Implement this Lesson:
This lesson can be taught with the math concept or with the during an ecosystem unit.
Learning Objective:
The student will be able to use mathematical models to determine the populations of local fish in Corpus Christi.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
6.11(A) research and describe why resource management is important in reducing global energy poverty, malnutrition, and air and water pollution
6.11(B) explain how conservation, increased efficiency, and technology can help manage air, water, soil, and energy resources
6.12(A)* investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic factors such as food and abiotic factors such as availability of light and water, range of temperatures, or soil composition
6.12(B) describe and give examples of predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms, including mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism
6.12(C) describe the hierarchical organization of organism, population, and community within an ecosystem
6.13(A) describe the historical development of cell theory and explain how organisms are composed of one or more cells, which come from pre‐existing cells and are the basic unit of structure and function
6.13(B) identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic 6.13(C) describe how variations within a population can be an advantage or disadvantage to the survival of a population as environments change
7.10(A)* describe the evidence that supports that Earth has changed over time, including fossil evidence, plate tectonics, and superposition 7.10(B)* describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including super volcanoes and hot spots
7.11(A)* analyze the beneficial and harmful influences of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed
7.11(B)* describe human dependence and influence on ocean systems and explain how human activities impact these systems
7.12(A)* diagram the flow of energy within trophic levels and describe how the available energy decreases in successive trophic levels in energy pyramids
7.13(A)* identify and model the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, urinary, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, immune, and endocrine systems
7.13(C)* compare the results of asexual and sexual reproduction of plants and animals in relation to the diversity of offspring and the changes in the population over time
7.13(D)*describe and give examples of how natural and artificial selection change the occurrence of traits in a population over generations
7.14(A) describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups
8.10(A) describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather
8.10(B) identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather
8.10(C) describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes
8.12(B) describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity
8.12(C) describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem
8.13(A) identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells 8.13(C) describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations
8.13(B) describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring
Animal Tracking, Tagging, and Monitoring
Scientists are like wildlife detectives!
They use tracking and tagging to learn where animals go, how they live, and how to protect them.
By studying animals in their natural habitats — from the Gulf of Mexico to forests and wetlands — scientists can help keep them safe and healthy.
What Is Animal Tracking?
Tracking means finding out where animals go and how they move over time.
It helps scientists learn about migration, feeding, nesting, and survival.
Footprints and signs- looks for tracks, feathers, or droppings
Radio tracking- tiny radio tags send signals to receiver
Satellite tracking-tags send signals to satellites in space
GPS tracking -Uses satellites to record exact locations
Tracking shows where animals go and why — helping scientists protect their routes and habitats.
What Is Animal Tagging?
Tagging means attaching a small, safe device to an animal so scientists can identify or follow it.
Metal or plastic tags- attached to fins, legs, or wings
Microchips- Tiny chips placed under the skin
Satellite tags- Track long-distance travelers
Camera tags- Record videos of animal behaviors
Tags don’t hurt animals — they’re designed to be light and safe. Scientists always follow special rules to make sure the animals are treated carefully.
What Is Monitoring?
Monitoring means watching and collecting information about animals over time.
Scientists use data from tracking and tagging to learn about:
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Migration routes
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Breeding and nesting areas
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Feeding grounds
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How animals react to climate change or pollution
Monitoring helps find out if a species is healthy, growing, or in danger.
Animal Tracking on the Gulf Coast
Along the Texas Gulf Coast, scientists track and tag many animals to understand their lives and migrations.
Sea turtle- To see where they nest and travel in the Gulf
Sharks- To study migration and feeding behavior
Dolphins- To learn how they move between bays and open water
Coastal birds- To follow migration routes along the Texas Flyway
Each animal tells a different story about how life in the Gulf is connected!
Tracking Is Not Always Easy
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Devices can stop working in deep water or harsh weather.
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Animals sometimes lose their tags.
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Scientists must make sure tagging doesn’t disturb the animal.
But with care and teamwork, tracking gives us incredible insights into wildlife!
Fun Facts!
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Some sea turtles tagged in Texas have traveled over 1,000 miles!
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Bird bands can help track a single bird’s life for years.
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Sharks are sometimes tracked using their fin-mounted transmitters that “ping” each time they surface.
Animal tracking, tagging, and monitoring help scientists protect the amazing creatures we share the planet with — one signal, one journey, one story at a time.
Possible Books:
- Whose Track is That? by Stan Tekiela
- Tracks, Scat, and Signs by
- The Boy Who Talked to Animals
Materials Needed:
- Possible worksheet printed or science notebook
- Multiple trays depending on group numbers
- Dixie cups
- Goldfish and pretzel goldfish mix or two obvious different color or goldfish mixed together
- Markers
Lesson Plan:
Advanced Prep:
- Gather materials
- Set up trays
- Possibly print data sheets
- Depending on student accommodation prepare calculators
Engage:
- Discuss: why is it important to know how many animals there are? Why is it important to understand where animals migrate? Are big animals like whales and sharks only important or are other smaller animals important too?
Explore:
- Put students in pairs or small groups. Students will either get a worksheet or create a data entry in their science notebook.
- Students will pretend to monitor the population of redfish
- Follow set up from google slides Peacock- Animal Tagging and Monitoring
- Walk students through math equations to figure out their answers
Explain:
- Explain about animal tagging in more detail.
Elaborate:
- Students look up movement of other animals using online resources such as Osearch or monarch butterfly
Evaluate:
- Student participation and math worksheets