Explore
First, we will study elephant herds. Use this paper to write down what you are learning.
Write down what you already know about elephants.
Write down what you learn about elephants after watching Elephants 101.
Write down what you already know about elephants.
Write down what you learn about elephants after watching Elephants 101.
Join Dr. Joyce Poole in Mozambique to observe elephants. Dr. Joyce Poole is an expert on elephant behavior because she has spent over 40 years studying elephants. She has learned that elephants use a variety of calls and gestures to communicate thoughts and feelings.
Watch Elephant Behavior. Listen for 3 elephant behaviors that Joyce identifies. Record them on your page.
During this video Dr. Poole is working to create a dictionary of elephant behavior called an ethogram. It took her many years to make this ethogram. Ethograms are helpful because scientists can use them to collect data and look for patterns to understand animals. We will use the data to help us answer these two questions:
Explain
What do animals do in groups?
Why do some animals live in groups?
Why do some animals live in groups?
Look at the ethogram below. (click here to print) Become familiar with the elephant behaviors by acting them out. You could even use these to play a game of charades.
Use the ethogram above to understand the Field Journal below. (click here to print)
What do you notice about this field guide? Answer the questions below:
Use the information on the field guide to create a graph. This will help us to think about why animals live in groups and what they do in groups.
Answer the questions below, based on information from the graph you made.