What did we do last class Lesson 6

What did we do last class? Lesson 6 - We figured out the factors present that influence the population changes in the buffalos before 1975 and how the population of the wildebeest is affected by these factors.

LESSON 7: How do we know whether or not a population will grow, stay stable or decline?

Remembering Last Class What did we figure out last class? What did we decide to investigate?

Initial Ideas What things should be included in our model of the Serengeti ecosystem? What are some big events (that have had a big impact on the ecosystem) that we’ve discussed?

What tool have we used that could help us answer these questions? Hint:

Before starting the simulation ● Answer Questions 1 -4 in your lab notebook. 1. If you infect the buffalo population with a disease, how do you predict that will affect the buffalo population? 2. How do you think it will affect the wildebeest population? 3. Do you think the migration patterns of the wildebeest will help or hurt the population? Explain your answer. 4. What do you think will happen to the buffalo and wildebeest populations when the cattle start to get vaccinated for Rinderpest?

Simulation Investigation PROCEDURE FOR INVESTIGATION: http: //serengeti. inquiry-hub. net/ When you have finished running the simulation, answer questions 5 -8 in your Lab notebook.

5. Consider all the factors you observed in the simulation, what conclusions can you make about the population of buffalo? 6. Consider all the factors you observed in the simulation, what conclusions can you make about the population of the wildebeest? 7. During this simulation what do you notice about the migration patterns of the wildebeest and the pattern of the seasonal rains? 8. During this simulation the seasonal rains were on, how does this affect the populations of both the buffalo and the wildebeest?

CONCLUSION: 9. Using the data from this simulation, what conclusions can you make about the relationship between the buffalo and wildebeest living in the Serengeti ecosystem?

Conclusion Question In the teams, discuss the answer to your conclusion question Answer Questions 10 -13 in your Lab Notebook

Making Predictions Use the information from the simulation to figure out what the buffalo population looks like after 1975? Use the information from the simulation to figure out what the wildebeest population looks like after 1975?

Incremental Model Trackers Let’s add what we’ve figured out to our Incremental Model Trackers

Buffalo and Wildebeest Predictions What did we figure out about the interactions between buffalo, wildebeest, and other organisms in the Serengeti ecosystem? What components and interactions should be in our model? What mechanisms should we include in our model?

Next Steps What have we figured out? What should we investigate next?

What’s Next - Students will look at the relationship between wildfires, giraffes, wildebeest and buffalo Lesson 8