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Collection of Reviewed Teaching Resources

Predator and prey

Subject taught
- Biology

Link
https://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/pred_prey.html

Type of Product
- Diagrams and graphs
- Gamification
- Web Site/Portal

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Reading
- Speaking
- Writing

Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Students will develop self-motivation, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills.

Description
General aims
Students will be able to perceive how changes in parameters (like birth rate) can affect predator/prey interactions and observe how predator/prey populations change over time. Students explore these types of relationships while learning about the competitive exclusion principle, predator-prey cycles. Students hav eto establish an ecosystem where all of the elements are in “balance” and no individual species dies off.
They will acquire the basic English vocabulary connected with the topic (predator/prey interactions). Students will develop positive learning habits such as organisational and problem-solving skills.
Linguistic aims
Students will be able to:
- read English texts with ease
- reflect on their reading experience and share it with their peers
- get the main ideas from a text
- comprehend the topic correctly
- translate words connected with the topic (greenhouse effect) from English into their mother tongue.
Subject specific aims
Students will be able to:
- explain the phenomenon, its causes and effects
- provide solutions to related problems in their context
- act pro-socially and prevent the phenomenon
Target groups age:
Students from high school 16-18+ years old. What is more, this web site can be used by anyone who wants to do extend knowledge about the prey/predator relation.
Level of competence in English (CEFR)
B1+/B2
Time required to use the resource with the students: 50 minutes
How to use it
Students are set into pairs or groups. They use a simulator to observe how changes in parameters (like birth rate) can affect predator/ prey interactions. http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/RabbitsAndWolves/ They can view and modify habitat and rabbit/ wolf parameters. They have to observe the subsequent changes in population statistics as a result of their interventions: What happens to the grass over time?/Then what happens to the rabbits?/Why do you think the wolves did not survive? Task: the teacher asks students to create an ecoystem where both the rabbits and the wolves can survive for at least 1000 iterations. Students can change any parameters and run the simulation. If the wolves or rabbits die, they have not succeeded. Students have to present to the rest of the class what parameters they changed to achieve a stable population of rabbits and wolves.

Comments
Students will explore the prey/predator interactions by themselves and thus have a first hand learning experience, which is memorable. In order for the students to take advantage of this experience the teacher should organise a class discussion to highlight the advantages of simulations and to clear up any confusion before students embark on the simulation. Instructions should be very clear and short to the point to avoid any misunderstanding. Some students may need more guidance than others and may have problems operating the controls of the programme (probably a step by step model of the simulation will be necessary). Pair work or group work may make some students feel more comfortable with the simulation. Students can also use the programme at home at their own pace.

Related Video Lessons

Predator and Prey