ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S): 1. How can we use science to learn more about the world around us? 2. How does human presence impact wildlife? 3. What is a hypothesis? 4. How do you follow a procedure?
SUBJECT: Environmental Science
GRADE LEVEL: 5th grade
CONCEPTS:
Human and mouse relationships.
How to create and follow a procedure.
TIME ESTIMATE: 4 hours and 30 minutes
VOCABULARY:
Biodiversity: The variety of animals and plants found in an area.
Human/wildlife interactions: Any encounter between humans in other animals in “natural” and “urban” environments.
"Wilderness": Nature that is untouched by society/pristine.
Tracks: Animal footprints.
Track tubes: Data collection devices that can identify the presence or absence of small rodents. Made of a PVC pipe with an ink pad and paper inside to record animal footprints.
Plot: A specific area mapped out with flags.
Controlled variables: An element of the experiment that remains consistent or unchanged.
Rodents: Mammals with long, sharp front teeth.
SMERT Questions: Scientific questions that are specific, measurable, ethical, reasonable, and able to be answered in the allotted time.
LESSON OVERVIEW: The lesson will begin with short check-ins, a review of norms, and a brief overview of the day. Students will then play a few rounds of the mouse mania game. The class will debrief the game and share personal experiences with wildlife. The lesson will transition to focus on one question the class can explore together and work together to develop a hypothesis. The class will go on a short walk around some of Catamount’s buildings and into the forest away from human presence to discuss the placement of plots and how various materials could be used for data collection. The rest of the lesson will focus on designing and producing track tubes.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to: 1. Recall (in their own words) the group’s SMERT question. 2. Create their own hypothesis from an if… then… because… outline. 3. Make one small rodent tracking tube. 4. Describe the methodology for making track tubes.
OPPORTUNITIES TO DIFFERENTIATE:
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate understanding through writing, drawing, or verbal responses.
Students can be given various jobs to help them stay focused during the track tube making stage. Students will also be given the option to work alone or with others.
Students that are less interested in the class’s SMERT question on the impact of humans on animal presence have the option to focus on mice preference of various bait.
MATERIALS:
PVC pipes
Mineral oil
Carbon black
Peanut Butter
Kinnikinnick berries
Bowl
Spoon
Birdseed
Scotch tape
Felt
Binder clips
Paper clips
Scissors
Gloves
Cardstock paper
Scrap paper
Measuring tape
Scatt and track identification books
Bean bags
Bandannas
Halloween candy
Flags
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Track tubes are a method of data collection that allows researchers to identify if a small rodent has visited an area. Track tubes are often made from cut-up PVC pipes or two drainpipes taped into a closed tube. Inside the tube is a strip of paper with bait in the middle. Most references and literature use various seeds for bait. On either end of the tube is a felt ink pad. The natural ink can be made from mineral oil and carbon lampblack powder. Many resources discuss the importance of securing the track tube in place so that it does not roll. Some researchers use wooden stabilizers to secure the tubes.
ASSESSMENT
Students will be formally assessed on their ability to form a hypothesis and create a procedure in their science notebooks.
There are also numerous opportunities for the instructor to assess their students understanding through discussions of the mouse mania game and methods for making track tubes and plots.
Students will also be assessed on their ability to collaboratively create and follow a procedure to make a track tube.
SCIENTIFIC NOTEBOOK EXPECTATIONS: Students will record the class’s SMERT question and their hypothesis in their science notebooks. Students will also record the procedure for making the tubes in their notebooks (See Appendix II).
COLORADO ACADEMIC STANDARDS ADDRESSED: Standard 2.1Life Science-Nature of Science: Review and analyze information presented by peers and provide feedback on their evidence regarding the importance of various structures to plants and animals. (DOK 2-3)
ADVANCED PREPARATION:
1.Before the lesson begins the instructor should have the mouse mania game set up and have all track tube materials laid out for students to look through.
Lay out about 50 spots (scrap paper on the ground).
Place one food (bean bag) on each spot.
The instructor should also make one example track tube to show the students when explaining what they look like. See appendix IV for a visual aid and ideas to create an example track tube.
RESOURCES/REFERENCES: Brehme, C.S., Matsuda, T.A., Adsit-Morris, D.T., Clark, D.R., Burlaza, M.A.T., Sebes, J.B., and Fisher, R.N. (2019). Track tube construction and field protocol for small mammal surveys with emphasis on the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus). U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 2, chap. A15, 18 p., plus appendix. https://doi.org/10.3133/tm2A15.
Epidemiology Resource Center. (2021, April 12). Rats and mice. Epidemiology Resource Center. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.in.gov/health/erc/infectious-disease-epidemiology/rats-and-mice/#:~:text=While%20they%20will%20drink%20water,they%20prefer%20seeds%20and%20grain.
LITERATURE: Duffie, D. R., Gitzen, R. A., Sharp, N. W., & Turner, A. J. (2019). Effectiveness and accuracy of track tubes for detecting small-mammal species occupancy in southeastern herbaceous wetlands and meadows. Southeastern Naturalist, 18(1), 130. https://doi.org/10.1656/058.018.0109
Time Estimates:
LESSON PROCEDURE:
Check In and Norms
Review norms in their scientific notebook (see appendix I).
Ask students if they remember the norms and what they mean.
Ask students why these norms are important.
Check In:
Have students share their favorite U.S. state and their current state of mind.
Overview of the day.
Engage: Mouse Mania!!!
Play Game (~20 minutes)
Divide students into (4) mice and (2) humans. Tell them that they are on teams and should work with their fellow mice or humans to meet the objective.
Rules
There are lots of spots on the ground each spot has a piece of food on it.
Human Objective: eliminate all mice (by tagging a mouse)
Humans identifiable by wearing a bandana.
Mouse Objective: Gather all the food.
Bean bags or Halloween candy can be used to represent food
When a mouse gets caught it is either killed (eliminated from the game) or caught and released (must walk to a designated tree and back to return to the game. (Both versions will be played)
Debrief the Game (~10 minutes)
Have students describe what worked and what didn’t work from the perspective of the mice and humans.
Discuss how this game may reflect real life interactions between humans and mice:
What challenges did the mice face in the game? How are they similar to or different from challenges mice face in the real world?
What challenged the humans in the game? How is this similar to or different from real world challenges with mice?
(Optional) Have students share personal stories about interactions with wildlife
Give an example that is not “W”ilderness
ex: Silly squirrels on Colorado College campus that jump around in the trash cans.
Our Experiment (~5 minutes)
Introduce our SMERT question and have students consider if the question is SMERT.
Once they decide it is have students record it in their science notebooks.
(Optional) Feel free to adjust the question during the discussion.
Students will create individual hypothesis following the ‘if… then… because…’ structure.
Explain: Discuss Methods
Provide students with the potential materials (track tube materials) that could be used for data collection and as a class brainstorm, how to use the materials to answer our question.
Introduce the parts of a track tube if the students don’t come up with the idea themselves.
Have a deconstructed track tube prepared.
Have the outer tube felt ink pad attached to paper, cardstock track pad, binder clips and paperclips.
Show the students how all the parts come together and form the track tube.
Discuss limitations of track tubes (they can only show presence and absence).
Explore: Mapping walk
Walk around different buildings to see what area we want to map.
Pick a building that has food, and frequent visitation of people (dining hall or classroom).
Discuss whether they want to make a grid or two sets of plots, one around the building and one in the forest.
Grid: create a large grid that begins at one end around the building and ends in the forest.
Plots would be very large so that there is a clear difference between human presence on one end and non-human presence on the other.
2 Sets of Plots: Create four rectangular plots around the chosen building. Create four equivalent plots in the forest.
Walk into the forest and find a location to map out plots
Discuss how far it needs to be from human presence.
Would the animals be able to see/smell/hear humans from the plot?
Go to where we no longer see or hear people and then go a little farther!
Elaborate: Discuss the procedure for creating each track tube.
Present the example track tube to the students and allow them to discuss what they like and any additional ideas they may have.
Have students record the steps (see steps in next section) for creating a tube in their science notebooks.
Evaluate: Make tracking devices
Make the ink
Mix one part carbon black with one part mineral oil.
Students can decide if they want to make them individual or do an assembly line
Note: the details of the procedure (ex: size of paper or amount if ink) will be discuss and decided by the class.
A general procedure should be provided to the students:
1.Cut the felt, and paper 2.Tape Felt and paper together 3.Apply the PB to cardstock and paper clip to paper and felt combo. 4.Insert paper into tube and secure with binder clips 5.Apply ink to felt.
Students will be evaluated on their ability to collaboratively create and follow a procedure.
Clean Up: Clean up materials as best as possible and wash hands.
Return to Bus
Appendix I
Appendix II
Appendix III
Appendix IV
Image adapted from: Brehme, C.S., Matsuda, T.A., Adsit-Morris, D.T., Clark, D.R., Burlaza, M.A.T., Sebes, J.B., and Fisher, R.N. (2019). Track tube construction and field protocol for small mammal surveys with emphasis on the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus). U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 2, chap. A15, 18 p., plus appendix. https://doi.org/10.3133/tm2A15.