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Going Batty

Subjects

Science
--Life Sciences
----Biology
Social Studies
--Geography

Grade

  • 3-5
  • 6-8
  • 9-12

(Questions can be adapted to most grade levels.)

Brief Description

Students use maps to find the answers to questions about bat habitats in the United States.

Objectives

Students will

  • study a series of maps showing locations of bat species throughout the United States;
  • interpret the information on the maps to answer questions about the U.S. locations of bat species.

Materials Needed

This activity requires student access to the bat-species location maps at You've Got Bats! Students can access the page online, or you can right-click each map, save it to your computer, and then use the saved images to create a worksheet you can print and distribute to students.

Lesson Plan

Invite students to use the maps at You've Got Bats! or a worksheet created using those maps to answer the following map-related questions:

  • Which bat species can be found in more places in the United States -- the big brown bat or the little brown bat? (the big brown bat)
  • On which coast of the United States is the pallid bat found? (the west coast)
  • Which bat species are not found in Canada? (the southeastern bat, cave myotis, evening bat, and the Mexican free-tailed bat)
  • How many of the ten bat species shown on the maps can be found in Florida? (five)
  • Which bat species are found mostly in southern parts of the United States? (the southeastern bat and cave myotis)
  • Which bats are found along the entire western coast of the United States? (the big brown bat and the Yuma myotis)
  • How many states are Mexican free-tailed bats found in? (19)
  • What bat species are found in your state? (answers will vary) Create additional questions appropriate to your students grade level and ability.

Assessment

Assess students based on the accuracy of their responses to the questions.

Lesson Plan Source

EducationWorld.com

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

SCIENCE
GRADES K - 4
NS.K-4.3 Life Science
GRADES 5 - 8
NS.5-8.3 Life Science
GRADES 9 - 12
NS.9-12.3 Life Science

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions
NSS-G.K-12.6 Uses of Geography

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