Lesson: Long-Distance Lynx

Tell students that they will be reading an article about lynxes that live in Canada and Alaska. Scientists have been studying this population to try to learn more about their movements. Then ask the following questions:

• What are some reasons that animals move from their homes? (Answers will vary. Possible answers: changing weather, avoiding predators, overcrowding of space, looking for food, changing habitat, humans moved in and changed their surroundings, etc.)

• Do you think most animals that move from their homes move permanently or temporarily? (Answers will vary.)

• How are scientists able to gather data to know how animals move? (Answers will vary. Possible answer: They track individual animals by tagging the animals.)

Distribute or digitally share the “Cause and Effect” literacy skills sheet. Read through the instructions and definitions. Have a volunteer read the first paragraph of the article aloud to the class. Tell students: “I notice that Tim Newton went to the window and looked outside because he heard something. Tim heard something first, so that is the cause. Then he went to the window. That is the effect.” Then have students read the remainder of the article in pairs and complete their skills sheet. Choose a few volunteers to share the cause-and-effect relationships they recorded. (Possible answers: Lynx populations are high. •  Lynx sightings are more common; Snowshoe hare populations peaked in the fall of 2018. • Lynx populations are high; Food is scarce. • Lynxes travel to another area.) 

Read through the introduction and the example of the “Working With Rates” box on page 19. Point out the following important details from the example:

• For Step 1: The distance is in the numerator and the time is in the denominator because the question asks for a rate in miles per day.

• For Step 2: The conversion factor has week in the numerator and days in the denominator. Notice that this allows the unit week to be canceled. The final unit can therefore be miles per day, which is what is requested in the question.

• For Step 3: The numerator is divided by the denominator. Remember that the fraction bar implies division.

In this lesson, students convert units within a measurement system. Provide students with conversion rates between different measurement systems, such as kilograms to pounds. Teach students how to use Step 2 from the “Working With Rates” box on page 19 to convert measurements between different measurement systems.

Have students learn more about lynxes by visiting defenders.org/wildlife/canada-lynx. Specifically, have them click on the “What You Can Do” tab to see how they can help protect lynxes. Allow students to research facts and figures about other animals. Then have them write about what they can do to help protect those animals as well.

Have students choose a chore to do at home. They should do the same chore each day for one week. Have them time how long the chore takes them each day to determine how much time they spent doing the chore for the whole week. Tell students to write this as a rate expressed in minutes per week. Then have them convert that rate to determine the number of minutes per day they typically spent doing the chore.