Virtual Tracking

• Prep

  • Go through full lesson plan for the outdoor lesson

  • Watch all videos below and choose which you want to use

• Goals/Objectives:

  • Continue using the science practices of making observations (I notice), asking questions (I wonder), making connections to what they already know or have experienced (it reminds me of)

  • Work on coming up with possible explanations from evidence (I think maybe).

  • Making arguments from evidence (explaining their thinking to others)

• Intro

  • Check-in (optional - fun check-in to see how they are feeling)

  • Set Expectations for behavior

    • Remind students of any hand signals you have introduced, how you want them to answer questions, muting/unmuting, etc.

  • Share Agenda - we'll read a story, play a game, read another story... etc. Also share about how long it will take.

  • Review previous lesson:

    • Ask students to share what they did for their magic spots

    • Share journals

5E outline (Learning Cycle names in parentheses)

1. Engage (Invite)

   1. Step Into the Circle if...

   2. Read / Show Video of Tracking Story

   3. Share personal stories - what animal tracks have students seen?

   4. What can we learn from animal tracks?

2. Explore

   1. Play Track Match Game - share Google Slide deck with students and have them each try one, OR do it all together with a few of the frames. Students can do more than one if there are extras, or you can share a new copy of the slide deck and have them pick another frame for a second round.

   2. Students could also do the track quiz if they finish early here: https://boyslife.org/quizzes/6662/animal-track-identification-quiz/

3. Explain (Concept Formation)

   1. Discussion - how could you tell which animal went with which tracks? What clues did you use to solve the mystery? What was your evidence? (measurement - size of prints, shape, # toes, etc)

4. Elaborate (Apply)

   1. This is part of the outdoor homework - set up a track station at home (smooth area of soft soil, mud, or sprinkle flour over hard soil (with permission!) large enough area to have room for tracks on all sides if you put bait in the middle (cat food, a bit of some smelly food like tuna, or even the water or oil from the tuna can)

   2. Encourage students to think of ways they could find animal sign, or make some sort of "trap" that will show tracks for them to see who has been around.

   3. Videos for this are on the outdoor homework page linked at the bottom of this page - be sure teacher has link to assign to students in Google Classroom, or send them another way.

5. Evaluate (Reflect)

   1. What can we learn about animals by looking for their signs? (which ones are here, what they are doing, etc)

   2. Magic Spot in outdoor homework.

Directions:

1. Claim a frame by writing your name on the post-it note that says "Name" on it (replace "Name" with yours!)

2. Observe your animal and look at all the different tracks on the page. What do you notice? What do you *wonder? What does your animal or the tracks remind you of? Which tracks might possibly belong to your animal? You can even use different colors of ink and circle more than one to show first, second, and third choices (suggest green, yellow, red?)

3. *Ask if you have a question about your animal or the tracks - they don't all show size, and you may not know how big the animal is, either.

4. Drag the red circle from the animal to the tracks that you think your animal might make. Remember to look at details like size, shape, number of toes, etc.

5. Think about WHY you picked your tracks - what evidence did you see that made you think it might be that one?

6. Record your thinking and evidence (to share in discussion) You can write in your journal (or on scratch paper).