Search form

 

Exploring the Outdoors: Mammals Lesson

 

EducationWorld is pleased to present this lesson shared by the Get to Know Program, which inspires youth to discover the natural world by providing innovative programs, resources and events. The original lesson plan was developed in consultation with acclaimed artist and naturalist Robert Bateman and science consultants from the California Department of Education. The lesson appears on the Get to Know Program’s Best Practices Resource Page, which provides teachers and parents with free, cutting-edge lesson plans, videos and interactive activities designed to connect children with nature through art, music, drama, writing, photography, video and nature journaling. Find more information, including a large selection of lesson plans, here.

coyote cub See another Get to Know lesson on EdWorld: The Plants Around Us: A Science and Art Lesson.

Subjects

Science
--Science as inquiry
--Life science

Grade

K-8

Brief Description

Students learn about mammals and infer their presence outdoors by identifying tracks and other signs.

Objectives

Students will

  • Identify several mammals by their tracks, droppings, and other signs
  • Deduce the patterns of movement and activities of mammals based on the presence of tracks and other signs
  • Describe the importance of mammals for ecology and sustainability of a natural area

Keywords

mammals, animals, wildlife, outdoors, natural, nature, biology, zoology, science

Materials Needed

  • Field guide to local animal tracks (optional)
  • Notebook or clipboard and pencil for each pair of students
  • A copy of the worksheet “Get to Know Mammals” for each pair of students
  • A handout on common mammals (one for each student)
  • Internet access
  • Paper, markers and basic supplies for creating "mini field guide" booklets
  • Flagging tape (4 to 6 pieces for each pair of students, each piece about 20 inches long)

Lesson Plan

Background

Mammals are a familiar group of animals with unique characteristics that separate them from all other types of animal found on Earth. For example, mammals are warm-blooded, breathe air through lungs, and nurse their young with milk produced by mammary glands. Mammals are prevalent–you can find them in diverse environments, from the ocean to the desert. Because many mammals frequently come into contact with humans, however, they are constantly under threat due to the destruction of their habitats, hunting or accidents.

Many mammals are listed as “endangered” or “threatened” by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thus, this lesson plan is designed to help students understand and appreciate the unique qualities of mammals, which will ultimately lead them to a greater respect for them and their habitats.

This is an activity best done outdoors in the early spring or late fall, preferably after some rain or snowfall. The aim of this activity is to develop your students’ powers of observation in the process of finding and identifying signs of animals (specifically mammals). The best location for this activity is a park, forest, or other area where wildlife can be found. If you have a suitable natural area on your school property, that is another excellent option. Your students will spread out within a large area and make a note of any hair, droppings, flattened vegetation, footprints, rubbing on trees, or other animal indicators that are present. Beforehand, students should review the mammals typically found in that area.

Time

2 class periods (45 minutes each)

  • Class Period One: Learn about the mammals in your area
  • Class Period Two: Field Trip

Location

Schoolyard and/or nearby park, preferably one with slow-moving streams and/or bare soil.

Introducing the topic to students

Depending on grade level, students may or may not be able to give the characteristics of a mammal or grasp other basic information. Some key questions that may help you assess students' prior knowledge about mammals:

  1. Has anyone in the class ever had an interesting experience where you had a close encounter with a wild mammal?
  2. What are the differences between mammals and reptiles or birds?
  3. Can you name a mammal that is threatened or endangered as a species? (Refer to the relevant U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service page for a comprehensive listing.)

Additional resources include:

  • Let's Go Outside! U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Educator and Student Resources
  • NatureFind  – the leading source of nature places and events information

Mammals are vital to ecosystems including the ocean, lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, fields, mountains and deserts. There are many different types of mammals. Mammals can be massive, like whales and elephant seals, or extremely tiny, like many rodents. Use this handout to help students get to know a little bit about each of the main groups of mammals.

Mammals rarely go anywhere without leaving signs of their presence. If you are in a natural area, you usually don’t have to look far to see evidence of herbivores (and sometimes even carnivores!).

You can often find animal tracks in snow (if there is any in your area) or in soft soil. Some, like those of deer and moose, are easy to recognize. Others, like squirrels or foxes, may be a little trickier to spot.

The most obvious signs that mammals leave behind are tracks. Deer and moose tracks are usually pretty easy to identify, but small mammal tracks may be more difficult.

Deer, porcupines, moose, hare, and other animals that eat plants usually leave abundant evidence wherever they feed. Look for chewed grass, shrubs, or tree bark. Because their food is poor in quality, they have to eat regularly and produce large amounts of droppings (usually in the form of compact pellets).

Occasionally, one comes across the remains of a dead animal. All you may find is a patch of scattered bones and hair to mark the spot where the animal died. The animal may have died of old age, been killed by predators or disease, been injured in a fight with another of its own species, or may have died of starvation or exposure to the elements.

A few bones may be enough to tell a trained biologist what species of mammal it was, its gender and approximate age, and the amount of time elapsed since the event occurred. There may also be signs of predators or scavengers (such as bite marks on the bones) or droppings and tracks. Just like a forensic expert, the biologist may be able to tell the story of how the mammal died, based on evidence at the scene.

Preparation

As with other outdoor activities in this series, we strongly advise you to visit your intended field trip site before bringing students there. Be sure that there is an easily identifiable staging area where students can gather and from which they will work. In addition, be sure that the site you select has reasonably good opportunities for seeing animals (or at least their tracks and other signs).

Procedure

Session 1:

Students will explore local mammals and create a mini field guide that they can use whenever they go outside. Using website resources, encourage students to discover five different species of mammal in their area.

Have the students create a mini guide for each species that includes the following:

  • Photo of animal (can be obtained online)
  • Track drawing of animal
  • Common name of animal
  • Description of region or territory where it is found
  • Description of characteristics of animal
  • The type of mammal

The guide may be completed at home as an assignment.

Session 2:

Divide your class into groups of two. Be sure each group has a clipboard, pencil, and a copy of the student worksheet “Get to Know Mammals.” A copy of a local field guide to animal tracks is also pertinent and useful.

Review the goal of the activity, which is to find and record evidence of mammals. Remind students that they should look especially for tracks, but also for evidence like browsing or grazing in the plants, droppings, bones and other signs of mammal presence.

Parasite Warning: Some animal droppings, particularly those of carnivores, are likely to contain parasite eggs that can infect humans. Warn your students not to touch any droppings they find, especially if those droppings contain animal hair or bones (a sure sign of carnivore scat).

If they find a clear set of tracks, have your students follow them for several feet. See if they can learn what animal made the tracks and/or determine what the animal may have been doing as it moved across the landscape. Did it stop to feed? If so, what kind of food did the mammal consume? Was it running or walking? Did it leave droppings on its trail? What other signs did it leave behind?

Allow students approximately 45 minutes to hunt for animal signs. They can use the worksheet to record their observations of animal signs. When possible, they should make a sketch of what they observe. If they know what species left a particular sign, they can make a note of it. Tell students to write down what they think the mammal may have been doing when the sign was left.

Upon their return, ask your students to describe the most interesting pieces of mammal evidence they have found. Ask them if they were able to identify the species. Organize a short tour to each group’s most interesting site. Have each group explain the significance of their find, what species left it, and what they have learned.

Extending the Lesson

Set up a tracking area

Supplies needed:

Choose an area that you suspect will have some wildlife traffic. A water source would be a great location for a tracking patch. Clear a patch of soft dirt of all debris (leaves, sticks, rocks, etc.) and drag a board across the dirt to create a smooth, flat area. If you are creating a large tracking area, use a long board and have two people handle it, one from each end. If you have to walk on the flattened area, walk in single file and try to step in your own tracks as you walk back out. Wetting the soil slightly may help to create a crisp track. Leave the area for a day or so. When you return, you should have some tracks to examine.

If you have any good tracks, you can make plaster casts (see below), take photos, or make drawings of them. Have students refer to a field guide on animal tracks to compare their findings with the illustrations or pictures in the book.

Go further by Inviting a wildlife biologist to your class to talk about his/her work. If desired, ask him/her to bring relevant equipment and demonstrate how it works.

Plaster casting

Supplies needed:

  • Plaster of Paris
  • Mixing container
  • Stick or spoon for mixing
  • Water
  • Thin cardboard strips (optional)

Find a good track that shows a lot of detail. If needed, gently remove any leaves or sticks that have fallen into the track. You can very gently blow away some of the excess dirt, but be careful not to destroy the track. You can use the cardboard strip to form a wall around the track to contain the plaster (this is useful if the track is on a slope and the plaster will run out).

Pour dry plaster into your mixing container. Then, pour in some water and mix with a stick or spoon until you have plaster that is about the consistency of pancake batter. Slowly pour the plaster into the track, being careful to get plaster into all the toes and claw marks. You can let the plaster overflow the edges of the track.

Let it dry for about half an hour. To check for dryness, knock gently on the plaster. If it has a ceramic-sounding ring, it is dry enough to pick up. If the plaster is still mushy, leave it to dry longer. Some plaster, especially art casting plaster, can take an hour to dry. (The plaster used by carpenters should be used for quicker drying solutions.)

When you pick up the track, try not to grab the edges, as these sections can sometimes break off. It’s best to lift the track from underneath. Use a stick or knife to get under the track and lift. Be careful if you do this with a big track, as this can cause the casting to crack. After you’ve picked up the cast, let it dry overnight before trying to get the dirt off. (Some dirt will not wash off.) You can paint the casting if you want.

Casting in snow can be difficult because the plaster generates heat as it dries. Try misting the snow with water from a spray bottle. Let the water freeze for a while. This may firm up the track enough to make a casting.

Tip: To make the plaster dry quicker, add a little salt to the mixture. Be careful; it dries extremely quickly. To slow down the drying process, add a small amount of vinegar.


National Standards

Science
Grades K-4
NS.K-4.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.K-4.3 Life Science- Characteristics of organisms, life cycles of organisms, organisms and environments

Grades 5-8
NS.5-8.1 Science as Inquiry
NS.5-8.3 Life Science - Structure and function in living systems, diversity and adaptations of organisms

This lesson also conforms to Environmental Principles and Concepts laid out by California’s Education and Environment Initiative, and correlated with California Science Standards.

 

Education World®    
Copyright © 2012 Education World