ACTIVITY HUNGRY HUNGRY PANTHERS You need Paper and

ACTIVITY: HUNGRY, HUNGRY PANTHERS You need: -Paper and Pencil/Pen

INTRODUCTION It’s been said that every person on the planet, all 7 billion of us, could fit into the state of Texas. But being able to fit a certain number of people into a space doesn’t mean they’d be able to live there for any length of time.

INTRODUCTION We need more than just a certain amount of space to survive; we need things like food and water. There isn’t enough farmland or drinking water in Texas to support 7 billion people. Texas, the US, and the planet all have limits to how much they can give to support people.

INTRODUCTION Every population has a limit. This is called its carrying capacity. This activity will help you understand the concept of carrying capacity in nature.

RULES Everyone Each will be a panther needs to gather enough food to survive for 1 month (50 kg). You will gather food from around the room. Food options are squirrels, rabbits, porcupines, beavers, and deer. You may only carry one piece of food at a time, return it to your den (desk), and hunt more. Some animals have disadvantages One panther is going to have an injured leg…you will hop One panther is going to have 2 cubs…you must collect twice as much food (100 kg) for you and your cubs to survive

TOTALING FOOD Calculate the total kg you collected using the following information: Squirrel Rabbit (S): 1 kg (R): 2 kg Porcupine Beaver Deer (P): 7. 5 kg (B): 20 kg (D): 75 kg Write this total on your paper like this: “I collected _____kg of food. ” Or if you have your tablet, write the sentence in your notes.

QUESTIONS-PLEASE DO THESE ON YOUR SCRAP PAPER With a neighbor, discuss and answer the following questions on your paper. You do not have to write the questions, but you do need to answer in complete sentences. 1. How many panthers survived in this habitat? Is that the carrying capacity of this habitat for panthers? 2. If more panthers played the game, would this habitat support them? Why or why not? 3. How are the injured panthers effected? The mother panther? 4. Predict what would happen to the panther population if all the rabbits died of a disease. Predict what would happen to the prey animals if all the panthers were captured and removed from the habitat. 5. Though this game is about the carrying capacity of panthers, do the same rules apply to humans? How are they similar and dissimilar? 6. What limiting factor does this activity represent?