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You Make the Call! (Roll Call That is)
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| Do you have everything you need? |
Just imagine
this. Manatees are swimming all around you as you paddle up the Blue Spring
Run. You see them, you see they all look different and have different
scars. But what do you do to try and identify them before they swim off?
Ranger Wayne is lucky. With all his experience, he can recognize their
markings on the spot. And lucky for you, today we have photographs of
SOME OF the Manatees below. Follow these three steps to identify the Manatees.
Background
Students will try to identify selected Blue Spring Manatees by looking at photographs, sketching what they see, and then comparing both the sketches and the photos to Ranger Wayne's Scar Charts which depict previously identified Manatees. This visual comparison is similar to how Scientists visually identify manatees.
Materials Needed--Print and Go!
- Key
to Manatee Identification Handout (Print one copy or more as needed
for working in groups)
- Sketch
Worksheet: Print 6 (one for each manatee you're trying to identify.)
- Ranger Wayne's Scar Sheet: Print one copy (or more as needed for working in groups. (Hand out after Step Two)
Step One: Photographs--Getting to Know You
The Manatees' photographs are labeled A-F. Study each manatee photograph carefully. Look for distinguishing scars or other features that make this manatee unique, look for and consider:
- Which side of the Manatee is the scar on?
- What is it's shape?
- What color is the scar?
- Are there other distinctive markings on the skin?
- Do you see anything missing from the Manatee?
| Who's
in the Run Today? |
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Now, take a look
at the Key Handout
to see how Manatee Scientists sketch and label the Manatees' scars,
cuts, and other features. - Then,
label each of your Sketch
Worksheets (you'll need 6 copies) with the same letter as the photograph
you are about to sketch (A, B, C, D, E, and /or F).
- Now you can begin your sketch. Draw the unique scars and features you see in the photographs. (Important note--the Worksheet is a dorsal view, meaning it depicts, and you should draw, the scars and features you would see looking down on a manatee's back from above. That way, you'll know what side of the manatee is the left and right side no matter what direction the manatee is the photographs.)
Example: If I'm looking at the photograph of Manatee A, I label my worksheet "A", and sketch as accurately as I can the features I see in the photo( and any that are missing too.) I sketch my drawing on my Sketch Worksheet as if I'm looking down onto the manatee's back.
Step Three: Comparing Ranger Wayne's Scar Sheet to Your Roll Call
Well done! You just saw lots of Manatees while "in the canoe". You were very observant and made many good sketches and notes. Now you're back on dry land and need to figure out WHO you just saw!
Here's what to do:
- Print
out Ranger Wayne's
Scar Sheet and compare it to your own sketches and the photos too.
(Note--the Scar Sheet shows the
dorsal view, just like your Worksheet does, looking down onto the manatee's
back.)
- Looking
at the Scar Sheet, can you find Manatees with the same scars or other
features that are shown (or missing) in the photos and your sketches?
Can you make a positive ID? Don't be afraid to turn the Scar Sheet or
your sketches sideways or upside down to correspond to the layout of
the photograph.
- If the photographs don't show all the markings on the Scar Sheet (or show more markings), don't stop your comparison. Ask yourself, are there at least some of the same scars/features in both the photo and the Scar Sheet? If so, you may have a match!
(Remember, it's not easy photographing manatees. They certainly are not idle! Plus, water conditions, wind, glare and other things can obscure a clear view too. And a photo is just a snapshot in time. After one photo, the manatees' appearances may change as new scars appear, old scars heal and fade.)
Now, can you tell Ranger Wayne who you saw in the Run today?
National Science Education Standards
Science as Inquiry
Ask a question about objects, organisms, events. (K-4)
Scientists use different kinds of investigations depending on the questions they are trying to answer. Types of investigations include describing objects, events, and organisms. (K-4)
Different kinds of questions suggest different kinds of scientific investigations. Some involve observing and describing objects, organisms, or events. (5-8)
(Photo Credit A-D: U. S. Geological Survey USGS/Florida Caribbean Science Center)
Copyright
2002-2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
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