Snowshoe Hare

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

• Adaptations: All living things have physical and behavioral adaptations which allow them to be successful in their environment.
• Ecosystems: Predator/prey relationships are an example of coexistence in a balanced ecosystem.
• Populations: Populations are limited to a density the environment can support by shortages of basic needs and may be further reduced by other mortality factors.
• Populations: Normal populations fluctuate.

Classroom Connections*

• Journal page download
• Pre-visit activities
• Post-visit activities
• Links to Snowshoe Hare information and activities on the web

*requires Wolf Ridge password