Last updated: May 9, 2024
Lesson Plan
Animal Track Detective
A human hand next to a muddy imprint of a large Grizzly bear print.
NPS Sean Tevebaugh
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Math
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 3.MD.4
- State Standards:
- AKSS:
2.MD.1. Measure the length of an object by selecting and using standard tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
3.MD.5. Measure and record lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch.
Essential Question
How can we use patterns and measurements to identify wildlife?
Objective
By analyzing patterns and measurements, students will be able to identify and label multiple animal track sets in the Track Mystery Table. Students will use critical thinking skills to support their answers.
Background
This lesson plan is intended to be completed outside when there is snow on the ground using latex tracks. However, this lesson can be modified to complete the activity indoors by dipping tracks in paint and printing them on craft paper, or with sidewalk chalk outdoors.
Latex tracks can be loaned to school in Alaska by contacting the education team.
Preparation
Set up numbered areas outside that have minimal disruption to the snow. These will be the areas teams will create their tracks. A broom can be used to create clear areas.
Materials
This powerpoint reviews the two characteristics of tracks focused on in this lesson, size and movement.
Download Animal Tracks Powerpoint
Use this worksheet to organize which tracks students view.
Procedure
- INSIDE: Use the attached powerpoint to review common animal tracks and patterns Estimated time: 20-30 minutes
- Break students into teams. Give each team a track imprint, pattern guide, and ruler/tape measure Estimated time: 5 minutes
- OUTSIDE: Have each team create tracks in the snow. These tracks should match the pattern guide the students were given.Estimated time: 10 minutes
- Once all teams have completed their tracks, they should carefully visit the other teams’ tracks, and use their rulers to complete the worksheet below. Estimated time: 10-20 minutes
- INSIDE OR OUTSIDE: Have students share which tracks they believe they saw outside and their reasoning. Compare their thoughts with the examples. Finally, ask the group that created the track to reveal what the correct answer is. Gamify this activity by granting one point for each correct team. Estimated time: 20 minutes
Vocabulary
• Plantigrade posture– walking with the whole foot on the ground, starting with the heel and rolling to the toe (e.g. humans, bears)
• Unguligrade posture– an extreme form of digitigrady in which walking is on the toenails (e.g. moose)
• Ungulate- hooved animals with two toes (e.g. moose, deer, sheep, etc.)
• Stride – distance from location of one footprint to the next location of a footprint made by the same foot. (The stride includes two steps.)
• Straddle – width of a set of tracks (at its greatest width) measured perpendicular to the line of travel.
• Gait – a coordinated pattern of movements used by a traveling animal•
Diagonal walk
• Bound
• Hop
Additional Resources
The state of Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources provides gait patterns and track prints. These gait patterns can be given to students as a reference for when they are creating their own tracks and determining the tracks of other groups.