Cricket Mapping

Mr and Mrs Smith's Life Science Mapping Cricket Behavior RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Live crickets - one in ziplock bag per group Large boxes - at least 8" X 10" Three blank 8 X 10 pieces of paper for each group. Colored Pencils or Pens Clock 2" X 3" construction paper for shelter Nuts, cereal, apple slice, or bran Assigning team tasks: 1. Divide class into teams of 4 students & give task cards 2. Explain 4 roles, have them read task cards aloud, emphasize tasks rotate. 3. Let teams take a few minutes to delegate tasks, number the dots and place eyes on dots. 4. Give box, cricket in ziplock bag to animal manager.

1	Explain there will be 3 trials per cricket. In trial 1, box will be empty.
2	Place animal in center of box, record movements every 15 sec. for 20 samples.
3	Record movement by taking sticker and placing it on blank paper eyes facing correct direction, in corresponding location to the place in the box. If animal jumps out of box, put it back where it was and continue.
4	In trial 2 box will have shelter. Fold a rectangular piece of construction paper to simulate a shelter.
5	Follow same steps as trial 1. Look at your paper. Did the animal act differently now that there is a shelter to run to? Did the animal look at the shelter? What can you 'infer' from this?
6	In trial 3 the box will have one of the dry food samples: Nuts, cereal,or bran for food.
7	Follow same steps as trial 1. Look at your paper. Did the animal act differently now that there is food to eat? Did the animal eat the food? What can you 'infer' from this?
8	In trial 4 the box will have the slice of apple.
9	Follow same steps as trial 1. Look at your paper. Did the animal act differently now that there is food to eat? Did the animal eat the food? What can you 'infer' from this?

Recorder
Draw an arrow with a number from 1 to 20 every 15 seconds to show in which direction the cricket moves.
At end of trial describe the animal's actions.
After recording for one trial, swap tasks with another team member.

Timekeeper
Make sure team members are ready to start.
Tell Animal Manager when to place the animal in the center of box.
Watch the clock and call "Time!" every 15 seconds for 5 min. (20 times).

Observer:
Watch closely where the animal moves.
Tell the Recorder in which direction to place the dots.
Remind your team members not to disturb the animal, not to touch it or talk too loudly.
After observing for one trial, swap tasks with another team member.

Animal Manager:
Hold the animal or its container until your team members are ready to begin mapping.
Put the animal in the center of the box when Timekeeper says to start.
Hold the animal between trials. Keep it alive!!!
Keep the animal from escaping.
After managing the animal for one trial, swap tasks with another team member.

Graph paper: Set up so that part of graph paper is to graph trial 1, part for trial 2 and part for trial 3. Everyone should participate and keep own copy for his/her own science journal. Trial 1 - vertical axis Number of dots on Map 0 - 20 across bottom, write: IN THE OPEN AREA and NEXT TO WALLS and LOOKING IN CORNERS. Trial 2- across bottom horizontally: IN THE OPEN AREA NEXT TO WALLS, FACING INTO CORNERS, NEAR OR IN THE SHELTER. Trial 3 ,across bottom horizontally: IN THE OPEN AREA, NEXT TO WALLS, NEAR THE OR IN SHELTER, NEAR OR IN THE FOOD TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Place graphs from all groups on the board and discuss each graph and make inferences together as a whole group. Mapping Crickets Behavior 1. In Trial #1 where was the cricket most of the time? _________________