Animal Tracks:

• SWBAT identify the track that corresponds to common animals covered.
• SWBAT use the software, Thinkin' Science. Edmark, 1997., to participate in activity.
• SWBAT explain how animal tracks are related to diversity of animals.

Science Content Explored in Instructional Sequence

Animal Tracks:

• Characteristics of Animal Print that distinguish one animal from another:

1. Size of print

2. Shape of print

3. Spacing between prints

4. Number of prints

• What a string of tracks can tell you about the animal: (a few possibilities)

1. Where the animal was going

2. If the animal was hunting another animal

3. If the animal was injured

4. If the animal travels with other animals or in herds

5. What animal made the print because of the spacing between prints

Introduction:

• Teacher breaks students up into 6 groups. Three groups stay in the classroom and three go to the computer lab.
• Introduce program:
• Teacher explains the purpose of the software.
• The students use the software to learn about the different components of tracks.
• Teacher explains the purpose of the worksheet.
• Students are told that they need to pay attention to the tools.

Body:

• Students will explore the program.
• Students will complete the worksheet.
• The teacher will circulate the room to keep the students on task.
• After about twenty-five minutes, the teacher will have the students finish up the program.
• The teacher will initiate a class discussion by asking the following questions:

-How did you form your hypothesis?

-What helped you find the actual answer?

-Why did that help you?

-Is there any other tool that could have helped you find the

answer?

-Were there tools that were more useful than others? Why?

• The teacher will ask the students to explain why a dog does not have a track like a cow or a hawk.

Conclusion:

• Transition to the next lesson:
• Teacher explains that we will do a fingerprinting lesson in the next class.