Task 2D: Competency Assessment 

Competency Assessment: Analyzing Population Growth and Predator-Prey Relationships 

Competencies Assessed: 

• SCI.2.1 - SCI.2.2

You will be able to revise this assessment as many times as you need to reach a level 9. 

Before you start the assignment, read this article about wolves in Yellowstone to get the background knowledge you need. 

First: Graph the data

Your graph will look weird because the wolf population numbers are much smaller. 

To fix this, you will need to establish different axes for the populations. 

• go to chart editor

• customize

• series 

• select one set of data (not apply to all series) 

• apply right axis to one data set

• apply left axis to the other 

Second: Calculate the average of both populations

Third: Put your graph and averages into a Google Doc and answer these conclusion questions: 

1. What does the data show you? 

2. Do you see any patterns? (Do they increase together? Decrease together? One increases, and one decreases?) 

3. Are there any outliers? (Are there any years that seem to be out of place based on the years before and after it? What can you assume about those years?)

4. How are the wolf and elk populations interacting with each other? (Is one causing the other to change? Or do they seem to change together because of some other cause?)

5. What claims can you make from this graph about the populations? 

6. Do your claims match what you read in the article? Why or why not?