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BioLab 5
Exercise 1
On Safari In Africa
Objectives:
- To explore animal life in Africa through the lens of a young photographer.
- To utilize the Internet as a tool to learn more about selected animals indigenous to Africa.
- To examine and analyze behavioral and life processes of selected animals indigenous to Africa.
- To submit answers in writing to your instructor based on your observations and calculations.
Materials:
- A computer.
- Internet access through an Internet service provider (ISP),
and a browser such as Netscape Navigator.®
- A calculator.
- A watch with a second hand.
- Pen and paper.
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Background:
- Have you ever thought about going on a safari through Africa? In August 2000, a young New York City elementary school student, Megan Michele Kenny, was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to do just that. Along with her family, she went on an exciting safari through South Africa, and with her keen eye, captured the wildlife she observed on film.
Megan Michele Kenny is a fifth grade honor student at P.S.1 in Staten Island, New York. In August 2000, Megan, along with her mother, father, brother and grandmother, went on an exciting safari through South Africa. During her travels, Megan became very interested in photography. Using a Canon EOS camera and her keen eye, she photographed all of the still images incorporated into this exercise. Megan's interest in photography has grown since her trip through Africa. Megan enjoys reading, gardening, horses and basketball. She is an intelligent, warm and outgoing individual who one day hopes to become a pediatric orthopedist.
- Megan has shared her photographs with us,
so that we, too, may see the diversity of life on this great continent,
as we work our way through this exercise. Each photograph in this
exercise was taken by Megan as she journeyed through Africa. As
you study each photo, you will link to a related Website with
information on the animal presented. You will then complete the
exercise related to that animal. Are you ready? Here we go...
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Methods:
- The first animal we encounter is the African Elephant.
Go to the following web sites to
read about African Elephants, and then return to this page to
continue:
Worldkids-Elephants
Serengeti-Elephants
UMICH
- Animal Diversity - Elephants
Based on what you have read, you
now know how fast and far African elephants can walk in one day.
From physics we know that Rate x Time = Distance. Therefore,
if we know how fast an African elephant can walk, and if we know
how long it's been walking, then we can multiply these two values
together to determine the distance the animal has traveled in
that time period. Go to the Oakland Zoo Video Theater web site
listed below. Once at the web site, click back then forward once
to view a video clip of an African elephant walking. The video
may take a few minutes to download, so be patient. View the video
and time how long the elephant walks. Then calculate how far the
elephant has gone in the video. Remember, RxT=D. Submit your findings
via email to your instructor. Provide the rate, time and distance.
How far can you walk in a day?
Oakland Zoo
Video Theater
How do African and Asian elephants
differ? In essay form, submit your answer to your instructor via
email. What will we see next?
- As we travel on a little further, we encounter some zebras.
Go to the following web sites to
read more about zebras and to view additional photos.
Africa
Online - Zebras
PBS
- Zebras
Zebras
Oakland Zoo
- Zebras
Think
Quest Wildlife - Grevys Zebras
Think
Quest Wildlife - Plains Zebras
Based on your reading, answer the
questions below in essay form and submit them to your instructor
by email:
- What type of zebras did Megan take pictures of?
- Examine the stripes on Megan's zebras. What geographic region
are they from?
- Compare the ability of a zebra and a human to stand.
- Describe the dentition in zebras.
- Compare the height of a zebra to that of a giraffe.
- At the fourth Website listed above, you viewed a live-action
video. Speculate on why the zebras' ears have the motion displayed.
Let us continue to explore...
- Just ahead, we encounter some rhinos.
Go to the following web sites to
read more about rhinos and to view additional photos.
Africa
Online - Rhinos
Masai-Mara
Rhinoceros
Rhinos
Based on your reading, answer the
questions below in essay form and submit them to your instructor
by email:
- Describe the relationship between a rhino and mud.
- Which of the senses is(are) most valuable to a rhino? Why?
- What is the IRF?
- What type of rhinoceros has Megan taken photos of? How do
you know?
- At the 6th and 7th web sites listed above, use the mouse
to find out what rhinos eat and where they live.
We continue our journey...
- In the distance, we spot and approach some wildebeests.
Go to the following web sites to
read more about wildebeests and to view additional photos:
Kilimanjaro
- Wildebeests
Masai-Mara
Wildebeest
PBS -
Wildebeests
Think
Quest - Wildebeest
Based on your findings at the above
web sites, answer the following and submit your work to your instructor
by email:
- Are Megan's wildebeests male or female? How can you tell?
- When, and between which two locations, do wildebeests migrate?
What is next?
- There were many other animals Megan encountered during her safari.
Some of these are shown below:
Use the Additional Links below to
explore more web sites.
Additional Links:
- The Serengeti
National Park
- Serengeti
- 100 Photos of Wildlife
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