NATURE introduces you to the unsung heroes in our history in Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History.

The history of chimps in our society is a history unlike any other. We have sent them into space, dressed them in costumes and demanded that they entertain us. Some have been adopted into human families until they “outgrew” their cuteness, many have been used to test our drugs or to help develop our vaccines, others have been infected with our most frightening diseases. While we are mesmerized by their likeness to our species and we have continually found uses for chimps, we never considered what they wanted or needed.

But their side of the story is starting to emerge. And it can be heard at the sanctuaries where many retired chimps now reside. It can be read in their medical records, seen in their mutilated bodies, or sensed through their psychological afflictions. We’ve had a conflicted relationships with chimps in our society but there are some people who want to simplify it. Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History will introduce you to the rescuers at sanctuaries like Fauna Foundation, Save the Chimps, Center for Great Apes. And they are determined to see that the traumatized residents they have saved from a life of confinement and suffering can finally be allowed to feel like chimps.

Update (January 2008): Under a new bill, called the Chimp Haven is Home Act, retired chimpanzees living at Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana would not be able to be removed for medical research. President Bush must sign the bill for it to become law. The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, deletes a provision in standing law that would allow such removal. The CHIMP Act of 2000 established the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary System for chimpanzees retired from use in research. Chimp Haven operates this sanctuary system through a public-private partnership. “The chimpanzees at Chimp Haven have spent their lives in research laboratories helping to improve the lives of all Americans,” McCrery said. “Many of our discoveries in space and medicine are due to chimpanzees. I am proud to help modify the existing law to ensure chimpanzees at Chimp Haven will spend their final years happily.

To order a copy of Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History, please visit the NATURE Shop.

Online content for Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History was originally posted November 2006.

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

GRADE LEVEL: 9-11

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three 45-minute periods

OVERVIEW: This inquiry-based lesson plan will challenge students to design and conduct scientifically valid experiments to evaluate hypotheses regarding an animal’s expected behavior in response to changes in its environment.

Students will first view and analyze video segments from the NATURE film “Earth Navigators” as they begin to think about animal behavior as a response to stimulus in the environment. The video clips feature many different animal species reacting to changes in the environment by migrating from one part of the earth to another. Students will predict the reasons for these migrations and will determine the stimuli that actually trigger the animals to migrate.

Following the video exploration, students will conduct reading and research to learn about isopods (commonly known as pill bugs or roly polies). The students will use the information they gather to formulate research questions having to do with the isopods’ expected response to environmental stimulus. The students will design experiments that can be conducted in the classroom to test their hypotheses. They will conduct the student-designed experiments, collecting data and reporting their findings and conclusions. They will also make suggestions for future improvements in the experimental protocol.

SUBJECT MATTER: Living Environment/Biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

• Draw connections between the migratory behavior of different animals and seasonal changes on Earth;
• Describe migration as an instance of behavioral response to stimulus;
• Using anatomical and environmental information, create a research question about an isopod’s behavior in response to environmental stimulus;
• Create a hypothesis that addresses the research question;
• Design and conduct an experiment to evaluate the hypothesis;
• Collect data from the experiment, describe results, and evaluate conclusions.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

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

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Understandings about scientific inquiry

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

• Behavior of Organisms.

New York State Regents 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 2: Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity.

Performance Indicator 2.1: Devise ways of making observations to test proposed explanations.

Performance Indicator 2.3: Develop and present proposals including formal hypotheses to test explanations; i.e., predict what should be observed under specific conditions if the explanation is true.

Performance Indicator 2.4: Carry out a research plan for testing explanations, including selecting and developing techniques, acquiring and building apparatus, and recording observations as necessary.

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.

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 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.

Performance Indicator 5.3: Relate processes at the system level to the cellular level in order to explain dynamic equilibrium in multicelled organisms.

5.3a Dynamic equilibrium results from detection of and response to stimuli. Organisms detect and respond to change in a variety of ways both at the cellular level and at the organismal level.

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.

6.1f Living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of unlimited size, but environments and resources are finite. This has profound effects on the interactions between organisms.

MEDIA COMPONENTS

Video

NATURE: Earth Navigators, selected clips

Clip 1: “Planetary Moves”

Introduction to four species’ migratory patterns.

Clip 2: “Monarch Migration”

The start of the monarch butterfly’s northward trek.

Clip 3: “Hungry Beasts”

Wildebeest and locusts on the move.

Clip 4: “Arctic Summer”

Many birds summer in the arctic.

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

Web Sites

FOSSWEB: Isopods
Includes general information on isopods and useful tips on how to find and keep pill bugs for the classroom

Isopod, Pillbug, Sow bug information
Includes general information on isopods

NCES Graphing Tutorial
This tutorial from the National Center for Education Statistics explains the various kinds of graphs and demonstrates how to build them.

MATERIALS

For the classroom:

• Computer and projection system for showing video clips
• Several computers for student use
  Chalkboard or whiteboard
• Isopods (pill bugs) in a terrarium or other classroom habitat (enough specimens for at least 15-20 per student group)
• Isopod Research Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

Materials to be used in pill bug experiments (several of each):

• Paper towels or filter paper
• Eye droppers
• Portable Lamps
• Heat Packs
• Cold Packs
• Card stock or construction paper
• Substrate materials, e.g. sand, gravel, dirt, shredded paper, bark, etc.
• Thermometers

Per group of 3-4 students:

• Stopwatch
• Materials to make “test chambers”: Petri dishes or small disposable bowls or plates – enough for approx. 5 or 6 per group
• Roll of masking tape
• Scissors or art knife
• Paper cup
• Data Collection Chart
• Graph paper

Per student:

• Isopod Research Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Isopod Experiment Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• Isopod Experiment Assessment Rubric (PDF) (RTF)
• Paper and pen

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.

Procure live isopods (pill bugs) for the students to observe and use. Isopods are very easy to care for in the classroom, and can either be collected in the wild or ordered from a biological supply company. For more information on collecting, rearing, and keeping isopods in the classroom, see the two Isopod references mentioned in the “web sites” section.

Familiarize yourself with accepted guidelines for the safe and responsible handling of live animals in a classroom setting. The NSTA’s Responsible Use of Live Animals and Dissection in the Science Classroom and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research’s Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Precollege Education are good general resources. Also check to see if your state or district has special animal handling guidelines or requirements.

Make copies of the Isopod Research Organizer and the Isopod Experiment Organizer for each student.

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

My duties now were all about supporting the crew as much as they needed: filling the ATVs and generator with fuel; filling cooking stoves with fuel; putting hot water in the thermos flasks; water fetching; battery charging; tiding; making breakfasts, brews and dinners; ensuring everyone has their polar bear protection on them and that they know how to use it; and anything else concerning the safety side of things, of which there are daily considerations.

In short, chief bottle washer, cook and camp nag!

The crew was eager to get on with the filming and so during the next few days we made all sorts of plans and changed them according to what was working or appropriate, or not.

We moved a hide in to film the snowy owls on their nest. I saw some of the “rushes” which looked fantastic (apparently this term originates from when they used to get the film processed overnight and “rushed” back to the studio for people to watch).

We were all laughing because Mrs snowy owl – I think I’ll call her “Sally” – looked as though she was doing a sort of shake-your-bottom dance as she spread out all over the eggs to keep them safe and warm.

She’s obviously going to be a great mother, carefully rolling and tending to each one of her clutch of seven, in turn.

I took Jonny off to “show him the estate”, well eastward anyway, down to River 2, including the dreaded Jim’s Drift so that he knows where to cross the river if they are in hot pursuit of the wolves as they go out hunting.

The river itself has subsided a bit but is fed by a number of melt-water mountain rivers so will take a long time to diminish to a trickle like so many of the others, if indeed it does at all.

On occasion, the weather has been absolutely awful: dark skies with swirling, incessant wind and quite heavy rain – more of that 6cm annual average.

The rain fell as snow on the mountains just east of our encampment, reminding me of Scotland again.

We saw one wolf returning from hunting, all on his own. He was very anxious to find the others and was howling for them to come back. I’m reading in another book that their howls mean things and I’m sure this one was saying: “Where are the rest of you? Come home, I’m lonely!”

Mark managed to get some footage of it.

Background:
Cattle originally evolved over millions of years through a process of natural selection-also known as “survival of the fittest”-which made them adaptable to a wide variety of environments, including most of those inhabited by another highly adaptable species: humans. Once humans discovered how to domesticate cattle about 4,000 years ago, they began to selectively, or “artificially,” breed them for specific desired traits like meat and milk production. This resulted in animals fit less for survival in the wild than the satisfaction of human needs, but in purely genetic terms, the arrangement has proven highly successful for cattle. Cattle now thrive throughout the world in over 800 different breeds, each more or less successfully adapted to their environment and the needs of their human caretakers.

The excerpted clips from the NATURE episode “Holy Cow!” illustrate some of the naturally evolved and artificially selected attributes of cattle.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: A Cow’s Digestive System

1. What role do microbes serve in a cow’s rumen?
2. Does this clip illustrate naturally or artificially selected attributes?
3. Why would a cow’s ability to eat grass make it ideal for human domestication?

Clip 2: Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle

1. How many different breeds of cattle have humans created?
2. Would the qualities that make good beef cattle help them survive in the wild?
3. Besides milk and meat production, what other traits might humans wish to breed in cattle?

Clip 3: Different Breeds of Cattle

1. What might indicate that a cattle breed is adapted to cold climates like Scotland?
2. What do the different breed names refer to?
3. Why might “adaptability” be a desirable trait in a specific breed?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To downoad a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…” On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1, “A Cow’s Digestive System”

Clip 2, “Desirable Breeding Traits in Cattle”

Clip 3, “Different Breeds of Cattle”

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.

Background:
Grizzly bears were once scarce in Yellowstone National Park and on their way to extinction. After becoming designated as an Endangered Species over three decades ago, governmental protections have allowed these natural predators to make a comeback. But the grizzly’s success has come at a destructive and often dangerous price for people living nearby. These clips from the NATURE episode “The Good, The Bad and the Grizzly” examine how human exploitation endangered the grizzlies in the first place, how human intervention helped restore their numbers, and how delicately humans coexist with the resurgent grizzlies today.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Bears’ Lunch Counter

1. What was the effect of Yellowstone’s former policy of feeding the bears?
2. What was the eventual solution to the problem of dwindling bear populations?

Clip 2: This is Their Land

1. What is a “bear jam” and why are they dangerous?
2. Why is it so important for bears’ safety to design garbage bins that they can’t break into?

Clip 3: Bears Don’t Recognize Boundaries

1. Why is livestock so vulnerable to bears?
2. When do bears do most of their hunting?

Clip 4: Bears in the Schoolyard

1. What is the biggest attraction for bears in Wapiti?
2. How do Wapiti residents try to minimize this problem?

Clip 5: Bear Necessities

1. What are the four major foods for bears in Yellowstone?
2. When these foods are scarce, where will bears come to seek food?

Clip 6: To List or Not To List:

1. How would taking bears off the endangered species list change their habitat?
2. Who might be most interested in taking bears off the endangered species list?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: to download a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1, Bears’ Lunch Counter

Clip 2, This is Their Land

Clip 3, Bears Don’t Recognize Boundaries

Clip 4, Bears in the Schoolyard

Clip 5, Bear Necessities

Clip 6, To List or Not to List

Background:
An earthquake is caused by a sudden rupture or movement in the earth’s crust, usually due to the release of tectonic stresses which have accumulated over time. Seismic waves radiate from an earthquake’s epicenter as energy from the rupture is transferred and dissipated through the earth. When this rupture occurs underwater, water is also displaced, creating massively destructive waves called tsunamis. These clips from the NATURE episode “Can Animals Predict Disaster?” examine the tsunami of December 26, 2004. They challenge students to theorize about how animals’ greater sensitivity to seismic waves might have given them a lifesaving warning about the disaster which claimed over a quarter million human lives.

Suggested Focus Questions:

Clip 1: Destructive Forces

1. What are some possible historical instances of animals fleeing an upcoming natural disaster?
2. What might be some explanations for these flights?

Clip 2: Waves of Destruction

1. What causes a tsunami?
2. Why would the seismic waves traveling though the earth move so much faster than the tsunami’s waves of water?

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To downoad a video, right-click on the video title and click “Save Link As…” or “Save Target As…” On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Clip 1: “Destructive Forces”
Clip 2: “Waves of Destruction”

GRADE LEVEL: 9-11

TIME ALLOTMENT: Three or four 45-minute class periods

OVERVIEW:

The rupture that occurs when bending stresses within earth’s rock exceeds the strength of the rock itself is known as an earthquake. Earthquakes cause seismic waves, which move both through earth and along its surface. Earthquakes can occur anywhere near earth’s surface, but most often happen at the boundaries between lithospheric plates. The seismic waves generated by earthquakes represent a transfer of energy, and can be recorded by devices known as seismometers. The seismic waves earthquakes generate are also used to investigate the structure of earth’s interior.

Earthquakes are significant natural hazards capable of destroying life and property on a massive scale. Scientists are anxious to perfect the art of predicting earthquakes to save lives and limit economic loss, but have achieved very limited success. The additional danger posed to coastal development by earthquake-generated tsunamis lends urgency to this task.

In this lesson, students will identify methods for detecting and locating earthquakes, utilizing excerpts from the NATURE episode “Can Animals Predict Disaster?” The class will simulate the action of P and S waves, and analyze seismic data and use seismic data to determine the epicenter of an earthquake.

Student understanding will be assessed throughout the lesson using a self-check quiz, a knowledge tracking chart, responses to in-class discussions, and successful completion of virtual lab activities. Students should have basic knowledge of waves, wave propagation, and potential energy prior to completing this lesson.

This lesson can be used immediately before students complete the New York State Regents Earth Science Lab activity “Locating an Epicenter.” It can also be used prior to the NATURE: Window into Science lesson “Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!”

SUBJECT MATTER: Earth Science

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Express an understanding of the dynamics of earthquakes;
• Explain the basic principles of plate tectonics, as they relate to earthquakes;
• Explain how the energy released in an earthquake travels as P waves, S waves, and surface waves;
• Describe how earthquakes can be detected and located;
• Compare the differing behaviors of P waves and S waves;
• Recognize P waves and S waves on a seismograph;
• Utilize data and graph skills to determine the epicenter of an earthquake.

STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT:

National Science Education Standards:

CONTENT STANDARD D: Earth and Space Science

All students should develop an understanding of:

Energy in the Earth System

• Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both of which create heat. The sun is the major external source of energy. Two primary sources of internal energy are the decay of radioactive isotopes and the gravitational energy from the earth’s original formation.
• The outward transfer of earth’s internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle that propels the plates comprising earth’s surface across the face of the globe.
• Heating of earth’s surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents.

New York State Regents Core Curriculum Alignments

Physical Setting: Earth Science Core Curriculum

STANDARD 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design: Scientific Inquiry:

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

STANDARD 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information, using appropriate technologies.

Key Idea 1: Information technology is used to retrieve, process, and communicate information as a tool to enhance learning.

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 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land. Earth may be considered a huge machine driven by two engines, one internal and one external. These heat engines convert heat energy into mechanical energy.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.1

Use the concept of density and heat energy to explain observations of weather patterns, seasonal changes, and the movement of Earth’s plates.

2.1l. The lithosphere consists of separate plates that ride on the more fluid asthenosphere and move slowly in relationship to one another creating convergent, divergent and transform plate boundaries. These motions indicate that Earth is a dynamic geologic system. These plate boundaries are the sites of most earthquakes, volcanoes and young mountain ranges.

2.1k The outward transfer of Earth’s internal heat drives convective circulation in the mantle that moves the lithosphere plates comprising Earth’s surface.

2.1j Properties of Earth’s internal structure (crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core) can be inferred from the analysis of the behavior of seismic waves (including velocity and refraction).

Analysis of seismic waves allows the determination of the location of earthquake epicenters, and the measurement of earthquake magnitude, this analysis leads to the inference that Earth’s interior is composed of layers that differ in composition and states of matter.

STANDARD 7: Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real life problems and make informed decisions.

MEDIA COMPONENTS:

Video

NATURE: Can Animals Predict Disaster?, selected segments:

Clip 1: “Destructive Forces”

Describes instances of animals mysteriously surviving natural disasters.

Clip 2: “Waves of Destruction”

Anatomy of a tsunami.

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

Web sites:

Dynamic Earth

This interactive site allows users to delve into the earth’s interior, learn about its tectonic plates and their movements, and discover how mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes are formed.

Seismograph

This site features an image of a seismograph.

Virtual Earthquake

This activity illustrates how seismic waves are used to locate an earthquake’s epicenter.

Materials

For the class:

• One computer with Internet access for class demonstration
• One LCD projector for the computer
• A hard-boiled egg with a cracked shell
• Water
• Pen
• Plastic ruler
• Stick or twig
• Glob of play-dough or clay
• Rubber band
• Safety goggles (for teacher)
• A slinky
• Stressed Out! Self Check Quiz Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• Stressed Out! Vocabulary Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

For each group of 3-4 students:

• Computer with Internet access
• A tuning fork
• A 1000ml beaker

For each student:

• Knowledge Tracking chart (PDF) (RTF)
• Stressed Out! Self Check quiz (PDF) (RTF)
• Stressed Out! Vocabulary Organizer (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.

Gather the necessary materials listed above in advance of teaching the lesson. Download and print each of the student organizers listed above, and make copies for each student in your classroom.

Read through the lesson prior to class, and try out each of the activities. When practicing the tuning fork activity, try varying the depth at which the tuning fork is placed in the water to get the best waves; you may get best results by keeping the fork closer to the surface of the water.

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