Student Material

Tracking

Animals are sometimes hard to see, but with observation skills we can use evidence to figure out where they‘ve been and what they’ve been doing. Students love to look for evidence of animals, and teaching them basic tracking skills can open up a world of intrigue and mystery. In this Focused Exploration activity, students use observation skills to notice evidence of animals living in the area. With a few basic tracking tools, students look for animal signs, and follow animal paths to new discoveries. Students also engage in key science practices as they share explanations for the animal signs they find, compare and evaluate explanations based on the strength of evidence, and take part in scientific argumentation.

Students will:
– Use evidence to make explanations about animals in the area.
– Critique and compare explanations through scientific argumentation.
– Learn and apply basic tracking skills.