How can the size of a population of grizzly bears be estimated?
PURPOSE: Students will explore a DNA fingerprinting technology that wildlife management biologists use to identify animals without ever touching them.
STANDARDS: 1.3.1, 4.4.5 Science; 1.1.1, 2.3.1 Tech
PROCEDURES: Students will navigate to the McGraw-Hill Virtual Lab website. http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs. From there students will find the topic: Tracking Grizzlies, click on it and it will take students to a Virtual Lab. There students will follow the procedures as outlined on the webpage to navigate their way through this lab investigation. There is an online Journal that students will fill out and submit. It also has a table tab that students will use to create and analyze the DNA of grizzly bear hair samples. Through this process students will learn how to distinguish between the numbers of bears in a surrounding environment and estimate the population through a new technique. When students have completed their assignment they can either print it out and submit it or they may e-mail their completed work to the teacher.
EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated on the information submitted from their virtual lab.
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