#403. Big Cat Field Trip

other, level: Elementary
Posted Fri Jun 11 12:16:54 PDT 1999 by Todd Crow (tcrow@powersurge.net).
Irwin-Kirkman-Manilla Elementary, Irwin, IA, U.S.A.
Materials Required: "Big Cat Field Trip" guide sheet
Concepts Taught: using a web navigator, following written directions, using skimming/scanning techniques

Big Cat Field Trip
Description: Sharpen your students' web site navigation skills*, ability to follow
written directions, and skimming/scanning techniques with this Internet
scavenger hunt activity which will take them on a whirl-wind virtual trip
to several popular zoos in the United States. An added bonus are higher
level thinking questions which are designed to spark imagination and
problem solving.

*Note: Students will need a basic understanding of how
a navigator is used to complete this student-driven activity.

Grade level: 3-6

Objectives: 1) Use a web navigator to locate specific information.
2) Utilize skimming and scanning techniques to locate pertinent
information.
3) Follow written directions to achieve a goal.
4) Apply high level thinking to general information.

Materials: • copies of the "Big Cat Field Trip" guide sheet for group or individual
student use.

Procedure: Since this is designed to be a student-driven activity, beyond basic
explanation of student expectations, distribute the guide sheet and let
your students learn and work at their own pace.

Tips for Success: • Depending on your students' ability and for ease of use, it would
be beneficial to have the web resource sites book marked.
• This activity may be broadened into a small or large group
activity to help foster high level discussion.
• Encourage your students to use each other as a resource when
problems or questions arise.
• For more experienced navigator users, you may want to make
the URL addresses less specific to require more searching on the
part of the student.

Internet Resources: Bobcat
http://aztec.asu.edu/phxzoo/bobcat.html

Houston Zoo
http://www.houstonzoo.org/mammals/catset.htm

Siberian Tiger
http://www.oregonzoo.org/cards/tiger.siberian.htm

Species Data Sheet ** African Lion
http://www.lpzoo.com/animals/mammals/facts/lion.html

Welcome to WCCO Channel 4000
http://www.mnzoo.com/partners/mnzoo/puma.html

Wildlife Conservation Society - Cheetah
http://www.wcs.org/zoos/bronxzoo/bxanimals/cheetah.html

Name

Big Cat Field Trip

Join Olive the house cat on a virtual trip around the United States to visit some of her big cat relatives at their comfy zoo homes. After carefully typing in each URL address, use the information you find to answer the questions about Olive's family members. For added fun, see if you can answer Olive's brain buster questions. Make it through every site and you'll be on your way to discovering what happened to one of Olive's very distant relatives. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Your first stop is the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Olive's cousin, Lenny Lion lives there.

Question: How old is a lion when it goes on a hunt for the first time?
http://www.lpzoo.com/animals/mammals/facts/lion.html

Answer: months old.

Olive's brain buster: Why do you think a lion is taught to hunt at such an early age?

The second zoo on your crosscountry trip is the Bronx Zoo in New York City, New York. Olive's uncle, Charlie Cheetah is looking forward to meeting you.

Question: What is the top speed of a cheetah?
http://www.wcs.org/zoos/bronxzoo/bxanimals/cheetah.html

Answer: miles per hour!

Olive's brain buster: If you were being chased by a cheetah in the wild, how would you get away?

Now you're off to the Houston Zoo in sunny Houston, Texas. There you meet Olive's second cousin, Betty Bengal Tiger.

Question: Generally, how many pounds of meat does a Bengal tiger eat every night?
http://www.houstonzoo.org/mammals/catset.htm

Answer: pounds!

Olive's brain buster: Using your estimation skills, how many pounds of meat would a Bengal tiger eat in one week?

Fourth, Olive takes you to the Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona, to have a quick hamburger with her uncle, Bobby Bobcat.

Question: About how far does a bobcat travel every night when it hunts?
http://aztec.asu.edu/phxzoo/bobcat.html

Answer: miles.

Olive's brain buster: If a person walks at about 2 miles an hour without stopping, how long would it take him to walk as far as a bobcat travels in one night?

Next, Olive would like you to see another cousin, Sally Siberian Tiger. Sally lives at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon.

Question: How many digits (like fingers on a person's hand) does a Siberian tiger have on each of its front paws?
http://www.oregonzoo.org/cards/tiger.siberian.htm

Answer: digits.

Olive's brain buster: A Siberian tiger has more digits on its back paws than its front paws. Why do you think this is so?

Your last stop before you and Olive head back home is the Minnesota Zoo in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her favorite uncle, Peter Puma lives there.

Question: How much can a full-grown male puma weigh?
http://www.mnzoo.com/partners/mnzoo/puma.html

Answer: pounds.

Olive's brain buster: If you were sitting on one side of a seesaw and a full-grown male puma was sitting on the other side, about how many of your friends would need to join you to make the seesaw balance?

You made it! Now that you have completed
your trip, follow the directions to answer the
final question about Olive's very distant relative.

Directions: Under each question number below, write the answer you found at each stop on your trip. Match each answer to its respective letter of the alphabet and record the letter on the provided line. If all was done correctly, you will have the answer to the final question.

- ALPHABET CODE -

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
10 215 5 25 6 300 50 1 20 100 3 1,000 45

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
4 90 900 2 78 14 65 8 2,000 0 70 28 1,500

Question number: 1 2 6 3 4 5 6

Answer:

Letter:

What happened to Olive's distant relative, the saber-toothed tiger about 12,000 years ago?

Answer: It became .

by T. Crow; 6/99