Lights, Camera, Tracks! – Vol. 1 No. 28
Welcome to the first monograph in the Wildlife Series! In this monograph, you'll learn about a research study on tracking mammals in residential yards. Scientists wanted to know how the land use context around the yards affected the number and variety of mammals found in those yards. They also wanted to know how features in the yards - like bird feeders, lights, or plantings - impacted the number and variety of mammals seen.
The monograph includes activities, reflection questions, math exercises, and more.
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Highlights
- 1 Article
- 3 Scientists
- 1st in the Wildlife Series
- 2 Activities
- Glossary
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In this article, scientists examine different land uses, from urban to suburban to rural landscapes, and their effects on wildlife. In particular, the scientists examine how different features of these...Lights, Camera, Tracks! The Presence of Mammals in Residential Yards
In this article, scientists examine different land uses, from urban to suburban to rural landscapes, and their effects on wildlife. In particular, the scientists examine how different features of these...
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In this FACTivity, you will observe the land use context around you. Materials: Observation log (included) Pencil or other writing utensil Scientists, like those in this study, are trying to...FACTivity – Lights, Camera, Tracks!
In this FACTivity, you will observe the land use context around you. Materials: Observation log (included) Pencil or other writing utensil Scientists, like those in this study, are trying to... -
Test your understanding after reading “Lights, Camera, Tracks!” Each of the following images represents something from the article. Explain what each image represents. You may write your explanation or hold...eyeChallenge – Lights, Camera, Tracks!
Test your understanding after reading “Lights, Camera, Tracks!” Each of the following images represents something from the article. Explain what each image represents. You may write your explanation or hold...
Glossary
View All GlossaryClassroom Review Board
Mrs. Burtenshaw’s 5th and 6th Graders
Editorial Review Board Comments
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Aaron Grade
My favorite science experience was when I trained college and high school volunteers to measure birds for a scientific study. Scientists use a special kind of net called a “mist...View Profile -
Susannah Lerman
My favorite experience is discovering exciting birds and insects in our backyards and neighborhood parks. I spend a lot of time exploring local habitats and talking with neighbors about the...View Profile -
Paige Warren
My favorite science experience is being outdoors with students exploring the weird and wonderful things we find in nature. Sometimes that is seeing a young person hold their first bird...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Monograph:
Next Generation Science Standards
- ESS3.C-M1Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
- ESS3.C-M2Typically as human populations and per capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise.
- LS2.A-M1Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.
- LS2.A-M2In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction.
- LS2.A-M3Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources.
- LS2.A-M4Similarly, predatory interactions may reduce the number of organisms or eliminate whole populations of organisms. Mutually beneficial interactions, in contrast, may become so interdependent that each organism requires the other for survival. Although the species involved in these competitive, predatory, and mutually beneficial interactions vary across ecosystems, the patterns of interactions of organisms with their environments, both living and nonliving, are shared.
- LS2.C-M1Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations.
- LS2.C-M2Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health.
Social Studies Standards
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Project Learning Tree
If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Then and Now,” “Improve Your Place,” and “400-Acre Wood” as additional resources.
Related Resources from The Natural Inquirer
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The scientists in this study were interested in figuring out which landscape characteristics were more abundant in the core areas of fisher habitat. They hypothesized that the core area would...Fish-ing Around – Discovering the Habitat Needs of the Pacific Fisher
The scientists in this study were interested in figuring out which landscape characteristics were more abundant in the core areas of fisher habitat. They hypothesized that the core area would... -
In many places where martens live, trees are harvested for wood products, leaving martens with an environment very different from the forested one they prefer. When tree harvesting occurs, the...There Goes the Neighborhood: The Disruption of American Marten Habitat
In many places where martens live, trees are harvested for wood products, leaving martens with an environment very different from the forested one they prefer. When tree harvesting occurs, the... -
The northern spotted owl is an endangered species that needs old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest to live. Unfortunately, old-growth forests, like all forests, may catch fire and be damaged...Who Gives a Hoot? Determining the Value of Owl Habitat
The northern spotted owl is an endangered species that needs old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest to live. Unfortunately, old-growth forests, like all forests, may catch fire and be damaged... -
Some scientists think that wildlife is mostly dependent on the immediate natural area in which it lives. The scientist in this study was interested in exploring this idea because she...Goldifinch and the Three Scales: Investigating Songbird Habitats Near Rivers
Some scientists think that wildlife is mostly dependent on the immediate natural area in which it lives. The scientist in this study was interested in exploring this idea because she... -
Wolverines, the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, are difficult to find because they live in areas far from humans and human development. Therefore, not much is known about...There’s Snow Place Like Home: Tracking the Range of Wolverines Over Time
Wolverines, the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, are difficult to find because they live in areas far from humans and human development. Therefore, not much is known about... -
When pairs of flammulated owls get ready to reproduce, they must find a place to build their nest. They need a location convenient to a food supply suitable for baby...Turn that Radio Down! Tracking the Busy Life of Flammulated Owl Dads
When pairs of flammulated owls get ready to reproduce, they must find a place to build their nest. They need a location convenient to a food supply suitable for baby... -
Frogs are a species of amphibian. In recent years, there has been a decline in the numbers of amphibians worldwide. This decline is thought to be caused by many things....As the Frog Hops: What Routes Do Frogs Travel in Mountain Environments?
Frogs are a species of amphibian. In recent years, there has been a decline in the numbers of amphibians worldwide. This decline is thought to be caused by many things.... -
Much of what humans do depends on the land that we live on. No matter how much humans change the land, it is still important to understand the history and...Before & After: A Look at Our Land (Land Use History of Jones County, GA)
Much of what humans do depends on the land that we live on. No matter how much humans change the land, it is still important to understand the history and... -
Guanica Forest is a tropical dry forest in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico. In 1981, the United Nations recognized it for being one of the best examples of a dry tropical forest. The scientists in this...Some Things Will Always Change: Land Use in a Dry Tropical Forest
Guanica Forest is a tropical dry forest in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico. In 1981, the United Nations recognized it for being one of the best examples of a dry tropical forest. The scientists in this...
Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: Fish and Wildlife
Did you know? The health of forest and grassland systems is inextricably tied to the fish and wildlife populations within them that pollinate, distribute seeds, cycle nutrients, and maintain the balance of pests, predator, and prey. Learn more about the Forest Service's work with fish and wildlife.Visit Website -
USDA Forest Service Science and Technology: Fish, Wildlife, and Plants
Our Nation’s forests and grasslands provide some of the most important habitats for wildlife and fish. They provide countless benefits—ecological, recreational, economic, and cultural—to both nature and society. Existing and emerging threats, such as habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species, affect the ability of our Nation's forests and grasslands to support healthy wildlife and fish populations for future generations.Read Article -
USDA Forest Service: Urban Field Stations
An Urban Field Station is both a physical place and an extensive network of interdisciplinary scientists and partners working on developing research, curating data, and advancing and delivering science to improve the quality of life and natural resources in urban and urbanizing areas, using an integrated socio-ecological approach. Learn more about the stations and their work.Visit Website