Sir and Madame Biologist
Field Introduction
Overview: Students review the scientific method and the concept of carrying capacity. Students are knighted biologists and wetland mangers and are given the task of making recommendations

Time: 30 minutes

Location: Outdoors

Learner Outcomes:

  1. Students will be able to describe the steps of the scientific method.
  2. Students will be able to define carry capacity.

Vocabulary:

  1. Carrying capacity,
  2. scientific method
  3. field researcher

Materials

  1. Diagram and explanations of the scientific method.
  2. Poker chips (three colors)
  3. Four flags

Preparation

  1. Gather and organize visual aids describing the scientific method.
  2. Use the four flags to mark off a large playing field (30 yards by 30 yards.
  3. Spread chips out in the playing area. The arrangement represents the crane's food supply.

Parts Adapted from:
Project WILD: How Many Bears Can Live in the Forest.

 

Welcome to the National Wildlife Refuge

Do. . .

  • Organize students into a seated circle, inside or outside depending on the weather.

Explain. . .

  1. Welcome, you have been learning about wetlands in school. Today we are outside to learn more about these things using this special place called a National Wildlife Refuge. In a National Wildlife Refuge we are in someone else's home so we need to treat it with the greatest respect.

Ask. . .

  1. What can we do to respect the Alamosa or Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge? Write ideas on white board and discuss.
    Field Research

Explain. . .

  • Today at the refuge we will be doing what's called field research. To do field research we need to learn about a very important tool called the scientific method.
  • What is the scientific method? Show visual A process used by scientists to learn more about the world. Prior knowledge/Observations, Research Question, Hypothesis, Methods, Data Collection, Analysis and Conclusions.
  • To help us learn more about the scientific method we are going to do some field research right now. Our research question is: What is the Sandhill Crane carrying capacity of this wet meadow? Indicate with sweep of hand- the flagged field outlining the wet meadow habitat.
  • First we need to explore what we already know or our prior knowledge about both Sandhill Cranes and the word carrying capacity. What do cranes eat? Omnivores who eat small grains, insects, reptiles and small mammals. You will notice that there are lots of food types strewn about the habitat. Indicate poker chips. Carry capacity is the maximum number of cranes that a given habitat can support without negative effects (like running out of food and starving).

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