This project originally began as a gray wolf research project. It has since expanded to include other mammals and birds. The curriculum you will find here is written using the gray wolf as a specific reference, however, we believe the curriculum can easily be adapted to meet individual needs as they pertain to various research projects. Many animal research projects today include some form of tracking (either track pads, visual, auditory, telemetry or all of these), mapping of the animal's travels, and the general ecology of the animal. Many animals are also under some type of management program in order to insure a balance in the ecosystem.

The Standard of Inquiry for the Minnesota Profile of Learning is completely accomplished with this curriculum and is outlined in this package. However, there are many partial life science and environmental standards which can be fulfilled with this curriculum as well as standards in other disciplines.

The curriculum presented here is intended to give students a general background in basic ecological concepts, skills in decision making and wildlife management, and a very specific background in techniques used in wildlife research.

Eyes on Wildlife Curriculum Syllabus

The Standard of Inquiry, is comprised of three parts: Controlled Experiments, Accessing Information, and Direct Observation.

I. Controlled Experiments - Mammal Survey

Pre-teaching:
1. Steps in the Scientific Method: making observations, collecting information, forming a hypothesis, collecting data (includes designing an experiment, identifying controls and variables in the experiment, and making measurements), analyzing data, drawing conclusions and identifying areas for further research.
2. Basic Ecology
a) Ecological relationships
1. food chains, food webs
2. habitat, niche
3. predator-prey, competition
4. food pyramid - herbivores, omnivores, carnivores
5. populations, communities, ecosystems
b) Animal adaptations
1. physical - fur, skin, sensory, visual, camouflage, mimicry, foot form, teeth, body shape, etc.
2. behavioral - territorial, social, cyclic
3. Field data collection techniques: (optional - can be part of pre-teaching, or can be done while students are doing their mammal research)
a) Tracking
1. How to use a tracking key
2. How to make a track pad and plaster cast
3. Observing tracks and gait analysis in the field
4. Other field observations of animal signs - scat, browse, etc.
5. Interpreting tracks - building a story of the animal's travels
b) Hair analysis
1. Making a slide of mammal hair, view under microscope and identify using charts.
c) Diet analysis
1. Owl pellet dissection
2. Assembling a skeleton from pellet bones
           3. Owl food web
4. Graphing results - pie and bar graphs
5. Interpreting data
d) Tooth analysis
1. looking at slides of deer teeth and aging the samples

Track Pad Research Project *
a) Students need to make initial observations around their research site and decide on possible animals to be researched
b) Students need to get background information on the animal(s) they may possibly research - information can be gathered in the library and on Internet. This information along with their visual observations made at the site will help to determine if their research question is feasible.
c) Students need to formulate a research question based on their initial observations and initial background information
d) Students need to fill out a Habitat Analysis Form and a Physical Adaptations Form for the animals(s) they will be researching. The purpose of these forms is to provide information on the general ecology of the animal being studied in order to facilitate the logic and design of the experiment and the analysis of the data.
e) Students will design an experiment to be carried out at the research site - the experiment must include a series of track pads, a map of the area noting where track pads will be placed, controls and variables in the experiment and a logic for the number and placement of the track pads.
f) Students need to collect data at the research site and fill in Field Observation Forms for each track pad.
g) After the data is collected, students need to display and analyze the data. Graphs, charts, observation forms, plaster casts and other visual representations (browse samples, hair, scat drawings, etc) of data can be gathered together in a logbook. Students also need to identify and list sources of error that may have taken place during the experiment, and identify ways to improve the experiment.
h) Students need to write up a conclusion which addresses their original research question and formulate a new question that would be logical to research after obtaining their results from their initial question.

 Time must be provided during class for library and Internet research. The actual experiment of setting up the track pads must be done outside of class at the student's research site. It is recommended that the students be allowed 4 weeks to run their experiment in order to allow for weather problems, schedules, etc. The remainder of the project can be done in or out of class as determined by the instructor and the level of guidance needed by the students.

The Field Data Collection Techniques (aside from the tracking unit) described above can either be done as pre-teaching or can be done during the 4 weeks that students are carrying out their track pad research project.

II. Accessing Information - Wildlife Management Issues
a) Ecology of the wolf
1. Students will gather facts and information regarding the gray wolf in Minnesota from research biologists, library, video and Internet resources.
b) Overview of the history of wolf management in the United States and Minnesota specifically.
c) Students will review news articles, television reports and film regarding wolf management issues
d) Students will design and ask interview questions for a panel representing various viewpoints on wolf management in Minnesota
e) Students will evaluate the relevance and authenticity of information gathered from their sources - this will be based against the facts gathered at the beginning of the project.
f) Students will state a management position they are in favor of, and write a position paper and/or an editorial supporting their position.

III. Direct Observation - Field Research Project

Pre-Teaching
a) Ecology of the wolf
1. Students will learn about the specific behavior, communication, and adaptations of the gray wolf.
a) howling surveys and howling contest
b) predator-prey relationships
c) habitat preferences
d) pack behavior - wolf observations
b) Students will learn the basics of tracking wolves with radio telemetry collars
1. How the telemetry equipment works
2. Basic compass reading - taking a field bearing and reading a field bearing
3. Field triangulation
4. Use of GPS for field locates
c) Students will learn the basics of mapping
1. How to read a topographic map - contour interval lab
2. How to plot points in
a) latitude/longitude
b) township/range
c) UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
3. How to read symbols and discern habitat type on topographic maps
4. How to decipher satellite telemetry messages and convert the locates into latitude/longitude and UTM readings

Mapping Collared Wolves
a) Students will frame a question regarding wolf movement. The question should be geared to the data they will be receiving and mapping.
b) Students will map wolf movement using authentic real time data provided from collared wolves. Maps will be updated on a regular basis and movements will be studied over the coarse of several months.
1. mapping the Ely, MN wolves - established wolf packs with radio collars. Data supplied on the web site for the International Wolf Center at http://www.wolf.org Students will be mapping in township/range coordinates and observing movement of established pack animals as a basis for comparison.
2. mapping the satellite collared wolves at Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge and Camp Ripley. Students will be mapping in latitude/longitude coordinates and/or UTM coordinates and observing movement of possible dispersing wolves while also making comparisons as to home range size, distance traveled, proximity to populated areas, etc.
c) Students will draw conclusions regarding their original hypothesis of wolf movement. Students will also keep a log of observations made while mapping.