TE Activity: Map-A-Buddy
Contributed by: Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University
Summary |
Engineering Connection Category 1. Relating science concept to engineering |
| The creative design activity provides students the opportunity to think like engineers in developing a remote sensing tag for a marine animal of their choice. |
Contents
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| Grade Level: 7 (6-8) | Group Size: 2 |
| Time Required: 7 hours |
Activity Dependency  :Marine animal tracking |
Expendable Cost Per Group
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US$ 1 |
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| Keywords: Marine Animal, Animal Tracking, Map, Conservation Management, Resource Economics | |
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Related Curriculum
:
| subject areas | Earth and Space Measurement |
| curricular units | Marine Mapping |
| lessons | Marine animal tracking |
Pre-Req Knowledge (Return to Contents)
- Graphing on a coordinate grid.
- Knowledge from lesson on marine animal tracking will aid in students understanding of this activity
Learning Objectives (Return to Contents)
Students should understand the purpose and reasons for performing animal tracking. In addition, the students should be able to understand and interpret the data from this foraging activity.
Materials List (Return to Contents)
- Paper
- Poster board (master map)
- Pens/markers/crayons of various colors
- Candy (various types)
Introduction/Motivation (Return to Contents)
There are many implications of understanding animal tracking. Such information can be used for commercial, conservation, and scientific research. Economically, animal tracking data is used by fishing and ecotourism industries as means to locate marine organisms. Conservation organizations also rely on tracking data to determine animal spatial movements thus influencing locations of urban development. Tracking data is frequently collected by researchers to gain knowledge of animal behavior such as migration between foraging, breeding, and nursery grounds.
Students will engage in an interactive activity by tracking one another over a pre-defined region. For this activity, students will monitor foraging behavior on a spatial scale. Various candy types will serve as a food source from which foraging behavior can be monitored. Students will use pre-designed trail maps (the maps should include the pre-determined candy trails). The initial trail should be composed of one type of candy with external branches composed of different candy types. Once encountering a branching point, the student must choose which direction to travel without straying from the chosen path. While the student is following the path, a fellow classmate will record the foraging path on the map provided. After all the data is collected, students will record their final foraging maps on the instructor's master map with a unique color. The master map will allow the students to compare various spatial movements over habitat
Vocabulary/Definitions (Return to Contents)
| Spatial Location: | Where an object or animal is located in space. |
| Latitude: | The angular distance north or south of the earth's equator, measured in degrees along a meridian, as on a map or globe. |
| Longitude: | Angular distance on the earth's surface, measured east or west from the prime meridian at Greenwich, England, to the meridian passing through a position, expressed in degrees (or hours), minutes, and seconds. |
| Tracking: | To observe or monitor the course of (animal, for example), as by radar. |
Procedure (Return to Contents)
Before the lesson
Each instructor should prepare a master map before the beginning of class to determine how the candy should be laid out. In addition, the candy should be placed according to the map design
With the students: (Note: Answers are included in procedures)
Students should divide into groups of two. Each group member will take a turn being the recorder and forager. While one student is following the path, the other will track and record the other student's progress on the map. Note that the students should not collect the candy while on their journey, but rather wait to receive the results of their foraging efforts until the end of the activity. After each group completes the spatial mapping activity, each student will record the data on the master map provided by the instructor. The instructor should query the students in regards to the different types of information and patterns that arise from the data. Upon completion, the instructor will discuss the importance of animal tracking in relation to commercial, conservation, and scientific research decisions.
Safety Issues (Return to Contents)
Confirm that students do not have food allergies to certain candy types (Note: can substitute candy for other substances/objects).
Assessment (Return to Contents)
Pre-activity assessment:
- Engage students in a discussion regarding knowledge on animal tracking.
- Encourage students to hypothesize why animal tracking is important and whether they think technologies can aid in species conservation.
Activity embedded assessment:
- Did the students correctly follow the outlined procedure?
Post-activity assessment:
Did the students gain an understanding on the importance of animal tracking?
- How does current tagging technology helpful in tracking animals?
Were the students able to draw final conclusions regarding foraging behavior and the collection of spatial data?
- Ask students about the problems associated with animal tracking technology-why we still don't know migratory or raveling paths for many species. Also, from the activity discuss what factors determined the path of individual students (candy preference) and whether they think animals vary their migratory paths depending on preferences such as food availability
Activity Extensions (Return to Contents)
- Further activities may include in-depth discussions on the impacts of urban development on animal movement. The instructor may want to choose a site on the master map to build an urban center and query students about the impacts on animal behavior.
Contributors
Kimberly Goetz, Primary Contributor , Duke University Marine Lab, Jonelle Stovall , Secondary Contributor , Duke University, Pratt School of Engineering, Melissa Sanderson, Secondary Contributor , Duke University Marine Lab, Heather Kerkering, Secondary Contributor , Duke University Marine LabCopyright
© 2004 by Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke Universityincluding copyrighted works from other educational institutions and/or U.S. government agencies; all rights reserved.
Supporting Program (Return to Contents)
Engineering K-Ph.D. Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke UniversityLast Modified: June 8, 2010