 |
 |
| journal page pdf |
Snowshoe |  |
|
|
| journal page pdf |
Snowshoe | |
The Wolf Ridge Snowshoe Hares class provides many extension possiblilites for the classroom. Tie-ins can be made to a variety of topics including adaptations, ecosystems, population studies, animal signs, and more. Visit this page periodically as we will add new activities and links suggested by Wolf Ridge visiting school teachers, and eventually our own interactive on-line activities.
1. To familiarize students with the ideas of food web, energy flow, predator-prey, introduce a food chain to students. Have them draw a simple 5 step food chain using familiar examples (sun, plants, plant eater, meat eater, decomposer). Discuss why animals eat plants or other animals (to get energy and nutrients). Trace the energy flow back to the sun. Animals that eat other live animals are called predators. Animals that are eaten are called prey. Once students understand the predator-prey relationship, play “Muskox Maneuvers” (Project WILD, Elementary, 1986, pp. 111-113) to illustrate and reinforce the point.
Graduation standard: 6-8th Science, Living Systems, (3)
2. Read “How the Rabbit Got It’s Long Ears” (Chippewa Dawn, by Don Spavin, 1977, North Central Publishing) to your class. Have each student write a story describing a physical adaptation of another animal.
Graduation standard: 6-8th Writing and Speaking, Writing, (2a-d)
3. Introduce and define the words “habitat” and “niche” to your students. Provide markers, paper, and scissors and glue. Have students construct a habitat. Instruct them to be attentive to details. When the habitat is completed, have the student create and add two animals to the habitat. The student should be able to describe the habitat in detail, the adaptations of each animal which allow it to survive in the habitat, and the niche each animal occupies.
Graduation standard: 6-8th Sciences; Living Systems; (5)
1. Have students select an animal to study. It should be an easily accessible animal, one found in their backyard, the school ground, etc. Each student should write a question about the animal they would like to answer, then design and conduct an observation experiment to collect the data which will allow the student to answer the question. Upon completion of the field observation, the student should write up the results in an appropriate format. Include the initial question, describe the experiment set up, observation records, and a discussion of results. State a conclusion based on the observation and write any new questions which came up following this experiment. Relate this observation to the one conducted at Wolf Ridge in Snowshoe Hares class.
Graduation standard: 6-8th Inquiry, Direct Observation, (1)
2. Write a report about Minnesota rabbits and hares. Include information about their life cycles, mating habits, food and shelter needs. Be sure to include information from several sources, including the Internet, if available. Include graphics (pictures, graphs, etc.) as needed to substantiate or illustrate the information.
Graduation standard: 6-8th Inquiry, Accessing Information, (1-6)
3. People have an effect on animal populations, such as the snowshoe hare. To understand how human development alters animal habitat, have students research the development of the area in which they live. Collect information from several sources. Find out when the area was first settled by non-natives. What industries support the community? Have students graph the population of the area since settlement. Direct students to write and conduct an interview with several community members. Would you like to see the community grow? Why or why not? Have students write down several contrasting perspectives on the growth of their community. Set up a debate role play based on some of the more controversial positions. Instruct the students to speak from their role play position, not their true thoughts or feelings. After the debate, discuss how the students felt. Were some positions hard to represent? Why? Which positions were easy to represent? Why?
Graduation standard: 6-8th People and Cultures, Current Issue Analysis, Know (1-4)
Under construction.
Class Description:
After comparing Minnesota hares and rabbits, students explore outside areas to find signs of snowshoe hares. They will study the adaptations, predator/prey relationships and population fluctuations of snowshoe hares.
Total time: 3 hours (2 hours outdoors)
Audience: 6-20 students, 4th through adult, may be adapted for younger students
Activity level: moderate
Travel: 1 mile
Uphill travel: 200 feet
Outcomes
Upon completion of the Snowshoe Hare class students will be able to:
- List the three rabbits found in Minnesota and compare their adaptations.
- Identify snowshoe hare eat marks, scat, tracks, forms and runways.
- Outline normal population fluctuations and possible influences on populations.
- Describe an ecological community including the idea of niche and predator/prey relationships.
Minnesota Graduation Standards
The Snowshoe Hare class will provide students with guided practice, in an authentic setting, to support the following Graduations Standards. We have chosen one to three “major focus” standards per grade level. Due to the holistic nature of environmental education, several other standards, not listed here, are addressed as well.
• H.S. Sciences : Concepts in Biology (A, D)
• H.S. Sciences : Environmental Studies (A, C, E)
• H.S. Managing Resources : Natural/Managed Systems (A, B-D)• Middle (6-8th) Sciences : Living Systems (2,3)
• Intermediate (4-5th) Sciences : Living and Non-living Systems (A1-3) (B1, 2)
Wolf Ridge Curriculum Concepts