Normal
Model book
explain how the ideas expressed in texts connect to experiences, skills, and knowledge
Think critically about a topic and gather evidence to support
Ohio Guppies
Think critically about a topic and gather evidence to support
We are learning to… identify the central message or main idea in a text and provide the key details in sequence, explaining how the details support the main idea or message.
I will know I can do this when:
Fluency Scale
Name | What do you think effects birds here in NZ? |
Yanni | Cats |
James | Humans - habitats, Room to live, Cats, Possums, Airports |
Braxon | Cat atcs humans hunting dogs |
Cyrena | Humans-rats-dog-cats |
Mr G | Ferrets, Cats, Rats, Mice, other birds, Dogs, Humans, Hedgehogs |
| |
Guilty | Endemic | | |
| | | |
Keep
Your
Cat
Inside
by Mike Tapp
We had a cat once that killed rats, mice, a stoat, skinks, wētā, and some birds. I know, because I saw them dying, and I saw them dead. Perhaps pet cats should be kept inside.
Are You Sure?
Scientists can
make mistakes.
From
It looks like they’re guilty
Reputable organisations, such as the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand (Forest & Bird), the Department of Conservation (DOC), and the Wildbase Hospital at Massey University are concerned about cats. The role of these organisations is to protect and care for New Zealand's native wildlife. They say that responsible cat owners should keep their cats inside to protect our native species, at least at night.
What have they observed – and what data have they gathered that supports this belief?
The Wildbase Hospital treats many native birds and reptiles that are the victims of ferocious cat attacks. Their records list kākāpō, kiwi, black stilts, and kererū (wood pigeon) as victims. That's bad. Things don't look good for cats.
But then again
Not many pet cats live near kiwi and kākāpō anymore. There's a good chance that it was feral or wild cats that attacked the Wildbase Hospital victims. But what if the main thing that pet cats kill is rats?
Rats raid nests, kill chicks, eat skinks and, in winter, eat the insects that native animals need for food. I'd like to think that my cat killed mostly rats. I used to find headless rats in my garden.
Is this evidence convincing enough?
←
Removing a rat from a DOC 200 trap
2
A night-time conclusion
Scientific research shows that many of our endemic animals are more active at night. Tree wētā use that night time to climb trees to feed on young leaves and flowers, and ruru (morepork) swoop silently through the dark, hunting prey. Along the coast, little blue penguins, the smallest of all the penguins, return to land at nightfall. Some skinks and geckos are most active at dawn and dusk, hunting for spiders, slaters, and beetles.
One conclusion from this reliable and relevant evidence is that many of our native creatures are in greater danger from predators at night.
←
Tree wētā
→
Gecko
What is significant evidence?
Good scientific evidence comes from reliable information. If you and other people keep repeating an experiment and keep getting the same answers when you repeat that experiment, then the information you end up with should be reliable. If you keep getting very different answers, then your data is not reliable. You will need to think about why you might be getting different results. You will need to examine your methodology, what you are measuring and observing, and what might be happening. Evidence is valid if it is reliable, relevant, and gathered methodically. Relevant means that the observations you make and the data you gather give you information about the object you are investigating. Evidence that is reliable and valid can be used to make conclusions. These conclusions are scientific statements about things that are correct.
3
Let’s
look at some studies
It seems like a sensible idea to keep cats inside, because New Zealanders have a lot of pet cats. Most people live in or around towns or cities, and it is estimated that, incredibly, there are 220 pet cats for every square kilometre. That’s a lot of cats. What’s their impact? Scientists are studying what the cats are catching.
←�STUDY 1 �WELLINGTON 2000
DOC and Forest & Bird studied 130 pet cats. Cat owners helped by recording the prey that their cats killed and brought home for 3 months.
4
→�STUDY 2 �DUNEDIN 2010
University of Otago scientists studied 208 pet cats. Cat owners helped by recording the prey that their cats killed and brought home for 1 year.
Is the study information reliable?
Information from other studies might change our conclusions.
For example:
The scientists in Wellington and Dunedin had to rely on owners recording the catches that their pet cats brought home. What if owners misidentified animal remains or discovered that their cat was a notoriously frequent hunter? They might under-report. Lots of owners in both studies reported that their cats didn’t kill anything. That’s unlikely. And what do you think about the sample size in each case? Is 130 to 208 cats a large enough sample?
5
But wait – kittycams and more
In 2012, a useful study in the United States used “kittycams”. Kittycams are little video cameras strapped to the cats. This study found that cats only bring home about one-third of their prey.
Another study found that cats are more likely to eat the smaller animals where they caught them, and they only bring home the bigger animals, such as rats. And of course, if no native birds are present in an area, cats can’t catch them.
Now that you have this information, what will you be doing with your cat?
↑
A kittycam
Glossary
endemic – animals that are native and originally came from one particular area in their native country
invertebrates – animals that don’t have backbones, such as snails
methodology – the method you use to carry out your observations
6
7
Acknowledgments
Text copyright © Crown 2013
The illustrations on slides 4 and 5 (silhouettes) are by Aaron McKirdy. Both these illustrations are copyright © Crown 2013.
The photograph on slide 6 (top right) © National Geographic Crittercam is used with permission.
The photographs and images on slide 1 “Gillie_at_the_window_(5535964954)” © Dwight Sipler from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gillie_at_the_window_(5535964954).jpg; slide 2 (top) “Hunting & Playing” © Feliciano Guimarães from http://www.flickr.com/photos/40145521@N00/3592823219; slide 3 (gecko) “Queenstown, New Zealand” © Abi Skipp from http://www.flickr.com/photos/9557815@N05/6654087673; slide 3 (tree wētā) “Tree Weta” © Sid Mosdell/SidPix from http://www.flickr.com/photos/22357152@N02/2169750027; slide 6 (left) “With Her Catch” © Slow Little Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503117068@N01/4405683250; and
slide 6 (bottom right) “Mousehunter” © Chris from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mousehunter.jpg are subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic licence.
The photograph on slide 2 © Mike Tapp/Department of Conservation is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported licence.
All the text, images, and photographs in this article may be copied, distributed, displayed, and revised in all media by teachers and students. Please attribute the work to the writers, illustrators, and photographers, where appropriate.
Title/Author
Genre:
Yanni
Use Google draw to create a creative cover of a book to hook your readers. Remember this does not mean use the draw tools to trace the original cover.
Upload a picture of your book cover here
Book Cover
Title/Author
Genre:
Braxon
Use Google draw to create a creative cover of a book to hook your readers. Remember this does not mean use the draw tools to trace the original cover.
Upload a picture of your book cover here
Book Cover
Quiz: Cats and Wildlife - Understanding Their Impact
1. Why do some organisations suggest keeping cats inside at night?
A) Cats are noisy after dark
B) Many native animals are most active at night
C) Cats get cold at night
D) Night-time is dangerous for cats
2. What method did scientists use to discover what cats actually catch?
A) Cutting open cats
B) Studying cat droppings
C) Using "kittycams"
D) Interviewing cat owners
3. According to the presentation, how many pet cats are estimated per square kilometre in New Zealand?
A) 50
B) 100
C) 220
D) 500
4. Which of these native animals was mentioned as being potentially harmed by cats?
A) Kiwi
B) Kangaroo
C) Koala
D) Kookaburra
5. What surprising finding did the US "kittycam" study reveal?
A) Cats never bring home their prey
B) Cats only bring home one-third of their prey
C) Cats always eat their prey
D) Cats only hunt at night
Title/Author
Genre:
Cyrena
Use Google draw to create a creative cover of a book to hook your readers. Remember this does not mean use the draw tools to trace the original cover.
Book Cover
6. What do rats do that might harm native wildlife?
A) Steal cat food
B) Raid nests and kill chicks
C) Build large homes
D) Attract more predators
7. What makes scientific evidence reliable?
A) It is written by famous people
B) It is repeated and gives consistent results
C) It is expensive to conduct
D) It involves complicated equipment
8. Why might cat owners underreport their cat's hunting?
A) They are embarrassed
B) They don't want to pay a fine
C) They might misidentify animal remains
D) Cats are secretive
9. What time are some skinks and geckos most active?
A) Midday
B) Midnight
C) Dawn and dusk
D) Early afternoon
10. What is an "endemic" animal?
A) A dangerous animal
B) An animal that is native to a specific area
C) A pet animal
D) A type of predator
“Bird of the Year” by Iona McNaughton
Answer these questions in your books:
1. forest and bird
2. no
3. 168
4. mountains
5. people
6. anyone
Braxon#
1. Forest and bird
2. no
3. 168
4. Keas live in the mountains.
5. People
6. Anyone
CANVA - Image and read…
WALT: recognise metaphor
Metaphor: Do you know what they are?
Watch the video and write a short explanation of what a metaphor is.
A metaphor compares 2 unlike things.
Eg: He has a heart of gold
The snow is a white blanket
That´s music to my ears
Metaphor
Learning Intention
LI: Think while reading, pick up new information, and come up with new ideas and thinking.
Thinking Tool
Create Response to Text
Make a copy of the graphic organiser for each text, then synthesise and make a visual image that represents the main idea across all the texts.
Synthesising
Vocabulary
plentiful plain herd
There are dung beetles all over the world. In Africa, there are several different kinds. These busy little insects play a very important part in the way nature works.
Dung beetles are found anywhere that there is dung! They are plentiful on the African plains because there are so many herd animals living there making lots of dung.
These hard-working beetles are about 2-3 cm long. Their heads are small and their bodies are large and broad. They are usually black or copper-brown in colour. They are very strong for their size. They are able to push balls of dung which are ten times bigger and heavier than they are. They do this by standing upside down and pushing with their hind legs while balancing on their front legs. Surprisingly, they can move quite quickly!
Discussion - Remembering: What are the facts?
Time to check our understanding. Have a go at the form with comprehension questions. You may want to go back and read or listen to the text again.
Just click the dung!
Thinking…
How can we look at the skills of dung beetles here in New Zealand?
Do you think this is a good idea?
GROUP
Learning Intention: Use ground rules to have a group discussion
SUCCESS CRITERIA | GROUP RATING: 1 = Few; 2 = Many; 3 = All (e.g. Few means only two or less of your group members used this rule during the discussion; Many means over half; All means the whole group) |
Actively listen (includes not talking over others) | Cp 2 j2 BW2 Y2 |
Respectfully take part giving ideas, reasons and evidence | Cp2 j3 BW2 Y2 |
Ask questions | Cp3 j2 BW2 Y3 |
Be inclusive. Invite the participation of others. | Cp2.5 j1 BW Y2 |
Stick to the topic | Cp2.1 j Y2 |
Look at other learners’ solutions. | Cp1.5C Y2 |
TOTAL | /18 |
GROUP
Learning Intention: Use ground rules to have a group discussion
GOAL(S) FOR THE FUTURE:
Remembering: What are the facts?
| Understanding: Show that you understand the information. Show that you understand these words by writing down what the word means, use it in a sentence and create a picture. plentiful plain herd | Understanding: Show that you understand the information. Create a diagram showing how dung beetles move balls of dung. Include labels to explain what is happening in your drawing. |
Understanding: Show that you understand the information. Choose one paragraph from the report. Decide on a heading for that paragraph. Write down ‘trigger words’ (words that trigger the information in your head.) Use the heading and trigger words to rewrite the paragraph in your own words. | | Applying: Using the information in another way. Comic Strip/Animation - Make a comic strip or animation about the life of a dung beetle. Use speech bubbles or captions. Include some of the information from the report. |
Analysing: Identifying features that help the dung beetle survive Information Web - Make a list of all the physical features and behaviours of the dung beetle that are mentioned in the report. Brainstorm how these things help them to survive. Show your ideas on an information web. | Connections: Dung Beetles in New Zealand Do we have Dung Beetles in New Zealand? Use the following sites to identify key information and use it in a poster about Dung Beetles in New Zealand. | Creating: Coming up with new ideas. Super Dung Beetles - Design a new improved dung beetle which is much better at surviving in its habitat. You could include features for fighting off other dung beetles, better ways of finding dung and keeping it fresh. Make sure you label your improvements. |
Connecting to Ideas & Messages
People are ‘afakasi’.
Selina Tusitala Marsh celebrates the diversity in people
Analysing Connections to Ideas
Example of blank graphic organiser
Example of completed graphic organiser
Coronation Forest - Environmental issue and solution.
Glossary
�
commercial diameter | intended to make money the distance through the centre of a circle from one side to the other |
engineered wood | boards made from chips of wood that are pressed together using a special glue |
exotic | introduced from another country; not native |
seedlings tradition | very young, small trees something that has taken place for a long tim |
Coronation forest - What do you think about the forest?
Would this work if we planted out Rawhiti domain?
P | M | I |
Cyrena: We would get more fresh air | Cyrena: Lots of kids will climb and destroy the trees | Cyrena: OUr domain is big |
Braxon | | |
Yanni more shad | Less pasey to play | We could cim them |
James | | |
Ordering
Use the text to help you organise this flow-chart to describe what happens to the trees in Coronation Forest when they are processed - Post this drawing to your blog with an explanation.
Instructions:
What do you know?
Discussion
SUCCESS CRITERIA | GROUP RATING: 1 = Few; 2 = Many; 3 = All (e.g. Few means only two or less of your group members used this rule during the discussion; Many means over half; All means the whole group) |
Actively listen (includes not talking over others) | |
Respectfully take part giving ideas, reasons and evidence | |
Ask questions | |
Be inclusive. Invite the participation of others. | |
Stick to the topic | |
Look at other learners’ solutions. | |
TOTAL | /18 |
GROUP
Learning Intention: Use ground rules to have a group discussion
GOAL(S) FOR THE FUTURE:
Answer Key: Cats
1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. B