WILD CATS - San Diego Zoo Kids

WILD CATSTeacher Resources & Activities

GRADES K TO 5

Snow Leopard

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Welcome from Zookeeper Rick Schwartz 2

Wild Cat Profiles 4

Activities

StayAliveandThrive(GradeK) 8

SpotOn!(GradeK) 11

FamilyTies(Grade1) 15

MammalMeet-Up(Grade1) 19

GoingHome(Grade2) 21

Cat-a-Mania(Grade2) 25

HabitatMatchmaker(Grade3) 28

Wanted:WildCatAdaptations(Grade3) 30

MysteryScent(Grade4) 32

FiveSensesRoundup(Grade4) 35

CallingAllCats!(Grade5) 38

TopCat(Grade5) 40

Online Resources 42

Connection to the Next Generation

Science Standards 43

Glossary 44

These materials are made possible by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.

Table of Contents

Theactivitiesinthisbookletfollowthe5EInstructionalModeldevelopedthroughtheBiologicalSciencesCurriculumStudy(BSCS).ThephasesoftheBSCS5EteachingsequenceareEngage,Explore,Explain,Elaborate,andEvaluate.Generally,activitysteps1through5alignwiththesephases.

about these activities

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Diego the OcelotIfirstmetDiegotheocelotwhenhewasjustasmall

kitten,andalthoughhewassmall,cute,andfluffy,hewasallwildcat.Diegowasbornatanotherzooandcametousataveryyoungage.Hissituationmadehimagoodcandidatetojoinourambassadoranimalsforeducationprograms.Thatmeanswespendalotoftimeworkingwithhim,sothathebecomesaccustomedtohelpingusteachpeopleofallagesaboutocelotsandthehabitatswheretheylive.WhenDiegocomestoapresentationwithus,wecantalkabouthiscamouflage,largefeet,thewhitespotsonthebackofhisears,andmanymoreadaptations—andeveryonecanseetheminperson!

Onethingstudentsfrequentlyaskis,“HowdidwedomesticateDiego?”This

comesupbecauseDiegodoeswellwalkingonaleashandworkingwith

histrainers.Thetruthis,he’snotdomesticatedatall.AlthoughDiego

hasbeentrainedtoworkwithhisprofessionaltrainers,hestillhasall

ofhiswildcatinstincts.Incontrast,domesticationoccursoverthousands

ofyearswhenpeopleselectivelybreedanimalsforspecificlooksorbehaviors.

WorkingwithcatslikeDiego,Ioftenhearpeoplesay,“Heactsjustlikemycat!”Butthetruthis,your

domesticcatathomeactslikeDiegoandotherwildcats,nottheotherwayaround.Thisisbecausewildcatsare

theancestorsofdomesticcats.Andalthoughdomesticcatshavebeenbredtolivewithpeople,theystillretainsomeofthewildcatbehaviorsfromtheirancestors.Infact,ifyouhaveadomesticcatathome,youmayrecognizecertainbehaviorslikestalking,pouncing,andevengroominginthebigcats,aswell.

Welcome fromZookeeper

Rick Schwartz

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Caring for CatsThere are 37 species of cats in the family Felidae, with only seven placed in the subfamily Pantherinae. Commonly referred to as the “big cats,” these animals include lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, snow leopards, and clouded leopards. Many big cats are in danger of disappearing from their wild habitats. Threats to their well-being include loss of large prey and suitable places to live, illegal hunting to sell body parts in the outlawed wildlife trade, and inadequate governmental support and protection. San Diego Zoo Global helps big cats by supporting conservation efforts in the wild and helping with breeding programs in managed care. One positive story is our Sumatran tigers—one tigress has had three litters: a great success. You can be a hero for wildlife, too. Go to endextinction.org to find out how.

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Sumatran TigerPanthera tigris sumatrae

African LionPanthera leo

HABITATSumatrantigersliveinIndonesia,ontheislandofSumatra.Theyroamthejungleforests,grasslands,andwetlandsinsecludedareasoftheisland.OthersubspeciesoftigersliveinotherpartsofAsia.

BEHAVIORAgrowntigerspendsmostofitstimealone.Itkeepswatchoveritsterritoryandhuntsdeer,pigs,andsometimessmallerpreylikebirdsandmonkeys.Tigersdomeetuptomate.Afemaletigertypicallygivesbirthabouteverytwoyears,usuallytotwotofourcubs.

CONSERVATIONSumatrantigersarecriticallyendangered;fewerthan400liveinthewild.Another250liveinmanagedcare.Habitatdestructionposesamajorthreat.Farmersclearforeststocreateopenlandforpalmoilplantationsandothercrops.Anotherthreatisillegalhunting.Poachershunttigersandillegallysellthewhiskers,claws,organs,andotherbodyparts.

HABITATThislionlivesamongthegrassyplains,savannas,openwoodlands,andscrublandsofsub-SaharanAfrica.Ithidesbehindbrushandtallgrasswhenstalkingprey.

BEHAVIORUnlikeothercats,lionsaresocial.Theyliveinafamilygroupcalledapride.Aprideusuallyhasadultfemales(mothers,sisters,andcousins),growingcubs,andafewmales.Pridescanbeassmallasthreeoraslargeas30individuals.Femalelions—lionesses—staytogetherforlife.Lionshunttogetheringroups.Theyhuntlargeprey;mostlyantelopeandotherhoofedanimals,butalsobabyelephantsorrhinos.Afterthekill,lionsinthepridesharethefood.Lionessesgivebirthtooneortwocubs.Younglioncubssportspotsontheirfurcoat.Expertsthinkthatthespotshelpcamouflagethecubsinthetallgrass.

CONSERVATIONInAfrica,lionpopulationsaredeclining,fromanestimated100,000inthe1960stoabout35,000today.Theyhavedisappearedfrommorethan80percentoftheirformerrange.Hunting,lossofhabitat,conflictswithhumans,andsmallpopulationsthatbecomeisolatedplayamajorpartinthisdecline.

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CheetahAcinonyx jubatus

Snow LeopardPanthera uncia

HABITATMostcheetahsliveinthebushandsavannawoodlandsinsouthernandeasternAfrica.Theyfavorareasthathavebushes,medium-lengthgrasses,andtrees.

BEHAVIORAdultcheetahsaremostlysolitary.Cubsstaywiththeirmothersforayearormore.Malelittermatesmaystaytogetherafterleavingtheirmother.Cheetahshuntbysight.First,theyspyanold,weak,orveryyounganimal.Theycreepascloseastheycanwithoutbeingseen.Then,theysprinttomaketheirkill.Cheetahsrunasfastas68miles(110kilometers)perhour,butonlyforshortdistances.Lions,hyenas,leopards,andwilddogsmaychasecheetahsawayfromtheirkillsorattackcheetahsdirectly.

CONSERVATIONCheetahsliveinmanyplacesinAfrica,butpopulationsareisolatedfromeachother.Thetotalnumberofcheetahsisabout10,000individuals.Namibiahasthelargestpopulation:about2,500individuals.About200cheetahsliveinIran.Asmallnumberofcheetahshavebeenrecentlyobserved,byusingcameratraps,intheAtlasMountainsofMorocco.CheetahslivinginIranandinnorthwesternAfricaarecriticallyendangered.Inotherareas,cheetahsarevulnerable.Huntingcheetahsandtheirpreyfortrophies,clearinglandforgrowingcrops,andkillingbysnaretrapsarethegreatestthreatstocheetahsurvival.

HABITATShyandsecretive,thesnowleopardrarelyshowsitself.Localpeoplesometimescallitthe“ghostcat.”Itismostactiveatdawnandduskwhenhuntingbluesheepandibex.Alsoonitsmenuaremarmots,gamebirds,andsmallrodents.Inwinter,whenverycoldweatherdrivespreyaway,snowleopardsmayhuntlocallivestockinordertosurvive.

BEHAVIORAdultcheetahsaremostlysolitary.Cubsstaywiththeirmothersforayearormore.Malelittermatesmaystaytogetherafterleavingtheirmother.Cheetahshuntbysight.First,theyspyanold,weak,orveryyounganimal.Theycreepascloseastheycanwithoutbeingseen.Then,theysprinttomaketheirkill.Cheetahsrunasfastas68miles(110kilometers)perhour,butonlyforshortdistances.Lions,hyenas,leopards,andwilddogsmaychasecheetahsawayfromtheirkillsorattackcheetahsdirectly.

CONSERVATIONThesnowleopardisendangeredovermuchofitsrangeduetolossofhabitatandprey,poaching,andpersecution.Recentpopulationstudiesestimate4,000to6,500individuals.Effortstohelpsavethesnowleopardhavecreatedmorethan100protectedareasacrosstheirrange.Eventhoughitiscalledaleopard,thesnowleopardismorecloselyrelatedtotigersthantootherleopards.

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Amur LeopardPanthera pardus orientalis

ServalLeptailurus serval

HABITATTheservallivesingrasslandsalongriversandlakesinsub-SaharanAfrica.Itdoesnotliveintropicalrainforests.

BEHAVIORServalsdon’tgatheringroups;mostadultslivetheirlivesalone.Amaleserval’shomerangedoesn’toverlapwiththerangesofothermales,butitmayincludethehomerangesofseveralfemales.Femalesraisetheircubs—onetothreeinalitter—foraboutayear.

Servalshuntmice,rats,moles,smallbirds,lizards,fishes,andfrogs.Theyhaveexcellenthearing.Servalslistencarefullyforthesesmallanimals’movements,thenchaseandpouncetotrapthemundertheirforepaws.Tocatchbirds,servalsjumpashighas9feet(2.7meters),grabbingthemfromtheair.Leopards,Africanhuntingdogs,andspottedhyenassometimesattackservals.

CONSERVATIONServalsarenotendangered.Theyrangeacrosswide,wildareasofAfrica.Someservalslivenexttohumanvillages.Somethreatstotheirsurvivalincludedestructionofwetlands,overgrazingofgrasslands,huntingforpelts,andkillingofitsfood(rodentspoisonedaspests).

HABITATTheAmurleopardlivesamongthemountainousforests,valleys,andplainsinPrimoryeregionofsoutheasternRussia,inanareathat’sonlyabout965squaremiles(2,500squarekilometers).OtherleopardsubspeciesliveinpartsofAfricaandAsia.Thiscat’sthickfurprotectsitfromtheregion’sverycoldwinters.ItsfurismuchdenserthanthefurofleopardslivinginthewarmerclimatesofAfricaandIndia.TheAmurleopard’scoatisabitlighterincolorthanotherleopards,too.

BEHAVIORAdultAmurleopardslivealone,onlymeetingtobreedor,formothers,toraisecubs.Theyhideorsleepmostoftheday.Atnighttheyareontheprowl,andhuntsikaandroedeer,badgers,wildboars,andhares.Amurleopardsliveinthesameareaastigers.Sometimestigersattackleopards.

CONSERVATIONTheAmurleopardisconsideredtobethemostcriticallyendangeredofallthelargecats.Scientistsbelievelessthan40ofthesecatsliveinthewild.Muchoftheirforesthomeisbeingburnedandclearedtocreateareasforgrowingferns,whichareharvestedandsoldasapopularingredientinRussianandChinesefoods.

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JaguarPanthera onca

Mountain LionPuma concolor

HABITATThejaguarlivesinrainforests,swampyareas,grasslands,woodlands,dryforests,anddesertsfromMexicotoBrazil,Argentina,andParaguay.Inrecentyears,jaguarshavebeenseeninsouthernTexasandArizonaintheUnitedStates.

BEHAVIORJaguarshuntatnight.Theyhidefirst,thenambushpreythatcomesclose.Theycatchpigs,deer,tapirs,cattle,andcapybaras.Jaguarsalsoclimbtreesandswiminrivers.Inthewater,theycatchcaimans,turtles,andtortoises.

Adultjaguarslivealone.Malesandfemalesmeetbrieflytomate,thenseparate.Motherjaguarsraiseonetofourcubs.Oncethecubslearntohuntandeatmeat,theyareoldenoughtoleave—usuallywhentheyaretwoyearsold.

CONSERVATIONJaguarsarelistedasendangeredbytheEndangeredSpeciesAct.Peoplehuntjaguarsfortheirbeautifulfur,despitethefactthatjaguarsareprotectedinmanyoftheareaswheretheylive.Peoplealsohuntjaguarprey,whichmeanslessfoodforjaguars.Inaddition,peopledestroyjaguarhomesbycuttingdownforests,blockingstreams,anddrainingwetlands.

HABITATThemountainlionlivesinforests,prairies,deserts,mountains,andswamps.ItrangesfromwesternCanadatosouthernSouthAmerica.AsmallpopulationlivesinFlorida.Dependingonwherethiscatlives,peoplecallitacougar,puma,panther,elleon,orcatamount.

BEHAVIORAdultmountainlionsarenotsocial.Theyroamtheirhomeranges,searchingforpreyandforintrudersintheirarea.Malestendtohavelargerhomerangesthatoverlapthesmallerhomerangesoffemales.Mountainlionshuntbysight,ambushingpreyasitmoves.Theyeatdeer,pigs,raccoons,hares,andsquirrels,butcanalsotacklemooseandelk.Mothersraisetwotofourcubs.Youngcubshavespottedfurthathelpsthemblendinwithgrass,brush,andspotsofsunlight.Afterlearningtohunt,cubsleavetheirmothersatabout18monthsold.

CONSERVATIONMountainlionsarenotendangered;however,asmall,isolatedpopulationlivingintheuplandforestsoftheFloridaEvergladesneedshelp.ThenumberofFloridapanthershasgrownfromabout30in1995toabout100in2007,thankstoeffortsthatintroducednewmountainlionsfromTexas.TheEndangeredSpeciesActalsoliststhedisappearingpopulationsinCostaRicaandtheeasternUnitedStatesasendangered.

LEARNING OUTCOMEStudentsidentifywhatcatsandpeopleneedtosurvive.NGSS performance expectation: K-LS1-1

INTRODUCTIONAlllivingthingsneedwater,food,andspaceinordertolive.Peopleandcatsalsoneedthesethings.Tothrive,animalsalsoneedtogrowtoadulthood,findamate,andreproduce.Peopleandcatsgetwhattheyneedindifferentways.Theyfindwaterandfooddifferently,andtheyliveindifferentspaces.Oneexceptionisthehousecat;itlivesaroundpeople,asapet.

MATERIALS• Copiesofpicturesofachild,malelion,

drinkingglass,lakeorstream,house,woodland,dinnerplatewithpizza,andantelope(page10).YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers• Tape• Copiesofactivitysheet,oneforeachstudent• Pencils,crayons,orcoloredmarkers

ACTIVITYStep 1:Introducethetopicofsurvivalbyaskingstudentssomeorallofthefollowingquestions:“Whatisyourfavoritefood?Whatisyourfavoritedrink?Whatwouldhappenifwedidn’thaveanythingtoeatordrink?Couldananimalsurvivewithoutfoodorwatertodrink?”

Step 2: Showpicturesofachildandamalelion.Placeonawhiteboardorothersurface.Drawacirclearoundeachpicturesothatthecirclesoverlapinthemiddle,creatingaVenndiagram.Askstudentstonameeachpicture(achildor“me,”andalion).

Introducetheotherpicturesinsets.Forwater,showthedrinkingglassandlakeorstream.Tellstudents,“Everyoneneedsadrink,butwhousuallydrinksfromaglass?Whodrinksfromalakeorstream?”Asyouintroduceeachsetand

determineitsplace,tapethepicturesnexttothelionorthechild.

Forfood,tellstudentseveryoneneedsfood.Ask,“Whousuallyeatspizzaonaplate,andwhocatchesanantelope?”Forshelter,tellstudentseveryoneneedsaplacetolive(ahome),andask“Whousuallylivesinahouse,andwholivesoutside?”

Step 3: Afterplacingthepictures,askstudentsiftheycanseeapattern.Tellstudentsthatallanimalsneedfood,shelter,andwater,buttheseappearindifferentways.Askstudentswhatmightgointhespacewherethetwocirclesoverlap.Writethewords“water,”“food,”and“shelter”intheoverlappingarea.Thesewordsrepresentthepicturestheclassplacednexttothechildandthelion.

Step 4: DistributetheStay Alive and Thriveactivitysheets,andpencilsorcrayons.Havestudentstracethewords“water,”“food,”and“shelter”inthecenterwherethecirclesoverlap.Askstudentstodrawtheirexamplesoffood,water,andshelterforthechildandthelionimages.

Step 5: Createstudentpairs,andaskstudentstosharetheirdrawingsandexplaintheirchoiceswithapartner.Whenready,chooseafewstudentstosharetheircompletedactivitysheetswiththeclass.Asastudentshareswiththeclass,askforthosewithsimilaritemsandchoicestoraisetheirhands.Askguidingquestionstoleadstudentstocorrectanswers.

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At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park, look for our big cats. Can you find water, food, and shelter in the area where they live? Talk to a Park or Zoo volunteer wearing a red shirt and name tag to find out what our big cats eat.

GRADE KStay Aliveand Thrive

TEACHER RESOURCESVisit sandiegozoo.org/teacherresources to find this curriculum in a PDF format and a list of Web links for this activity.

I wonder... What do other animals need? Ask students

to choose a favorite animal other than a lion. Can they draw a new

comparison sheet and describe the patterns?

Stay Alive and Thrive

water

shelter

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activityGRADE K

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Stay Alive and ThriveGRADE K

activity

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LEARNING OUTCOME Students learn that the colors and patterns on a cat’s coat are adaptations for camouflage, an important strategy when stalking prey.

INTRODUCTIONIntheanimalkingdom,competitionforwater,food,andspaceisfierce.Animalsusemanydifferentstrategiesandbehaviorstogetwhattheyneedtosurvive.Bigcatsusuallyneedtohidebehindgrassortreestocreepcloseenoughtocatchtheirprey.Thecoloroftheirfurcoathelpsthemhide.

Jaguars,tigers,leopards,andcheetahshavespotsandstripesontheirfur,butthepatternsaredifferent.Jaguarshaveseparatespotsinthemiddleofthecircles(calledrosettes),leopardshavejustcircleswithoutspotsinside,tigershavestripesandnospots,andcheetahshaveonlyspots.

MATERIALS• Picturesofatigerinaforest,acheetahonan

Africanplain,ajaguarinajungle,andaleopardinagrassland(pages45to48).YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Colorpicturesofthecoatpatternsonatiger,cheetah,jaguar,andleopard(page12).YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Yellow,brown,andblackinkpads,oneper

studentpair• Activitysheet,oneforeachstudent• Fourblanksheetsofpaper• Crayonsorcoloredmarkers• Handwipesormoisttowels

ACTIVITYStep 1: Introducetheconceptofhidingbyaskingthefollowingleadingquestions:“HaveyoueverplayedthegameHideandSeek?Howdidyouhide?”Thenaskstudents,“Doanyofyouhaveacatathome?Howdoesithide?”

Ontheboard,postthepicturesofthejaguar’s,leopard’s,cheetah’s,andtiger’scoatpatterns.Ask

studentstoguesswhatthepicturesshow.“Whymightthesecatshavefurwithpatternslikethis?Whatisthesame?Whatisdifferent?”

Afterstudentshaveidentifiedthepicturesascatfur,showthemhowtoidentifyeachcatbyitsfur.Usetheinformationunder“Introduction”topointouttheuniquepatternsforeachcat.

Step 2: Placeablanksheetundereachofthecoat-patternpicturesontheboard.Demonstratehowtouseyourfingersandtheinkpadtomakespotsandstripesthatmatchthepatternofeachcoat,asshownonpage13.

Afteryourdemonstration,dividestudentsintogroups,anddistributetheactivitysheetsandinkpads.Askstudentstochooseoneofthefourcoatpatternsontheboardandcopythecoatpatternontheiractivitysheets.Distributethehandwipesormoisttowelstocleaninkedfingers.

Step 3: Showpicturesofthejaguar,cheetah,leopard,andtigerintheirhabitats.Aftershowingeachpicture,askstudents,“Canyouseethecatinthispicture?Canyounameitandpointtoit?Whatdoesitsfurlooklike?Howdoesitspatternhelpithide?Whydoyouthinkacathides?”(When hunting, a cat hides so it can sneak closer to its prey.)

Step 4: Askstudentstodrawplantsorotherthingsaroundtheirwildcatthatwillhelpithide.

Step 5: Invitestudentstosharetheirartworkanddescribethepatterntheymade,andhowitwillhelptheircathideintheforest,jungle,plain,orgrassland.Ifyou’dliketocontinue,createadditionalcopiesoftheactivitysheet,forstudentstocreatethecoatpatternsofallfourcats.

I wonder... What happens to an animal when the

trees and grasses that it uses to hide behind disappear? How does the

animal hunt and catch prey?

Spot On!

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park, look for our big cats. Can you see spots, stripes, or circles on their coats? Are they hiding in their exhibit?

GRADE K TEACHER RESOURCESVisit sandiegozoo.org/teacherresources to find this curriculum in a PDF format and a list of Web links for this activity.

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Cheetah

Leopard

Tiger

Jaguar

Sample Art Prints

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I wonder... Why do some cat cubs have spots

and other cat cubs do not?

LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsmatchdifferentcatcubstotheircatparentsbyidentifyingsimilarphysicaltraits.NGSS performance expectation: 1-LS3-1

INTRODUCTION Parentsandoffspringresembleeachotherinmanyways,frombodyshapetocolorationofhairoreyes.Youngcatsoftenmatchtheirparents’physicalcharacteristics—butnotalways.Somedifferencesincludespotsoncubcoats,anddarkerorlighterfurcolors.

MATERIALS •Copiesofactivitysheet,oneforeach

student

•Pencils,crayons,orcoloredmarkers

• Picturesoffourdomesticcatsandkittens(pages17and18).YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

ACTIVITYStep 1: Beginthisactivitywithaclassdiscussiontoassesspriorknowledge,andtofocusthetopic.Showpicturesofdomesticcatbreedsandkittens(pages17and18).Askstudentstolookfordifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweenthecats.Askstudentsleadingquestionssuchas,“Whatcatsandkittensbelongtogether?Whatmakesyouthinkthis?Whattraitsorcharacteristicsareyoulookingfor?”Tellstudentsthesearedomesticorpetcats.Askstudentsifanyonehasacatathome.Doesitlooklikeanyofthesecats?

Next,tellstudentsthatwewillbelookingatwildcatsandkittens.

Step 2: DistributetheFamily Tiesactivitysheettoeachstudent,andcreatestudentpairs.Telleachpairtoexplorethecharacteristicsofwildcats.Askstudentstoworkwiththeirpartnerstofindmatches.Askstudents,“Nowthatwehavecomparedpetcats,doyouthinkallwildcatsarethesame?Onthesheet,lookcarefullyatthecubsandseeifyoucanmatcheachonetoitsparent.Howarethecubsliketheirparents?Howaretheydifferent?”

Step 3: Whenready,reviewanswersasaclass.Invitestudentstoexplainhowtheymadetheirmatches.Wasittheshapeofthecat’sface?Furpatterns?Shapeoftheears?

At the Zoo or ParkAt the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, we have been lucky to have many cats reproduce, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and jaguars. When you visit, ask if any of our big cats have recently given birth to cubs.

Family TiesGRADE 1 TEACHER RESOURCES

Visit sandiegozoo.org/teacherresources to find this curriculum in a PDF format and a list of Web links for this activity.

Family TiesInstructions:Drawalinefromeachyoungcatonthelefttoitsparentontheright.

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activityGRADE 1

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsidentifyfivecharacteristicsthatcatssharewithothermammals—theybreatheair,growfur,givelivebirth,nursetheiryoung,andarewarm-blooded.NGSS performance expectation: 1-LS3-1

INTRODUCTION Scientistswhostudyanimalsoftenlookforauniqueorspecialcharacteristicthatsetsoneanimalapartfromanother.Theymaysortanimalswithfeathers,fur,orscalesintodifferentgroups.Theymaysortanimalsbywhethertheyarewarm-orcold-blooded.Someanimalsmaybesortedbythewaytheygivebirth,suchasthosethatlayeggsandthosethatgivebirthtoliveyoung.Wildcatsaremammals.Somecommoncharacteristicsofmammalsincludetheabilitytogrowhair(oftencalledfur),tomaintainasteadybodytemperature(warmblood),togivelivebirth,andtoproducemilktonourishyoung.

MATERIALS• Copiesofactivitysheet,oneforeachstudent• Coloredpencilsorcrayons• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers

ACTIVITY Step 1: Beginactivitybywritingtheword“mammal”ontheboardforstudentstosee.Askstudentstoidentifylettersandtrytopronouncetheword.Dotheyrecognizeit?Leadadiscussiononwhatthiswordmightmean.Askleadingquestionssuchas,“Whatdoyouthinktheword‘mammal’means?Whatanimalsdoyouthinkaremammals?Arewemammals?”Tellstudentsthatmammalscangrowhairorfur,maintainasteadybodytemperature,givelivebirth,andproducemilktonourishtheiryoung.

Step 2: DividestudentsintogroupsanddistributetheMammal Meet-Upactivitysheetshowingatiger,achild,abird,alizard,adog,an

elephant,andafish.Askstudentstotalkabouttheseanimalsintheirgroups.“Couldanyofthembemammals?Ifso,howcanyoutell?”

Step 3: Afterstudentshavetalkedabouttheiranimals,takeaclasspoll.Foreachanimal,askstudentstoraisetheirhandiftheythinkitisamammal.Then,debatewhetheritisamammalornot.Whatquestionsdostudentsneedtoasktodetermineifeachanimalisamammal?Dotheyneedmoreinformation,otherthanthepicture?Cansomestudentsaddadditionalinformation?

Step 4: Askstudentstocolortheanimalstheyknowaremammals,andmarkan“X”ontheanimalsthatarenotmammals.

Step 5: Asafinalstep,askstudentstobrainstormalistofanimalsthatareNOTmammals.Whatcharacteristicsgroupfishtogether?(They have scales and gills, and are cold blooded Whatcharacteristicsgroupbirdstogether?(They have feathers and beaks, and they hatch from eggs.)Whatcharacteristicsgrouplizardsorreptilestogether?(They have scales and lungs, and are cold-blooded.)

I wonder... Can you find out which two mammals lay eggs instead of

giving live birth?

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, be on the lookout for mammals. Make a list and sort them by the common traits they share.

GRADE 1MammalMeet-up


Mammal Meet-upInstructions:Catsaremammals.Colortheanimalsthataremammals,too.Putan“X”ontheanimalsthatarenotmammals.

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activityGRADE 1

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsmatchfourcatspecies—tiger,cheetah,jaguar,andleopard—tothehabitatwheretheylive.NGSS performance expectation: 2-LS4-1

INTRODUCTION Habitatisananimal’shome:theareawhereitlives.Someanimalsneedonlyasmallarea;forexample,sometropicaltreefrogsliveinthesmallpoolsofwatercollectedbetweentheleavesofabromeliadplant.Otheranimalsneedalargearea;forexample,catslikejaguars,leopards,lions,andtigersroamformileswhilehuntingprey.Thehealthofahabitatiscriticaltothehealthoftheanimalsthatliveinit.Habitatschangewhentreesarecutdown,soilisplowed,waterisrestricted,orotheranimalsinvadethearea.Protectingananimal’shomeisthefirststepinspeciesconservation.

MATERIALS •Copiesoffourpictures:atigerinaforest,

acheetahonanAfricanplain,ajaguarinajungle,andaleopardingrassland(pages46to49).Onefour-picturesetforeachstudentgroup.YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers• iPadsorpersonalcomputers,ifusingdigital

pictures• CopiesofGoing Homeactivitysheets,onefor

eachstudent• Scissors• Coloredpencils,markers,orcrayons• Gluesticks

ACTIVITYStep 1: Beginthisactivitywithaclassdiscussiontointroducetheword“home.”Writethewordontheboard.Askstudentsleadingquestionssuchas,“Wheredowelive?Whatishometous?”Continuepromptingwith,“Doyouthinkanimalsliveinahome?Whyorwhynot?”

Tellstudentsthatscientistscallananimal’shomeitshabitat.Writethefollowingwordsontheboard:“forest,”“plain,”“jungle,”and“grassland.”Postthecorrespondingcatpictureundereachhabitatname.

Step 2: Dividestudentsintopairsorsmallgroups,andgiveaccesstothedigitalpictures(iPadorcomputer)ordistributethecolorprintsofthefourcathabitats.Askstudentstofindthecatineachpictureandcomparehabitats;whatisthesameandwhatisdifferent?Studentsneedtorememberorrecordtheirobservations.

Step 3: Usingthepicturesontheboardandthepicturesthestudentgroupsareusing,leadaclassdiscussionabouteachplace.Whattypesofplantsareinaforest?Whattypesareinajungle,agrassland,andaplain?Howdidthestudentscomparethem?Couldtheyfindthecatineachphoto?Cantheynameeachcat?

Step 4: DistributetheGoing Homeactivitysheetstoeachstudent.Distributeglue,scissors,andcolormarkers,pencils,orcrayons.Askstudentstocutoutthecats,pasteeachcatintoahabitat,andthencolorthecatstoblendinwiththeirhabitats.Encouragestudentstosharetheirworkwiththeirpartnerorintheirgroup,explainingwhytheychosethespecifichabitatforeachcat.

Step 5: Asaclass,askstudentpairsorgroupstopresenttheirwork.Astheypresent,discusstogetherthechoicesofhabitats.Didallstudentsmakethesameselection?Ask,“Whatisitcalledwhenananimalblendsintoitshabitat?”(Camouflage.)

I wonder... Why do some habitats have few

plants and animals while others have many?

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, visit the tiger, leopard, lion, or jaguar exhibit. How does the exhibit try to match where the cat lives in the wild?

Going HomeGRADE 2 TEACHER RESOURCES

Visit sandiegozoo.org/teacherresources to find this curriculum in a PDF format and a list of Web links for this activity.

Going HomeInstructions:

WheredoIlive?Cutoutthewildcats,andplacethemintheirhabitats.Colorthecatstoblendintotheirhabitats.

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activityGRADE 2

African Plain

Forest

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Grassland

Jungle

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsknowthemountainlionlivesindiversehabitatsincludingswamps,forests,deserts,andmountains.NGSS performance expectation: 2-LS4-1

INTRODUCTION Mountainlion,puma,cougar,catamount,elleon,panther…canallthesenamesbeforjustonecat?Yes!MountainlionsarefoundfromwesternCanadatosouthernSouthAmerica—thelargestgeographicrangeofanylandmammalintheWesternHemisphere.Theyliveinavarietyofhabitats.Athomeinforests,mountains,deserts,andswamps,theyareveryadaptablecats!Theirhomerangesvaryinsizefrom30to125squaremiles(48to201kilometers).Thesizeoftherangedependsonthedensityofthemountainlion’sprey.Theyhuntdeer,pigs,capybaras,raccoons,armadillos,hares,andsquirrels.Somelargecatsevenbringdownanimalsasbigasanelkoramoose.Mountainlionsseekshelterinthickbrush,rockycrevices,orcavesintheirhomerange.

MATERIALS •Pictureofamountainlion.Youcanfindthis

pictureintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Picturesofadesert,forest,mountain,andswamp(page27).YoucanfindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Copiesofactivitysheet,oneforeachstudent• Coloredpencils

ACTIVITYStep 1: Beginthisactivitybyshowingapictureofamountainlion.Askleadingquestionssuchas,“Hasanyoneseenthiscatbefore?Cananyonenamethiscat?”Studentsmayknowmanynames.Ifso,tellthemthemountainliongoesbydifferentnames(puma,cougar,catamount,elleon,andpanther),dependingonwhereitlives.

Afterstudentsidentifythemountainlion,askiftheyknowwhereitlives.First,showthepictureofthedesert.“Doesthemountainlion

livehere?”Yes.Repeatwithpicturesofotherhabitats:mountain,forest,andswamp.

Next,showthefourhabitatpicturessidebysideforstudentstocompare.Askleadingquestionssuchas,“Thesehabitatsaresodifferent.Howdoesthemountainlionsurvive?Whatdoesitneedtosurviveineachhabitat?”

Step 2: Groupstudentstogetherinpairs,anddistributetheCat-A-Maniaactivitysheet,withcoloredpencils.Showstudentsthefourboxesonpage27,andaskthemtocreatethehabitatlistedonthebottomofeachbox.Remindstudentswhatamountainlionneedsinordertosurvive.

Step 3: Showpicturesofthehabitatsagain,oneatatime.Discusswithstudentsthedifferencesandchallengesoflivingineachhabitat.Forexample,thelackofwaterinadesert,thecoldwintersinmountains,floodedlandinaswamp,andthelackofopenareasinadenseforestaresomeofthesechallenges.

Step 4: Askstudentstoreturntotheiractivitysheetstoadddetailstothehabitats.Encouragediscussionswithintheirgroups.Studentscanalsouseadditionalresourcestoaddinformation.

Step 5: Returntoaclassdiscussionbyshowingthefourhabitatpicturesalongsideeachotheragain.Asktheleadingquestion,“Doesonehabitatseemtohavemoreplantsandanimalsthananother?”Askstudentstodiscussandnumberthehabitats1to4with1showingthemostplantsandanimalsto4showingtheleast.Humansliveinthesefourhabitats,too.Askstudentstosharewhichhabitattheywouldwanttolivein,andwhy.

I wonder... What happens to a habitat if a predator,

like a mountain lion, disappears?

Cat-a-maniaGRADE 2

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo, visit the mountain lion exhibit. Describe the kind of habitat the Zoo provides for the mountain lions. Look for the behavior and physical characteristics that make this cat a marvel at living in different habitats.


Cat-a-maniaInstructions:Drawthehabitatsforthemountainlion.Besuretoincludesomethingforyourmountainliontocatchandeat,watertodrink,andaplacetohide.

MOUNTAINDESERT

SWAMPFOREST

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activityGRADE 2

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mountain

swamp

desert

forest

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I wonder... How do animals acquire survival skills for living in their habitat? Do

they learn them? How?

LEARNING OUTCOME Studentscreateaprocessforselectingsuitablehabitatsforeightcatspecies.NGSS performance expectation: 3-LS4-3

INTRODUCTION PlanetEarthsupportsanalmostunendingarrayofhabitats.Ineachparticularhabitat,someorganismssurvivewell,somesurvivelesswell,andsomecannotsurviveatall.Forexample,adeserttortoisesurviveswellinthedesert,butnotintheocean.Ontheotherhand,fishcan’tsurviveinadeserthabitatunlessthereisawatersourcelikeaspringorriver.Somespecies,likethemountainlion,haveadaptedtolivinginavarietyofhabitats.Inorderforwildcatsandtheiryoungtosurviveinahabitat,thecatsmustbeabletofindfood,water,andshelter.

MATERIALS •Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers• Copiesoftheactivitysheet,oneperstudent• CopiesofWildCatProfileCards(pages4to7),

onesetperstudentgroup• Pencils•Digitalorprintpicturesofthefollowingcats:

serval,Amurleopard,Sumatrantiger,Africanlion,jaguar,cheetah,mountainlion,andsnowleopard.YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

ACTIVITY Step 1: Animalsneedfood,water,shelter,andabilitytoreproduce,inordertosurvive.Assessyourstudents’priorknowledgebydiscussingthesurvivalneedsofanimals,specificallycats.Askleadingquestionssuchas,“Whatdoweneedinordertolive?Whatdocatsneedtosurvive?”

Next,brainstormalistofEarth’shabitats.First,defineahabitat—aplacewhereananimallives.Then,askstudentstonamehabitats.Promptresponsesbysaying“OurplanetEarthhasmanyplacesforanimals,fromhot,humidjunglesto

cold,icypoles;andfromhigh,rockymountainstodeep,oceancanyons.Whocannameahabitat?”Liststudentresponsesontheboard.Havethemguessacatforeachofthehabitats.

Step 2: Showdigitalpicturesorpostontheboardtheprintedpicturesofsevencats(exclude Amur leopard),sostudentscanseethem.Tellstudentsthatthisactivityfocusesonthesecatsandwheretheylive.Dividestudentsinpairsorsmallgroups,anddistributetheHabitat Matchmakeractivitysheet.Tellstudentstoreadthehabitatdescriptions,lookatthecatpictures(eitherdigitalorprinted),anddiscusstheinformationwiththeirpartnerorwithintheirgroups.Cantheytellwhereeachcatmightlive?Ifso,drawalinefromthecatnametoitshabitatdescription.

Step 3: Whenfinishedwiththeactivitysheet,havestudentspresenttheirreasonsformatchingeachcattoitshabitat.Whatdidtheyconsider?Whatfactsorfeaturesmadethemselectaspecifichabitat?

Undereachcatpicturepostedontheboard,recordstudentresponses.Ifgroupsdisagree,askgroupstoexplainanddebatetheirchoices.Whatotherinformationwouldtheyneedtodeterminewhethertheiranswersarecorrect,andwhatwouldtheirprocessbeforfindingthatinformation?

Step 4: DistributetheWild Cat Profile Cardstoeachstudentgroup.Havethemreviewthedescriptionstocheckwhethertheiranswersarecorrect.

Step 5: Inconclusion,showthepictureofanAmurleopardtotheclass.Askstudentstousetheirpreviousknowledgetodetermineahabitatforthiscat.Aretherehabitatswherethiscatislesslikelytosurvive?

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, find a cat exhibit. By looking at the cat and its surroundings, can you determine its wild habitat? Ask the Zoo or Park volunteer wearing a red shirt or read the exhibit sign to find out where the cat lives and how it survives in its habitat.

HabitatMatchmaker

GRADE 3 TEACHER RESOURCESVisit sandiegozoo.org/teacherresources to find this curriculum in a PDF format and a list of Web links for this activity.

These large cats live on a small island located in Indonesia. They roam the jungle forests, grasslands, and wetlands found in the more secluded areas of the island.

These cats live in forests, prairies, deserts, mountains, and

swamps. They range from

Canada to South America.

Groups of these cats

live among the grassy

plains, savannas,

open woodlands, and

scrublands of sub-

Saharan Africa. They hide

behind brush and tall

grass when stalking prey

animals.

These cats live in

rain forests, swampy

areas, grasslands,

woodlands, dry

forests, and deserts

from Mexico through

South America.

These cats live among the bush and savanna woodlands in southern and eastern Africa. They favor areas that have bushes, medium-length grasses, and trees.

These cats roam

through the

high mountains

of central Asia.

They live in

scrub forests

and along rocky

slopes, cliffs, and

gullies of the

mountainside.

This small cat lives in grasslands along rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa. It does not live in tropical rain forests.

SNOW LEOPARD

SERVAL

SUMATRAN TIGERJAGUAR

AFRICAN LION

MOUNTAIN LION

CHEETAH

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Habitat MatchmakerInstructions:Drawalinetomatchthewildcattoitshabitat.

activityGRADE 3

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsexplainhowspecificabilitiesorphysicalcharacteristicshelpacatsurviveinitshabitat.

INTRODUCTION Catshaveadaptationsthathelpthemsurviveintheirhabitats.Physicaladaptationsincludebodyfeaturesforeating,climbing,running,balancing,smelling,hearing,andcamouflage.Anothertypeofadaptationisbehavioral.Examplesofbehavioraladaptationsarethewaysananimalhuntsprey,sheltersincavesorforestshrubs,climbstreestorestandeat,andprotectsitscubsorkittens.

MATERIALS •Digitalorprintpicturesofsnowleopard,

jaguar,lion,leopard,cheetah,tiger,serval,andmountainlion.YoucanalsofindthesepicturesintheTeacher Photo ResourcePDFatsandiegozoo.org/teacherresources.

• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers• Copiesofactivitysheet,oneperstudent• CopiesoftheWildCatProfilecards(pages4to

7),onecardforeachstudent• Coloredpencilsormarkers• Accesstointernet,library,orotherresources

forinformation

ACTIVITY Beforebeginningthisactivity,createatwo-columntableontheboard.Labelthecolumns“people”and“cats.”

Step 1: Begintheactivitywithaclassdiscussionaboutwhatadaptationspeoplehaveforsurvival.Askstudents,“Whatadaptationsdoyouusetosurvive?”Asstudentsgiveanswers,listthemunderthe“people”columnontheboard.(Physical adaptations might be feet for walking, hands for holding or moving objects, and eyes for seeing. Behavioral adaptations might be learning to swim, climb a tree, or drive a car.)

Next,directthediscussiontofocusoncats.Showdigitalorprintedpicturesofthesnowleopard,

jaguar,lion,leopard,cheetah,tiger,serval,andmountainlion.Askstudentstonamethebodypartsthathelpcatssurviveinthewildandlistthemontheboardunderthe“cats”column.(Examples might be ears, tails, feet, legs, claws, nose, eyes, mouth, and fur.)Havestudentsexplainhowthecatwouldusethosebodypartstosurvive.(For example, the cat uses its ears for hearing prey, its tail for balance, and its claws for grabbing prey.)

Compareandcontrastthecatpicturesbyaskingstudents,“Whohasthelongesttail?Canyouguesswhy?Whohasthelongestlegs?Whohastheshortestears?Whatdothesephysicaladaptationstellyouabouttheirhabitats?”(For example, dense fur helps the snow leopard survive in the cold, snowy mountains; and long, sharp claws help jaguars climb trees in the rain forest.)

Step 2: DistributetheWanted: Wild Cat Adaptationsactivitysheet,onetoeachstudent,andhaveeachstudentchooseoneWildCatProfileCard.Leadstudentsthroughthequestionsonthesheet,andthenaskeachstudenttocreatea“Wanted”posterdescribinghisorhercat’shabitat,andthephysicalandbehavioraladaptationsforsurvivinginthathabitat.Studentsmayuseotherresourcesforinformation.

Step 3: Whenstudentsfinish,dividetheclassintogroupstosharetheir“Wanted”posters.Howwelldoesthecatfitintoitshabitat?

Step 4: Continuingtheclassdiscussion,askstudents,“Canonecatsurviveinanothercat’shabitat?Forexample,canasnowleopardliveinAfrica?Whyorwhynot?Ashabitatschange,howdoanimalsadapt?”

I wonder... What physical and behavioral

adaptations do prey animals have for avoiding a cat attack?

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, look for big cats like tigers, lions, leopards, and jaguars. How are they alike? How are they different?

Wanted: Wild Cat Adaptations


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WANTEDwild cat adaptations

Wanted: Wild Cat AdaptationsInstructions:Createawantedposterforawildcatwhoseadaptationshelpitsurviveinitshabitat.

activity

GRADE 3

Wanted (name of cat):

Country or continent:

Habitat description:

Physical adaptations for surviving in that habitat:

Behavioral adaptations for

surviving in that habitat:

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsreportanddescribehowscentisanimportantpartoftheirlives,justasscentisimportanttocats.NGSS performance expectation: 4-LS1-2

INTRODUCTION Olfaction,orthesenseofsmell,isimportanttomostanimals.Scentcancommunicatepersonalinformationsuchasage,gender,orreproductivestatus.Acathasscentglandsalongitscheeks,sidesofitsmouths,betweenitstoesandatthebaseofitstail,bothontopandbelow.Acatrubsitsscentonplants,rocks,trees,andthesoiltotellothercatsthatit’sbeenthere.Domesticcatsrubupagainsthumanstomarktheirterritory.Catsusetheirsenseofsmelltocommunicatewithothercats,morethanfortrackingandcatchingprey.AttheSanDiegoZooandSafariPark,weusescentassensoryenrichmentforourcats,bigandsmall.Keeperscanpresentthescentinmanyways,suchassprinklingscentonastructuretopromotescentmarking,ormakingscenttrailsforcatstofollow(withtheirnoses)tofindtheirfood.Someofourcats’favoritescentsincludemint,lavender,perfume,okapiurine,andwarthogfeces.

MATERIALS •Sixpaperbags• Sixsmallcontainersthatcanbesealed,such

asbottles,plasticeggs,filmcanisters,orplasticpillcontainers

• Sixcottonballs• Bakingextractoils,oneofeach:banana,

peppermint,vanilla,lemon,coconut,cinnamon• Copiesoftheactivitysheet,oneforeach

student• Pencils

ACTIVITY Beforebeginningthisactivity,createsixmysteryscentstations:applyafewdropsofbakingextractoiltocottonballs(oneextractpercottonball),andplaceeachcottonballinsideasealedcontainer.Finally,placeeachsealedcontainerintoapaperbagandnumberthepaperbags1to6.Arrangethestationsaroundtheclassroom.

Step 1: Beginthisactivitywithaclassdiscussionaboutoursenseofsmellandtheroleofscent.Askstudentsto,“Closeyoureyesandconcentrateonyoursenseofsmell.Whatcanyousmellnow?”Takestudentanswers,andthenask,“Whatisyourfavoritescent?Whatisyourleastfavoritescent?Why?Docertainscentsbringtomindthingsthathavehappenedtoyouinthepast?Howwouldscenthelpwildcats?Howdocatsandhumansusetheirsenseofsmellinthesameways?Howdotheyuseitdifferently?”

Step 2: Introducethesixmysteryscentstations.DividestudentsintosixgroupsanddistributetheMysteryScentactivitysheet.Studentsshouldspendaboutthreetofourminutesateachstation.Tellstudents,“Ateachstation,openthepaperbagandtakethelidoffthecontainer.Smellcarefully!Thenreplacethelidandputthecontainerbackinthebag.”Aftereachstudentsmellsthecontainer,theywillanswerthequestionsontheiractivitysheet.Emphasize to students: DO NOT share answers at this time.

Step 3: Asaclass,discussstudentresponsesateachstation.Couldtheyidentifyeachscent?Wasthescentfamiliarornew?Didthescentsremindthemofanotherplaceortime?Whatfeelings,ifany,didthescentbringtomind?

Step 4: Revealtheidentityofeachscent,anddistributethechartingandgraphingactivitysheet.Tellstudentstoreadthedirectionsandpresenttheirresponsesinagraph.

Step 5: Asafinalstep,consolidatedatafromthesixgroupsintoonegraph,torepresenttheclass.Weresomescentsmoredifficulttoidentify?Towhichscentdidthestudentshavethemostcommonreaction?

I wonder... What would it be like if you couldn’t smell?

Would you be able to survive? Would a wild cat be able to survive without a

sense of smell? How?

Mystery Scent

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, pay attention to what you can smell. Record your experience in a journal and share with your class.


Station #1 Mystery Scent

Can you identify this scent? If so, what is it?

What does it remind you of?

How does it make you feel?










Can you identify this scent?

If so, what is it?





If so, what is it?





If so, what is it?



Mystery ScentInstructions:Ateachstation,openthepaperbagandtakethelidoffthecontainer.Smellcarefully!Replacethelidandputthecontainerbackinthebag,thenanswerthequestionsforeachscent.

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activityGRADE 4

Instructions:Withinyourgroup,recordthenumberofstudentswhocorrectlyidentifiedeachscent.

mystery scent

banana peppermint vanilla

lemon

coconut cinnamon

Number of students who correctly identified scent

Number of students who correctly identified scent

banana peppermint vanilla lemon coconut cinnamon

10987654321

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Mystery Scent activityGRADE 4

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsexplainhowcatsreceiveinformationthroughtheirsenses.NGSS performance expectation: 4-LS1-2

INTRODUCTION Peoplehavefivesenses—vision,smell,touch,taste,andhearing—andsodoothermammals,likecats.However,catsensesareadaptedfortheirworld,notours.• Catscanhearhigherfrequencysoundsthan

peoplecan.Thehearingrangeofcatsisfrom48hertz(vibrationspersecond)upto85,000hertz.Thishelpsthemfindprey,likemicescurryingthroughgrassorbrush.

• Catnoseshaveabout200millionodor-sensitivecells;peoplehaveonly5millionodor-sensitivecells.Catsusescenttocommunicatewitheachotherandtofindprey.

• Catfaceshavewhiskers—longhairsthatareverysensitivetotouch.Theyevenhavewhiskersontheirfrontlegs,neartheirfeet.Thisextrasenseoftouchhelpscatshuntpreyatnightorindimlight.

• Catshaveexcellenteyesight.Theyhavewiderperipheral(side-to-side)visionandcanseebetterindimlight.Areflectivelayerofcellsbehindtheretinainthecat’seyereflectslighttoenhancevision.

• Peoplehaveabout9,000tastebuds,whilecatshaveonlyabout470.Catsneedtastebudstotellthemifafooditemisedibleornot.

MATERIALS •Fivepaperbags,eachlabeledwithasense• Fiveplaincrackers,likesaltines• Blankpaper,onepergroup• Fivestopwatchesortimers• Copiesoftheactivitysheet,oneperstudent• Pencil,onepergroup• Blindfold,onepergroup• Whiteboardorotherlargewritingsurface• Boardmarkers

ACTIVITY Topreparefortheactivity,labeleachpaperbagwithasense(touch,taste,sight,hearing,andsmell)andplaceonecrackerinsideeachbag.

Step 1: Askstudentstonametheirfivesenses.Afteridentifyingsight,taste,hearing,smell,andtouch,askstudentstovoteonwhichsensetheythinktheyrelyonthemost.Rankthesensesaccordingtostudentvotes.

Step 2: Dividestudentsintofivegroupsandaskeachgrouptoselecta“sensor,”adatarecorder,andatimer.Distributetheblankpaper,stopwatchortimer,andapenciltoeachgroup’sdatarecorder.Tellstudentsthateachgroupwillreceiveonepaperbagwithamysteryobjectinside.Writtenonthepaperbagwillbeasense—sight,smell,taste,touch,orhearing.The“sensor”ofeachgroupcanuseONLYthatonesensetoidentifytheobjectinthebag.Otherstudentsinthegroupwillmonitorthe“sensor”tomakesurethatheorshedoesn’tuseanyoftheotherfoursenses.

Askthegrouptodiscussthislimitationandtomakeaccommodations.Forexample,ifthe“sensor”mustuseonlythesenseoftouch,heorshecan’tseeit,smellit,hearit,ortasteit.Ifthe“sensor”hasthesenseoftaste,heorshecan’tseeit,hearit,touchit,orsmellit.

I wonder... How do animals and people cope when they

lose one of their senses? For example, how do they cope with eye or ear injuries, or

diseases that cause nerve damage and loss of the sense of touch?

GRADE 4

At the Zoo or ParkWhile at the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park, go to an exhibit to watch a cat. How does it use its senses? Does it sniff the air or the ground? Does it see or hear you?

Five SensesRoundup


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Thedatarecorderofthegroupwritesobservationsandrecordsanycomments.Thetimerstartsthestopwatchandstopsitwhenthe“sensor”whispershisorheranswertothedatarecorder.

Whenready,askstudentgroupstobegin.Remindthe“sensor”towhisperhisorheranswertothedatarecorder,sothatothersintheclassdon’thearit.

Step 3: Asaclass,askeachdatarecordertopresenthisorherobservations,andthetimeittooktoidentifytheobject.Recordandcomparetherecognitiontimesamongthegroups.Whichsenserecognizedthecrackerintheleastamountoftime?Howdothe

findingscomparewithhowtheclassrankedthedifferentsensesintheinitialdiscussion?

Step 4: DistributetheFive Senses Roundupactivitysheetandadditionalpencils.Instructstudentstoidentifythebodypartsthatcatsusetogatherinformationthroughtheirsenses.Tellstudentstonoteanypartsthataredifferentfromthoseofhumans,suchaswhiskersorlargerears.

Step 5: Concludethisactivitybycomparinghumansensestocatsenses.CreateaT-chartontheboard.Ask“Whatcatsensesaremoresensitivethanours?”(Sight, hearing, touch, and smell.)Discusswhycatsmightneedthesesenses.

continued

Five Senses RoundupInstructions:Identifyandlabelhowthetigersensesitsenvironment.Writeanexplanationnexttothebodypart.

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activityGRADE 4

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LEARNING OUTCOME StudentscreatefoodpyramidswithfivetrophiclevelsforcatslivinginAfrica,Asia,andNorthAmerica.NGSS performance expectation: 5-LS2-1

INTRODUCTION Whenscientistsstudyaparticularecosystem,theyoftenwanttoidentifytheinteractionsbetweenplantsandanimalsanddeterminetheenergyflowwithinthesystem.Afood pyramid,orenergypyramid,graphicallyrepresentsthefeeding(trophic)levelswiththeplant/animalinteractions.

Afoodpyramidtypicallyhasawidebaserepresentingproducers:livingorganismsthatcreatetheirownfoodorenergy.Onland,plantsfillthislevel.Throughtheprocessofphotosynthesis,plantsusethesun’senergytoproducefood.Thenextfeedinglevelisoftenheldbyanimalsthateatplants:herbivores.Successivelevelsrepresentadditionallinksinthefoodchain,suchasprimary and secondary carnivores;animalsthateatotheranimals.Atthe“top”ofthepyramidisacarnivorethateatsotheranimals,butisn’tprey.Thisanimaliscalledanapex predator.Inaddition,decomposersdegradeorganicmatterandreturnthenutrientstothefoodweb,chain,orpyramid.

MATERIALS •Copiesoffoodpyramid,oneforeachstudent• CopiesofWildCatProfileCardsonpages4

to7,onecardforeachstudent(duplicate as needed to accommodate class size)

• Accesstointernet,library,orotherresourcesforinformation

ACTIVITY Step 1: Beginthelessonwithadiscussionaboutfoodchains,foodwebs,andfoodpyramids,toassesspriorknowledge.Askstudentsleadingquestions,suchas,“Cananyonetellmeaboutfoodchains?Whocanexplainafoodchainandgivemeanexample?Whatarefoodwebs?Whatdoesafoodpyramidshow?”

Step 2: Dividestudentsintoteams,andgivestudentsacatcardandafoodpyramidactivitysheet.Tellstudentstolabelthefirstlevel“producer”andthetoplevel“apexpredator,”andtoinclude“decomposers”asatrophiclevel.Allowtimeforstudentstoresearchtheircatandcompletetheirfoodpyramid.

Step 3: Askstudentteamstoshowtheirpyramidsandpresenttheirfindings.Askstudentstoexplainthefactstheyfound.Groupcompletedfoodpyramidsbycatspeciesandgeographiclocation(Africa,Asia,andNorthAmerica),and,asaclass,analyzethemforsimilaritiesanddifferences.

Step 4: Tellstudentstoaddanotherapexpredator:humans.Invitethestudentstodiscussthisadditionamongtheirteammembers.Doesthischangetheirfoodpyramid?Ifso,atwhattrophiclevel?(Humans make an impact on all trophic levels.)

Step 5: Askstudentteamstocreatealistofplantsandanimalsthatformafoodchain—eitheranexamplefromtheirfoodpyramidoranewone.Onebyone,askeachteamtowritetheirlist(notinthecorrectorder)ontheboard.Studentsintheotherteamswillthencompetetoverballybuildafoodpyramid(byidentifyingplant,animal,andtrophiclevel)whileaddingtheenergysource(sunforphotosynthesis)andthedecomposers(nutrient-recyclingcomponent).Keepscore,andawardthehighestscoringteamthehonorof“apexpredator.”

I wonder... How can different animals fill the

same trophic level in a food pyramid? Can I represent energy

flow in a food web?

At the Zoo or ParkLook for the top cat predators, such as lions and tigers.

CallingAll Cats


Calling All CatsInstructions:Researchyourcatspeciestoanswerthesequestions:• Whatdoesyourcateat?• Doesanotheranimaleatyourcat?

Identifyyourtrophiclevels,andthencompleteyourfoodpyramidwiththecorrectplantsandanimals.

My food pyramid is

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activityGRADE 5

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LEARNING OUTCOME Studentsdefineandexplaintheroleofapexpredators.NGSS performance expectation: 5-LS2-1

INTRODUCTION Anapexpredator—ananimalwithinafoodchainthatpreysonotheranimalsbuthasnopredatoritself—playsavitalroleinthehealthofanecosystem.Whenanapexpredatordisappears,itspreypopulationsincrease,overhuntingorovergrazingtheanimalsorplantstheyconsume.Thiscanleadtolossofdiversityandeventhedisappearanceofotherplantsoranimals.Thechangesthatresultinfoodchainscausedbyaddingorremovingapexpredatorsproduceswhatscientistscalla“trophiccascade.”

MATERIALS •Exampleofafoodpyramid• Copiesoftheactivitysheet,oneperstudent• Pencils• Accesstointernet,library,orotherresources

forinformation

ACTIVITY Step 1: Beginbybuildingonthepreviousactivitywithstudentteamsthathavecreatedafoodchain,orstartwithanewexampleofafoodpyramid.Reviewthetermsproducer,consumer,decomposer,herbivore,carnivore,anddetritivorewithinthecontextofthesamplefoodpyramid.

Step 2: Dividestudentsintopairsorsmallgroups,andtellstudentsthisactivityfocusesontheapexpredatoranditsroleinafoodpyramid.DistributetheTop Catactivitysheetandallowtimeforstudentstoresearchtheircats.

Invitestudentstolocatethecat’sroleineachecosystem’sfoodpyramid.Iseverycatanapexpredatorineachfoodpyramid?Ifnot,whynot?Tellstudentstorecordtheiropinionsontheactivitysheet.

Step 3: Asaclass,revieweachteam’sopinionaboutacat’sroleasapexpredator.Ontheboard,recordopinions(yes/no)foreachcatandselectanappropriategraphformat(pie,bar,orline)torepresentthedata.Didsomecatsprovemoredifficulttoidentifyasapexpredators?

Step 4: Tellstudentsthatapexpredatorsplayacriticalroleinthefoodpyramid.Thesepredatorsexerta“top-down”forceontheanimalsandplantsbelowthem.Whatmighthappenifcatpopulationsdeclineorthecatdisappearsfromanareaalltogether?Invitestudentstodiscussthiswithintheirgroup,andwriteopinionsontheactivitysheetforeachcat.

Then,asaclass,discusstheoutcomesofthefoodpyramid,onecatatatime.Didallstudentspredictthesameoutcome?Whatwerethevariations?Doyouthinkthatscientistsareabletopredictthis?

Step 5: Writethefollowingwordsontheboard:Producers—grassesandflowers;Consumers(herbivores)—marmot,pika,bharal(bluesheep),sika(deer),ibex;Consumers(carnivores)—tiger,graywolf,anddhole(wilddog).Tellstudentsthesearepartsofanecosystemforthesnowleopard.Askstudentstoconstructafoodchainandafoodpyramidforthesnowleopardwithappropriatetrophiclevelsandlabels.Reviewresultsasaclass.

I wonder... Why are apex predators less likely to survive? Why do they often disappear

first from a food chain?

Top Cat

At the Zoo or ParkLook for apex predators.


Top CatInstructions:Findinformationabouteachcat,andanswerthequestions.

JAGUAR

LION

CHEETAH

SERVAL

SNOW LEOPARD

SUMATRANTIGER

PREY:

PREDATOR:

IS THIS CAT AN APEX PREDATOR? CIRCLE YOUR ANSWER: YES/NO

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THIS CAT DISAPPEARED?

PREY:

PREDATOR:



PREY:

PREDATOR:



PREY:

PREDATOR:



PREY:

PREDATOR:



PREY:

PREDATOR:



capybara, marsh deer, giant anteater, red brocket deer, turtles, fishes, birds, and alligator

none

Prey numbers would increase.

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activityGRADE 5

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TolearnmoreaboutcatsattheSanDiegoZoozoo.sandiegozoo.org/animalsielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/index

TolearnmoreaboutcatsattheSanDiegoZooSafariParksdzsafaripark.org/park-animals-plants

Tolearnmoreaboutresearchandconservationwww.endextinction.org

TohavefunexploringtheSanDiegoZooKids’websitekids.sandiegozoo.org

Likethisactivityguide?Gotosandiegozoo.org/tearchersurvey foraquick,onlinefeedbackform.Weappreciateyourcomments.

Online Resources

STANDARDS•LS1:FromMoleculestoOrganisms:StructuresandProcesses•LS2:Ecosystems:Interactions,Energy,andDynamics•LS3:Heredity:InheritanceandVariationofTraits•LS4:BiologicalEvolution:UnityandDiversity

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONSKindergarten: K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

The materials and activities presented in this guide are just one step toward reaching the standards and performance expectations listed below.

Connection to the Next Generation Science Standards

Dimension Name or NGSS citation Student tasks in activity

Science and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and interpreting dataStudents identify and match survival items (food, water, shelter) to humans and animals.

Disciplinary Core IdeasLS1.C Organization for matter and energy flow in organisms

Students draw what animals need to survive.

Cross-cutting Concepts PatternsStudents notice similar needs (food, water, shelter) in different forms.

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Grade 1:1-LS3-1: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are alike, but not exactly like, their parents.



Constructing explanations and designing solutions

Students review photos to explain and match different breeds of young and parent pet cats.

Disciplinary Core Ideas LS3.A Inheritance of traits Students identify and match wild young cats to parents.

Cross-cutting ConceptsPatterns Students identify similarities and

differences in cat appearances.


None None

Students compare survival needs and strategies for different cats in different habitats.

Grade 3: 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.


Analyzing and interpreting data Students examine a variety of habitats to analyze resources available for survival.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Cross-cutting Concepts Cause and effect



Grade 2:2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Planning and carryingStudents explore different places (habitats) where cats out investigations live, then create criteria to place cats in their correct home.

Disciplinary Core Ideas LS4.D Biodiversity and humans Students create different places (habitats) for different cats.

Cross-cutting Concepts None None

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Grade 5: 5-LS2-1: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.


Science and Engineering Practices Developing and using models

Students explore food webs and pyramid, and then build their own.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Cross-cutting Concepts Systems and system models

LS2.A Interdependent relationships

Students identify the role wild cats have within an ecosystem’s food web, and how, when a cat disappears, the ecosystem relationships change.

Students learn trophic levels within food pyramids.



Students explore how cats use their senses to explore their environment.

Grade 4:4-LS1-2: Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Engaging in argument from evidence

Students gather data and argue identity of mystery scents.

Disciplinary Core Ideas LS1,D Information processingStudents experience identifying different scents.

Cross-cutting Concepts Systems and system models

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adaptation.Aphysicalcharacteristicorbehavior

thathelpsaplantoranimalsurviveinitshabitat.

apex predator.Anadultanimalthatconsumes

otheranimals(prey),butisnotpreyedupon.

body part. Anypartorpieceofanorganismsuch

asalimb,atail,feathers,horns,orfur.

camouflage. Protectivecoloringthatanimalsuse

toblendintotheirenvironmentinordertoavoid

beingseenbypredatorsorprey.

carnivore.Ananimalorplantthateatsother

animals.

competition. Theprocessoftryingtoget

resources,beforeothersdo.

consumer.Alivingorganismthatmusteatin

ordertosurvive.Someconsumerseatplantmatter

(herbivores),someeatotheranimals(carnivores),

andotherseatavarietyoffoods(omnivores).

decomposer. Anorganismthatrecyclesdead

organicmatterintousefulnutrientswithinafood

pyramid.Bacteriaandfungiaredecomposers.

detritivore. Ananimalthateatsanimalwasteor

decayingplantsandanimals.

endangered.Populationssolowthattheyare

movingtowardbecomingextinct.

extinct. Aspeciesofanimalorplantthatonce

lived.

felidae. Inscientificclassification,thefamilyof

cats,orfelids.

food. Nutrientsnecessaryforenergyandhealth.

food pyramid. Agraphicrepresentationthat

illustratesthereductionofenergybetweenthe

trophiclevelsofaspecificecosystem.Thismodelis

alsocalledatrophicpyramidoranenergypyramid.

habitat. Theplacewhereananimallives.

herbivore. Ananimalthateatsplants.

predator. Ananimalthathuntsandeatsother

animals.

prey. Ananimalthatiskilledandeatenbyanother

animal(predator)forfood.

olfaction. Thesenseofsmell.

omnivore. Ananimalthateatsbothplantsand

otheranimals.

photosynthesis. Aprocessbywhichgreen

plantsandotherorganismsturncarbondioxide

andwaterintocarbohydratesandoxygen.

plant. Organismthatmakesitsownfoodby

photosynthesis.

producer. Organismthatmakesitsownfood.

Plantsandsomebacteriaarecapableofself-

nourishment.

scavenger. Ananimalthateatsdeadplantsor

animals.

senses. Wayswereceiveinformation:sight,

hearing,smell,taste,andtouch.

shelter. Aplacetosleep,rest,orlivethatprovides

protectionfrompredatorsandweather.

space.Anareaencompassinglandthatallowsfor

lifeactivitieslikeeating,sleeping,foodgathering,

andfindingamate(maybeafewfeetormany

squaremiles,dependingonthespecies).

species. Agroupofanimalsthatsharecommon

characteristicsandmatetoproducefertileyoung.

survival. Usingadaptationstocontinuetolive.

trophic level. Withinthecontextofafood

pyramid,thegraphicrepresentationoftherole

eachplantoranimalplayswithinafoodchain.

Trophiclevelsincludeproducers,consumers,and

decomposers.

Glossary

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