Wildlife for the Future Alaska Wildlife Curriculum Teacher's Guide

185 Pages·2016·3.94 MB·English

Wildlife
Table of Contents
for the
Future Introduction .................................................................................. 3
Section 1: Exploring Habitats and Biodiversity
Lesson 1: Habitat is Where It’s At ................................................. 9
Lesson 2: Mapping Nearby Nature ................................................ 13
Lesson 3: Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation .............................. 19
Lesson 4: In Harmony with Habitat, Feeding Adaptations for Birds .... 33
Lesson 5: The Habitat Times ........................................................ 45
Section 2: Population Dynamics
Lesson 1: How Many Animals Live Here? ....................................... 51
Lesson 2: Mark and Recapture ..................................................... 57
Lesson 3: Graphic Populations ...................................................... 65
Lesson 4: Happy Hunting ............................................................ 79
Lesson 5: How Many Bears Can Live in this Forest .......................... 85
Lesson 6: Muskox Defense Mechanisms ......................................... 93
Section 3: Sustaining Wildlife and Communities
Lesson 1: Wildlife Uses Interview ................................................. 101
Lesson 2: Eye of the Beholder ...................................................... 105
Lesson 3: Workers for Wildlife ...................................................... 111
Lesson 4: Learning about Local Wildlife ......................................... 117
Lesson 5: Wrangling the Regulations ............................................. 119
Lesson 6: Exploring Wildlife Issues ............................................... 127
Lesson 7: I Propose .................................................................... 131
Lesson 8: Can Do! ...................................................................... 139
Insights and Background
Insight 1: Habitat: Basis for Survival ............................................ 147
Insight 2: Microhabitats and Biodiversity ....................................... 151
Insight 3: What are Maps ............................................................ 152
Insight 4: Location Ideas for Collection and Field Trip Site ................ 153
Insight 5: Wildlife Populations ...................................................... 154
Insight 6: Population Explosions ................................................... 158
Insight 7: When Populations Decline—Losing Biodiversity ................ 160
Insight 8: Predator—Prey ............................................................ 163
Insight 9: Wildlife Conservation is Up to Us! ................................... 165
Insight 10: Muskox Returns to Alaska ........................................... 171
Insight 11: Wildlife at a Glance .................................................... 173
Insight 12: Workers for Wildlife .................................................... 175
Insight 13: Hunting and Regulations ............................................. 177

Resources
Mark and Recapture Tag .............................................................. 181
WILDLIFE FOR TSHEEC FTUIOTUNR 1E 3
EXPLORING HABITATTASB &L EB IOOFD CIOVNERTESNITTYS
Copyright 1995, 1999, 2001, 2016
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Division of Wildlife Conservation
Wildlife for the Future was revised from the
original 2001 version from the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game’s Alaska Wildlife Curriculum
which include five volumes: Revision 2016
Alaska’s Ecology PROJECT MANAGERS: Brenda Duty, Meghan Nedwick
Alaska’s Forests and Wildlife EDITORS: Alaska Department of Fish and Game-
Alaska’s Tundra and Wildlife Sierra Doherty, Brenda Duty, Elizabeth Manning,
Alaska’s Wetlands and Wildlife Kristen Romanoff, Riley Woodford
Wildlife for the Future REVIEWERS: Alaska Department of Fish and Game-
Sierra Doherty, Sean Farley, Davin Holen,
Joe Meehan
These materials have been field tested in
classrooms throughout Alaska. Our thanks to Alaska educators- Jon Dykstra,Virginia Gates,
our educator focus group of teachers, students, Kasih Hoch, Shivani Kakde, Konrad Wells
biologists and resource agency staff that have Mittelstad, Garrett Pierce, Diana Stanley,
contributed to and reviewed these materials. Lindsay Weingartner

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has DESIGN/LAYOUT: Annie Kincheloe, A Sign of Design
additional education materials and support
INDEXING AND EDUCATIONAL STATE STANDARDS:
information on its website. For information, or to Lilly Goodman-Allwright, Alaska Insights
provide comments, please contact us:
WRITERS/DEVELOPERS:
Division of Wildlife Conservation Alaska Department of Fish and Game-
Attention: Wildlife Education Program Tennie Bentz, Sierra Doherty, Brenda Duty,
P.O. Box 115526 Meghan Nedwick, Elizabeth Manning,
1255 W. 8th Street Kristen Romanoff, Mike Taras
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
www.adfg.alaska.gov
Introduction
Welcome to Alaska’s Wildlife for the Future (Revision 2016)
from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Alaska
Wildlife Curriculum series. The lessons in this curriculum
have been updated to provide educators and students with
accurate, engaging, and relevant lessons in wildlife biology,
and the principles and practice of wildlife management in
Alaska.
This 2016 revision is geared toward middle and early
high school students. Each lesson is intended to build an
understanding of habitats and sustainable populations
of wildlife, while introducing students to current wildlife
research and management. Alaska’s natural resources are
vital to our economy and our way of life, and this curriculum
aims to inspire and empower Alaska’s students to participate
in discussions, decisions and responsible actions that will
help maintain these valuable natural resources into the
future. We hope these lessons generate and strengthen
students’ connection with the natural world and promote an
appreciation for our natural resources, while also cultivating
both an awareness and tolerance for the different ways
people value and use wildlife across our vast state.

This curriculum is divided into three sections - Exploring
Habitats and Biodiversity, Wildlife Population Dynamics, and
Sustaining Wildlife and Communities. Students explore the
social aspects of wildlife use in their communities and how
those uses intersect with wildlife management decisions,
regulations, and individual and community efforts to improve
wildlife habitat and inform management decisions. Though
the lessons are interconnected, they may also be used
independently to fit a unit or standard being taught. All
lessons are aligned with the Alaska State Standards and the
Next Generation Science Standards. Educators may extend
learning experiences by engaging one of several case studies,
using information and data from Alaska Department of Fish
and Game research.

This guide and supporting case studies are made available
primarily online, so lessons may be updated and relevant
case studies added as they become available.
www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=curricula.awc
Hard copies may be available upon request.
We hope you will find this new resource of value and consider
braiding it into your regular lesson plans. Enjoy!
ADF&G Wildlife Education & Outreach Staff

SECTION 1 LESSON 1
Habitat is Where It’s At
Exploring Habitats LESSON 2
Mapping Nearby Nature
and Biodiversity
LESSON 3
Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation
LESSON 4
In Harmony with Habitat, Feeding
Adaptations for Birds
LESSON 5
The Habitat Times
8 SECTION 1
EXPLORING HABITATS & BIODIVERSITY
TARGET DURATION GROUP SIZE
GRADES 20–40 15–60
5–8 minutes students
LESSON 1
Habitat Is Where It’s At
LESSON OVERVIEW SUBJECTS Science, environmental education, physical education,
language arts
Students represent parts
of a habitat and learn how
SKILLS Communicate, work as a team, recall knowledge,
they must be organized
comprehend a concept, apply a skill and evaluate.
in a suitable arrangement
in order for humans and SETTING Outdoors
wildlife to survive.
TERMS TO KNOW habitat, MATERIALS
food, water, shelter, space,
• large, open space such as
suitable arrangement,
a gym, multi-purpose room
limiting factor, home range
or outside area
“There are
• strong nylon rope (a
so many STATE STANDARDS dynamic climbing rope
works well)
Science Language Arts
opportunities
SL.6.1c; SL.6.1.d; SL.7.1.b; • materials necessary for
for students SL.7.1.c; SL.7.1.d; S.L.8.1b; completing the evaluation
S.L.8.1c; SL.8.1.d including computers, poster
to consider paper, writing instruments,
Physical Education
and art materials.
the dynamics 5.E.1.3.4; 8.E.1-2.; 8.E.1-2.
of habitat and
how they affect GUIDING QUESTIONS
?
wildlife.” What is habitat?
What is meant by suitable arrangement?
What are the four essential components of habitat?
How are arrangement of food, water, shelter, and space
important to humans and other animals?
OBJECTIVES
• Students will identify the components of a habitat.
• Students will recognize how humans and other animals
depend upon habitats.
• Students will interpret the significance of loss or change in
a habitat to people and wildlife.
SECTION 1 9
EXPLORING HABITATS & BIODIVERSITY
Supporting People and other animals share some basic needs. Every animal
needs a place in which to live. The environment in which an animal
Information
lives is called a habitat. An animal’s habitat includes food, water,
shelter, and space in an arrangement appropriate to the animal’s
needs.
An animal may be adversely impacted if any of the components
of habitat are missing or are significantly altered. The impact will
not necessarily be catastrophic, but it can be. Lack of a single
component of a habitat becomes a limiting factor. There are
additional limiting factors beyond those of suitable food, water,
shelter, and space. For example, disease, predation, pollution, and
climatic conditions can affect an animal’s survival.
If natural species don’t survive, it impacts ecosystem dynamics.
Within a biological community, there are interrelationships
and interdependencies between plants and plants, plants and
animals, and animals and animals. These interrelationships and
interdependencies are dynamic in the short term and long term
within a population. Humans can interfere and create changes in
the habitat to suit the needs or wishes of humans. Those changes
may in turn affect wildlife negatively or positively.
ALASKA WILDLIFE CURRICULA COMPLIMENTARY ACTIVITIES
• In Harmony with Habitat (Alaska Wildlife for the Future, 2nd Edition)
• Schoolyard Habitat Map (Alaska Wildlife for the Future, 2nd Edition)
• Oh Moose! (Alaska’s Ecology)
• Forest Food Web Game (Forests and Wildlife)
10 SECTION 1
EXPLORING HABITATS & BIODIVERSITY