Why study animal behavior?

• Understanding the functional integration of organisms

• Understanding the evolution

• Behavior is interesting in and of itself

• General principles of function, mechanisms and control

• Practical advantages for hunting and domestication

• Pest control, livestock farming

• Foundations for sound species conservation

Using ChatGPT to find local Colorado Phenomena

Use the following prompt, adjust accordingly. "I am a high school science teacher looking for a local Colorado phenomena to address NGSS standard (enter standard you are looking for... example HS-LS1-6)"

Career Connections

Connecting what students are learning to careers not only deepens their engagement in school but also helps them make more informed choices about their future. Browse the following related career profiles to discover what scientists really do on the job and what it takes to prepare for these careers. For additional profiles visit your Year at a Glance Page.

Local Colorado Phenomena Connections

Here are several local Colorado phenomena that can help address the concept of energy in your high school physics class:

American Pikas: Climate Change Sentinels and Behavioral Adaptations

• Phenomenon: American pikas, small lagomorphs resembling hamsters, live in high-altitude rocky areas (talus slopes). They are highly sensitive to heat and are considered an "early warning system" for climate change. Their behavioral adaptations to warming temperatures are a fascinating study.

• Behavioral Biology:

  • Hay-piling: Pikas collect and dry vast amounts of vegetation ("haypiles") during the summer to sustain them through the winter, as they do not hibernate. This involves complex foraging and caching behaviors.

  • Thermoregulation: On hot days, pikas retreat into the cool depths of the talus. They can also adjust their posture, curling up to conserve heat or stretching out to cool down.

  • Vocalizations: Pikas use a variety of calls and songs for warning against predators, defending territories, and during mating season.

  • Territoriality: While living in colonies, individual pikas maintain and defend distinct territories within the talus.

Evolution and Life Histories:

• Climate Change Impact: As temperatures rise, pikas are forced to spend more time in their cool retreats, reducing their foraging time. This can impact their ability to build sufficient haypiles and reproduce successfully.

• Range Shifts: Some pika populations are moving to higher elevations in search of cooler habitats. However, there's a limit to how high they can go.

• Local Adaptation: Some populations have shown remarkable behavioral plasticity, adapting to unusually warm, low-elevation environments (e.g., Columbia River Gorge) by foraging in shadier areas or consuming different diets (e.g., moss). This highlights how different populations within a species can evolve distinct life history strategies.

• Predator Avoidance: Their alarm calls and use of talus for cover are key anti-predator adaptations.

Elk Migration and Rutting Behavior: Energetics, Social Dynamics, and Human Impact

• Phenomenon: Colorado is home to significant elk populations, and their annual migrations between high-elevation summer ranges and lower-elevation wintering grounds are iconic. Their rutting (mating) season in the fall is a dramatic display of male-male competition and courtship.

• Behavioral Biology:

  • Migration: Elk undertake seasonal movements driven by food availability and snow depth. This involves inherited knowledge and learned routes.

  • Rutting Behavior: During the fall rut, bull elk engage in bugling (vocalizations), sparring, and fierce antler-clashing to establish dominance and secure breeding rights with cows (females). This is a prime example of sexual selection.

  • Social Structure: Elk herds exhibit complex social structures, with cows and calves often forming distinct groups from bachelor bull herds for most of the year.

  • Anti-Predator Strategies: Calves are born in secluded areas and remain still to avoid detection by predators. Adult elk use vigilance and group defense.

Evolution and Life Histories:

• Energetic Costs of Migration and Rut: Both migration and rutting are energetically demanding. Students can analyze the trade-offs involved (e.g., energy expenditure vs. reproductive success).

• Sexual Selection: The elaborate antlers and intense competition during the rut are prime examples of intersexual (female choice, often indirect through male dominance) and intrasexual (male-male competition) selection.

• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Human development (roads, housing, recreation) can fragment traditional migration corridors, forcing elk to alter their behavior and impacting their survival and reproductive success. This offers a chance to discuss human impact on evolution and life histories.

• Predator-Prey Dynamics: The return of wolves to Colorado and their potential impact on elk behavior (e.g., vigilance, herd structure) can be a fascinating discussion point.

Prairie Dog Sociality and Ecosystem Engineering

• Phenomenon: Black-tailed prairie dogs are highly social rodents that live in extensive underground "towns" across the eastern plains of Colorado. Their complex social structure and their role as "ecosystem engineers" provide a rich context for study.

• Behavioral Biology:

  • Coteries: Prairie dogs live in family groups called "coteries," typically consisting of one adult male, several adult females, and their young.

  • Alarm Calls: They possess a highly sophisticated system of alarm calls, with different calls signaling different types of predators (e.g., aerial vs. terrestrial).

  • Allogrooming and "Kissing": Social grooming and nose-to-nose contact ("kissing") are important for maintaining social bonds within coteries and identifying group members.

  • Burrow System: Their elaborate burrows provide shelter from predators and extreme weather, and include specialized chambers for sleeping, rearing young, and waste.

Evolution and Life Histories:

• Kin Selection and Altruism: Alarm calls, while beneficial to the group, put the caller at risk. This is a classic example to discuss kin selection and the evolution of altruism.

• Predator Pressure and Behavioral Adaptations: The constant threat of predators (coyotes, badgers, raptors, black-footed ferrets) has driven the evolution of their vigilance and communication systems.

• Keystone Species: Prairie dogs are considered a keystone species because their burrowing activities and grazing significantly modify the grassland ecosystem, creating habitat for numerous other species (e.g., burrowing owls, black-footed ferrets, various insects). Their decline due to human activities and disease (plague) has ripple effects throughout the ecosystem.

• Reproductive Strategies: Students can explore how their colonial living might influence reproductive success and parental care.

Bighorn Sheep Rut: Dominance, Display, and Reproduction

• Phenomenon: The annual rut of Colorado's Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, typically in late fall, is a spectacular display of male-male competition, featuring head-butting contests that determine breeding rights.

• Behavioral Biology:

  • Head-butting: Rams engage in powerful head-butting clashes, using their massive horns, to establish a dominance hierarchy. The dominant rams gain access to ewes (females).

  • Vocalizations and Displays: Rams also use snorting, grunting, and other displays to intimidate rivals and attract ewes.

  • Harems: Dominant rams will attempt to maintain a "harem" of ewes for mating.

  • Sexual Segregation: For much of the year, rams and ewes live in separate groups, coming together primarily for the rut.

Evolution and Life Histories:

• Sexual Selection: The elaborate horns and aggressive rutting behavior are strong examples of sexual selection, where traits that enhance mating success are favored. Discuss how these traits might have evolved and their costs (e.g., energy expenditure, risk of injury).

• Life History Trade-offs: The intense competition during the rut can be energetically costly and lead to injuries, potentially impacting a ram's lifespan. This highlights life history trade-offs between current reproductive effort and future survival.

• Timing of Births: The rut is timed so that lambs are born in the spring, when forage is abundant and temperatures are milder, maximizing their survival chances.

• Physiological Adaptations: The unique bone structure of bighorn sheep skulls and horns allows them to withstand the impact of head-butting.

Using SchoolAI, Gemini, ChatGPT to find local Colorado Phenomena or Career Connections

Use the following prompt, adjust accordingly. "I am a middle school science teacher looking for a local Colorado phenomena to address NGSS standard (enter standard you are looking for... example MS-PS1-4)"

Using SchoolAI

1) Navigate to Assistants 

2) Select Curriculum Coach

3) Use the prompt above

Career Connections

Connecting what students are learning to careers not only deepens their engagement in school but also helps them make more informed choices about their future. Browse the following related career profiles to discover what scientists really do on the job and what it takes to prepare for these careers. For additional profiles visit your Year at a Glance Page.

Here are several Colorado-based career connections in the field of energy that could be valuable for your high school physics students:

Zoos & Aquariums

• Denver Zoo: Offers internships, youth volunteer programs, and career days for students.

• Downtown Aquarium, Denver: Provides educational programs and behind-the-scenes tours.

Veterinary & Animal Health

• Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Hosts summer programs and open houses for high school students interested in veterinary careers.

• Colorado Veterinary Medical Association: Connects students to shadowing and mentorship opportunities.

Wildlife & Conservation

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Offers volunteer and seasonal employment for youth interested in wildlife management and conservation.

• Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (Fort Collins): Provides internships and volunteer roles for students interested in avian biology.

Research & Biotechnology

• Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Denver): Has summer research opportunities and career exploration programs in life sciences.

• Bioscience Association of Colorado: Connects students with local biotech companies for internships and tours.

Museums & Education

• Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Features teen science scholars and volunteer opportunities.

• The Importance of creating Active Learners

• Identifying & Interpreting Science Data

Ocean First Education - Online Courses

• Marine Science 101

• Short Courses

St Vrain Science Center

• All Science to Go Kits & Models

• How to Check out Science Kits

Open Education Resources 

• Animal Behavior Open Resource Teaching Materials

• Animal Behavior Open Resource Video Collection

• MIT Animal Behavior Resources

Simulations

GIZMOS

Gizmos in Science

• Animal Life Cycles

Nearpod Lessons / Activities / Videos

• Animal Life Cycles

LabXchange Lessons / Activities / Videos

• Animal Life Cycles