Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. This change over time is well-documented by extensive evidence from a wide variety of sources.

Key Idea 1: Living Things are both similar to and different from each other and from non-living things.

Performance Indicators

1.1 Explain how diversity of populations within ecosystems relates to the stability of ecosystems.

1.1a Populations can be categorized by the function they serve. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposer carting out either autotrophic or heterotrophic nutrition.

1.1c In all environments, organisms compete for vital resources. The linked and changing interactions of populations and the environment compose the total ecosystem.

Key Idea 7: Describe the range of interrelationships of humans with the living and non-living environment

7.1c Human beings are part of the Earth’s ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently alter the equilibrium in ecosystems. Humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, consumption and technology. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems may be irreversibly affected.

7.2a Human activities that degrade ecosystems result in a loss of diversity of the living and non-living environment. For example, the influence of humans on other organisms occurs through land use and pollution. Land use decreases the space and resources available to other species, and pollution changes the chemical composition of air, soil and water.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE, The Good, The Bad and the Grizzly, selected clips:

Clip 1, “Bears’ Lunch Counter”

This segment explores how the relationship between humans and grizzly bears has changed over the course of American History, and describes the closing of the Yellowstone garbage dumps in the 1970s.

Clip 2, “This Is Their Land”

This segment examines how the human/grizzly relationship has changed since the closing of the Yellowstone dumps, and the challenges posed to both humans and bears.

Clip 3, “Bears Don’t Recognize Boundaries”

This segment focuses on the problems bears are creating on ranch land surrounding Yellowstone National Park.

Clip 4, “Bears in the Schoolyard”

This segment focuses on the precautions humans must take in the face of a growing grizzly bear population.

Clip 5, “Bear Necessities”

This segment focuses on the four foods most important to grizzly survival, and the threats to each of them.

Clip 6, “To List or Not To List”

This segment focuses on the ongoing debate regarding whether or not grizzlies need special protection for their population.

Access the streaming and downloadable video segments for this lesson at the Video Segments Page.

Web Sites

Windows into Wonderland
Take your students on an electronic field trip to Yellowstone National Park where they can explore bear ecology, history, and the challenges of bear management.

Plain Graph Paper PDF Generator
This Web site allows you to create customizable and printable graph paper. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in, available for free download at Adobe, in order to open and print the graph paper you create.

Yellowstone National Park Official Map
This Web site from the National Park Service provides an 11×17 detailed map of services, facilities, features, and attractions at Yellowstone National Park.

Cardinal Points of the Compass
This Web site features a depiction of a compass with the cardinal points illustrated.

MATERIALS

For each student:

• “Dare to Care for A Grizzly Bear” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Pencil and paper

For each team of 4 students:

• One sheet of graph paper on 11×17 paper, created with the Plain Graph Paper PDF Generator, according to the specifications listed in the “Prep for Teachers” section below.
• One copy of the Yellowstone National Park Official Map on 11×17 paper or transparency
• One compass, downloaded and printed from Cardinal Points of the Compass
• One copy of Yellowstone Bear Adventure Game Rules (PDF) (RTF)
• One basket, box, or envelope containing the Yellowstone Adventure Bear Scenarios (PDF) (RTF), cut into individual strips.
• One basket, box, or envelope containing the Yellowstone Adventure “Outside the Park” Bear Scenarios (PDF) (RTF), cut into individual strips.
• A minimum of five Teddy Grahams or bear-shaped animal crackers
• Two brightly colored markers in different colors

For the classroom:

• A map of the United States
• Four large signs; one each reading “GOOD,” “BAD,” “TRUE,” and “FALSE”
• “Dare to Care for a Grizzly Bear” Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Computers with Internet access
• LCD projector
• Chalkboard or whiteboard
• Additional Teddy Grahams or animal crackers for eating

PREP FOR TEACHERS

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video clips and Web sites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as del.icio.us or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

For the Introductory Activity and Culminating Activity:
Create signs with the words “GOOD,” “BAD,” “TRUE,” and “FALSE.” Put one sign on each wall of your classroom.

Download and print the “Dare to Care for a Grizzly Bear” Student Organizer, the “Dare to Care for a Grizzly Bear” Answer Key and make copies of all for each of your students.

For the Culminating Activity:

Download and print the Yellowstone National Park Official Map, and make one copy on 11×17 paper for each group of four students in your classroom. Download and print the Compass Web site and make one copy of the compass for each group of four students in your classroom.

Visit the Graph Paper Generator Web site, and create graph paper according to the following specifications: PDF document size = 11×17 inches; minimum border = 0.5 inches; grid line weight = 1 point; grid line spacing = 1 line per inch. Download and print the PDF of the graph paper you have created onto 11×17 paper or transparency. Make one copy of the graph paper for each group of four students in your classroom.

Download and print the Yellowstone Adventure “Bear Scenarios,” and make one copy for each group of four students in your classroom. Cut each set of Bear Scenarios into a series of strips, with one scenario listed on each strip. Put a complete cut-up set of bear scenarios in a box, envelope, or basket for each group of four students in your classroom.

Download and print the Yellowstone Adventure “Outside the Park” Bear Scenarios, and make one copy for each group of four students in your classroom. Cut each set of “Outside the Park” Bear Scenarios into a series of strips, with one scenario listed on each strip. Put a complete cut-up set of “Outside the Park” bear scenarios in a box, envelope, or basket for each group of four students in your classroom. Each group of four students should have a set of both the Bear Scenarios and the Outside the Park Bear Scenarios.

Next: Proceed to Activities