Having students follow animal tracks (even just people, dogs, or squirrels) and investigating how tracks are made is a fun and exciting way to develop critical thinking, measurement, and graphing skills.
Context for Use
Project EXTREMES lessons were intended to be stand alone lessons.
![Human footprints and wildlife tracks converge at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.](/ceee/sites/default/files/styles/max_650x650/public/2020-11/snowtracks.jpg?itok=Xf45iyWR)
Human footprints and wildlife tracks converge at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Photo: Greg Weiler/USFWS
Goals Header
What Students Will Do
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Learn how measurements in combination with observation can reveal information about the speed, size, and condition of the animal from its tracks.
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Learn how to use inferential skills along with data answer questions with limited information available.
Teaching Materials
User note: To make an editable copy of the teaching materials in Google Drive, select File > “Make a copy”. This will make a copy for you to save to your own drive and edit as you see fit.
Description
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Activity 1 – Engage (20 minutes) Inferring from Evidence
Working like scientists do, students use the information available to fill in missing pieces of the puzzle.
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Activity 2 – Explore (90 minutes) Unraveling the Mysteries Found in Tracks
Students collect data to answer questions with graphs and come up with evidence that describes motions recorded in tracks.
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Activity 3 – Explain (20 minutes) Graphs as Models
Students analyze and interpret their data and two graphs to determine if the data collected on humans would be similar to animals.
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Activity 4 – Elaborate (30 minutes) From Observations to Inferences
Students determine what an animal was doing based on evidence in the snow.
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Activity 5 – Evaluate (10 minutes) What do Animal, Fossil, and Car Tracks all have in Common?
Students consider how they could use the skills they learned to analyze other events.