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Collection of Reviewed Teaching Resources

Predator and Prey - Diagrams and graphs

Subject taught
- Biology

Link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYq2078_xqc

Type of Product
- Diagrams and graphs
- Videos

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking
- Writing

Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Students will expand topic related vocabulary and improve their skills of describing graphs and diagrams. They will analyse the predator-prey cycle and will learn to explain how the number of individuals in a prey-predator cycle varies depending on each other.

Description
This video helps students to understand better how different populations that share the same ecosystem can interact with each other and actually provide a feedback loop on each other. One example is given when one population wants to eat another population. The predator population that likes to eat the prey. The predator and prey interaction is illustrated using the chart and explained. The chart illustrates how a population can change over time. When a density of predators is low, it is much easier for them to find meal, and it is much easier for the pray to get caught. Since it is easier, it is easier for the predators to find a meal and their population start to increase. When the number of predator increases, population of prey starts decreasing all the way to a point where if the population of the pray gets low enough, the predators are going to gave trouble finding food again, and so that their population might start to decrease and as their population decreases the population of prey might start to increase.
The predator and prey, they can kind of form this cyclic interaction with each other. It is often known as the predator-prey cycle. The cycle between predator and prey populations is reasoned.
The actual data of a very similar cycle of the interaction between the snowshoe hare and the Canadian lynx is demonstrated. The data is presented since the early 1800’s going all the way to the early-mid 1900’s.
In the video, the change in both the prey and the predator population is examined in great detail, in stages, which is depicted graphically.
The video could be used with 14 – 18 years old students whose level of competence in English (CEFR) is A2 and higher.
The teaching resource should be presented to students after analysing the characteristics of the predator and the prey. Working individually, students draw a graph that depicts the actual change in the populations of the selected prey and predator, then, in pairs, compare the graphs and discuss.
Possible difficulties: graph data analysis in a pair.

Comments
The teaching resource allows students to understand the predator and prey cyclic interaction in a short time. Analysing the data of the mutual dependence of prey and predator presented on a chart, is also a very helpful tool to improve graph analysing and describing skills. The source is scientifically reliable as the actual data of cycle of the interaction between the snowshoe hare and the Canadian lynx is demonstrated. Students not only learn more topic related words but also expand their knowledge on the surrounding environment. The resource can be used for self-directed, peer assisted and collaborative learning. Weakness: students do not gain practical laboratory skills.

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Predator and Prey