The Return of Gray to Yellowstone National Park: Right or Wrong?

Introduction: Students will use the internet to explore National Science relationships between habitats and species (specifically, the gray Content Standards: and other species at Yellowstone National Park). Additionally, students will explore the effect of physical and human actions on Science as Inquiry living things and their environment. This lesson is a modification of a • Abilities necessary lesson from Science NetLinks. This activity would work best if to do scientific completed before playing WolfQuest. inquiry • Understandings about scientific Objectives: inquiry After this activity, the student will: 1. Explain the relationships between species that live in Life Science Yellowstone National Park. • Populations and 2. Identify conflicts that arise between humans and wolves living ecosystems in the same environment. • Diversity and 3. Use inquiry skills to draw their own conclusions regarding the adaptations of controversy of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone organisms National Park.

Vocabulary: Predator Prey Ecosystem

Competitors Procedure: Natural forces Teacher Prep: Human forces 9 Preview websites used in this lesson. Environmental 9 Make copies of the student worksheet if you intend to use it. interests 9 Read the article “Are Wolves Endangered” for background Commercial interests information.

Materials: Introduction: • Computers for 1. Students begin by learning about the twelve species of animals on internet research the Yellowstone’s species page. • One worksheet per 2. Divide the class into groups and assign each group one of the student animals. Students should make a poster listing the needs of the • Students will need animal (food, space, water, air, shelter). a notebook and 3. Have each group share their poster. Use the posters to compare pencil for note the animals’ needs. What do they have in common? How might taking they compete with each other for the necessary resources?

Links: Procedure (continued):

Yellowstone Wolves Learning about wolves: lesson from Science 1. Students will use the “All About Wolves” by National Geographic

NetLinks: for this investigation. http://www.sciencenetl 2. Read the introduction on the website: “A wolf’s community—its inks.com/lessons.cfm? pack, its prey, and its competitors—is dynamic and delicate. The

BenchmarkID=5&DocI survival of these controversial predators hinges on both natural

D=78 and human forces.”

3. Ask the students to keep these words in mind as they read about

Yellowstone’s species: wolves. They should take notes when they find evidence of http://www.yellowston natural forces and human forces affecting a wolf’s survival. e.net/wildlife/ 4. After students have conducted their investigation on wolves use

the following discussion questions:

All About Wolves: a. Describe the relationship between , , and cattle http://www.nationalge to wolves. ographic.com/resourc b. For the animals listed above, compare how each relies on es/ngo/education/geo human protection. guide/wolves/

Conflicts and Solutions:

Conflict Yellowstone 1. Using their notes from the previous investigation, ask students

Wolves: to make a T-chart listing possible conflicts if humans and

1. wolves were to share the same environment. Have students list http://www.powayscho possible solutions as well. ols.com/projects/mt&r/

Krause.htm Possible Conflicts Possible Solutions

2. http://www.pbs.org/wg bh/nova/wolves/bangs

.html

3. http://www.timeforkids. 2. After each student has completed their T-chart, divide the class com/TFK/teachers/wr/ into groups. Each group should then explore the websites article/0,27972,93424, listed under Conflict Yellowstone Wolves. The question

00.html students are trying to answer is this: Should the wolves in

4. Yellowstone National Park be removed? http://www.actionbiosc ience.org/biodiversity/j Assessment Options: ohnson.html Following the Conflicts and Solutions activity ask students to take a

5. stand on the issue. http://www.wolf.org/wo A. Students write a one page essay, make a poster or make a lves/learn/wow/region PowerPoint presentation stating their position (Environmental s/United_States_Subp interests vs. commercial interests). Their position must be ages/AttitudesandIssu supported using facts from their research. Students will be es1.asp evaluated on how well they support their position – NOT on

which position they choose.

B. Students could be placed in groups based on their chosen

position. Each group could then prepare for a debate to take

place in class.

Yellowstone Wolves Name______

Animal Food Space Water Air Shelter

Grizzly Bear

Black Bear

Elk

Moose

Bison

Wolf

Coyote

Pronghorn

Deer

Eagle

Trumpeter Swan

Bighorn Sheep