Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 3, Wildlife Ecology (5th-6th)
We started the day with a “Have you ever” getting-to-know-you activity. None of them have been sky diving but curiously a student, in addition to our one from Iowa, has been to a Hawkeye football game. Today was math heavy starting with a discussion of the levels of ecological studies – biosphere, ecosystems, communities, and populations – and then focusing on populations. Ask your child what is meant by an ecological population. What are some of the characteristics of populations? We studied the mark-recapture technique for determining the size of a population and then tried it out with populations of lima beans. They learned that there are assumptions involved with sampling and that the degree to which how one samples will influence accuracy. We graphed the data that we collected. This was challenging for most of them and they needed to be educated on the importance of having uniform spacing on each axis and proper labeling of the graph. This is an important skill they will practice more and more as they progress through school. While we use computers to do this for us it is worthwhile to learn the skill on paper.
In the afternoon, we applied a simple mathematical model to study exponential growth. They were given some basic parameters – starting population size, birth rate, and mortality rate – and were asked to figure out how to estimate the size of the population in subsequent years. With a fair amount of coaching, they figured it out (and realized that moving the decimal place one to the left yields 10% of that number) and then created a graph of showing exponential growth. This led to a discussion of limiting factors, and while some wanted to believe that a population can grow without limits (Were they trying to yank the teacher’s chain?), they hopefully appreciated the fact that limitless growth is not possible. Tomorrow, we will study logistic growth. We finished the day talking more about deer and what could be a deer repellent. A prompt led us to the idea of using odiferous soap. One student said his family has done this before. Hopefully, your child has shared their deer-repelling device. While you may not have deer that need repelling one student said he would try it on his dog. That seems reasonably harmless. Because our lessons involved a fair amount of math there was a bit more fidgeting today. This could be an opportunity to talk with your child about the need to focus and stay on task. Some days are more overtly stimulating than others.