Project Zoonique

Project Zoonique

A WebQuest for 6th Grade (Science)

Designed by Kathy Balamaci

kbalamaci@milforded.org

Introduction	Task	Process
Evaluation	Conclusion	Credits

Introduction

A philanthropist has recently left the City of Milford a large parcel of land in his will. The stipulation is that it can only be utilized for the purpose of preserving rare and unique animals. Your task is to decide which animals will be showcased in this zoo as space is limited to 3 animals and to persuade the city council to include your animal. Good luck!

The Task

You and you partner will compile detailed scientific research on a rare, unique animal to become an expert on it. Based on your research, you will create a proposal to present to the city council to persuade them to choose your animal. You will explain what you learned about your animal as well as what the zoo will need to do to accommodate the adaptations of this animal so that it will thrive in the new Milford zoo. Your presentation may take the form of a multimedia presentation(Powerpoint), a brochure that utilizes a word processing program, or a trifold posterboard display. You may also decide to enhance your proposal by creating a 3-D model of the animal in the habitat that the city will have to create for it. During the presentations, you will be a city council member who will have to take notes during each presentation, evaluate the information, and make a decision as to which of the animals will be placed in this rare zoo.

The Process

1. First, we will have a lottery to determine which of the unique animals shown below you and your partner will research.

2. Your job will be to research this animal in depth together. The following are guidelines for your research which you will compile on your data chart which will be provided by the teacher. Use the links below to assist you with compiling your information.

*Describe the animal’s physical characteristics.

*Explain what the habitat of this animal is. Where in the world would you find this animal?

*What is the animal (herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore)? What kinds of food does it eat? How much?

*How does this animal reproduce? How many offspring do they generally have?

*What are the adaptations of this animal? (This will be important in determining its ability to live at the Milford preserve).

*What are predators to your animal?

*Is this animal endangered? If so, what are the reasons for this?

*Any other important info., unusual characteristics, etc.

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Our Unique Animals:

Sitatunga

Hyrax

http://www.awf.org/wildlives/186

http://www.ultimateungulate.com/sitatunga.html

http://www.naturalia.org/ZOO/AN_TERRA/e_sitatunga.html

http://www.csew.com/antelopetag
/Animal%20Fact%20Sheets/Sitatunga/sitatunga.html

http://www.awf.org/wildlives/142

http://www.livingdesert.org/sgrockhyrax.html

http://natureniche.tripod.com/hyrax.html

http://www.santabarbarazoo.com/animals/mammals/rock_hyrax.html

http://www.hoglezoo.org/mammals/hyrax.htm

Serval

Pangolin

http://www.livingdesert.org/sgserval.html

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/bco/serval.html

http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/serval01.htm

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/serval.htm

http://home.globalcrossing.net/~brendel/serval.html

http://www.awf.org/wildlives/178

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

http://www.panasia.org.sg/nepalnet/ecology/pangolin.htm

http://www.animalomnibus.com/pangolin.htm

Kinkajou

Tamarin

http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/mammals/kin/kin1.html

http://www.factmonster.com/ce6/sci/A0827732.html

http://www.animalsoftherainforest.org/kinkajou.htm

http://natzoo.si.edu/gltprogram/

http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/leonrosa.htm

http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/tamarin.html

Okapi

Tarsier

http://www.animalsoftherainforest.com/okapi.htm

http://www.meerkat.org/mammals/okapi.html

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/

mammalia/artiodactyla/giraffidae.html

http://www.ultimateungulate.com/okapi.html

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/estars.htm.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/tarsius/t._spectrum$narrative.html

http://www.animalsoftherainforest.org/tarsier.htm

http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/icapb/collection/museum/beth97/ta rsier.htm

http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/search?key=tarsier

Caracal

Kiwi

http://www.primenet.com/~brendel/caracal.html

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/caracal.htm

http://lynx.uio.no/catfolk/nsacrl01.htm

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/bco/caracal.htm

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/caracal/c._caracal

http://www.livingdesert.org/sgcaracal.html

http://www.kiwi.bird.freeservers.com/

http://www.chemistry.co.nz/kiwibird.htm

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/7751/kiwi.html

Wallaby

Coatimundi

http://www.rzu2u.com/wallabies.htm

http://www.tased.edu.au/tot/fauna/wallaby.html

http://www.yahooligans.com/content/animals/species/9784.html

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec570/570finalproj/zoowebquest/index.htm coatimundi

http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/mammals/coa/coa1.html

http://www.wildlifeeasyst.com/coatimundi.htm

http://www.desertusa.com/may97/du_coati2.htm

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Upon completion of your research:

3. Next you will analyze your data and come up with 3 strong reasons backed by your scientific data as to why your animal should become a part of the city's unique zoo. You will use Inspiration to organize your ideas.

Points to keep in mind:

*what makes your animal unique and differentiates them from the rest
*remember to think about what the city council's objective for this zoo is: to attract visitors to this rare zoo which will bring the city more money.

4. Determine what the zoo would need to do to accomodate the needs of your animal. Be sure to prepare this information as part of your presentation.

5. Choose a form of presentation for your oral proposal that you feel will be the most effective. You may choose to present your proposal to the city council by creating a Powerpoint presentation, a brochure done using word processing, or a tri-fold posterboard visual.

6. When not presenting, you will become a member of the city council. You will take notes during each presentation and evaluate the information. Based on your notes, you will decide which 3 animals will best be suited to live in the preserve and back these decisions with scientific facts learned during the presentations.

7. You must be sure to have a bibliography of all sources utilized to gather information. Please use the following website for assistance.

http://www.easybib.com/

8. As extra credit, you may construct a 3-D model of what the habitat in the preserve would be like to support your animal and suit its adaptations.

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Evaluation

Click here to view the Project Zoonique rubric.

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Conclusion

Congratulations! You are now an expert on a rare and unique animal species! You have learned more on how to compile, organize, and apply research to solving a problem. You have worked cooperatively with a partner to complete this project. Based on your research, you have had to employ decision-making and critical thinking skills to determine whether your animal can adapt to the new zoo in Milford. I hope that your interest in animals continues throughout your life! Who knows, we may have just discovered some future zoologists!

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Credits & References:

Image Resources:

Clip Art Warehouse http://www.clipart.co.uk/index.shtml

Animation Factory http://www.animationfactory.com/sales/use.htm

Safari Webquest http://www.manteno.k12.il.us/drussert/WebQuests/JuliSmith/safari.html

Google Images http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=

Special thanks to the Milford Board of Education Technology Department and MBS Web Creations.

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Last updated on December 18, 2002. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page.