not use a bright flash that will startle animals. This article provides a structure for using remote cam-
eras as an innovative schoolyard science tool with fifth grade students. It begins with a lesson on documenting “animal sign” (i.e. animal tracks, scat, fur and feathers, etc.) and choosing remote camera sites. It continues with a tuto- rial on how to set up and monitor a schoolyard camera and analyze the data retrieved from the schoolyard. It concludes with a process for developing and implementing proposals to improve wildlife habitat in the schoolyard. While many analyses of camera findings can be con-
ducted, the basic steps remain the same. Students search the schoolyard and carefully document animal sign. Then they choose locations for 1 or 2 remote cameras, monitor them for 10 weeks, analyze their findings to determine the amount of animal activity, and compare those findings to those from a protected area. Finally, students propose and implement a habitat-improvement project for the schoolyard. Young people do not realize there are so many interesting
things that they can learn about animals in their own school- yard and neighborhood. In Minnesota, many students are surprised to learn that animals such as Virginia opossum, White-tailed deer, and Gray fox are active in their school- yards. One student on the way out to check a camera asked me, “Where do all of these animals go when we’re here playing at recess?” Using remote cameras helps teachers to increase tech-
nology learning in their classrooms and brings students out- side to create meaningful connections. They are a powerful tool to increase student understanding of local biodiversity and to connect them more intimately with their schoolyard environment. Whenever we head outside to check our cam- eras, we pick up trash, identify animal sign, and talk about wildlife habitat and what it means in our schoolyard. Students soon pick their favorite species, learn more about their habitat requirements, and become passionate about greening their schoolyard. Through this experiential, highly interac- tive experience, students come to understand more about their local landscape, their role in caring for the wildlife in that landscape, and their broader role in society. Experiencing the outdoors through this schoolyard science activity during 5th grade has the ability to set students on a path of continued biological exploration.
“I want the cameras to stay!”—Keith, 5th grade
Lesson: Schoolyard CSI: Documenting Animal Sign Time: two 50-minute class periods
“I have a little patch of forest by my house that I never go in. I’m going to spend some time exploring this weekend and see how much animal sign I can find.”—Alexa, 5th grade
“I think our school supports wildlife because I see a lot of trails, scat, and feathers here.”—Jacob, 5th grade
After spending too much time indoors, most young people cannot identify outdoor sites where animal activity is high. This lesson guides students through a process of discovery
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of the animals likely to be found in their region and how to recognize signs of those animals in the schoolyard. The schoolyard worksheet (Figure 1) includes a high resolution, image of the schoolyard (Google Earth provides them freely for use in schools) and a tally sheet used by students to record the animal signs that they find. In the first class period, students make predictions about which animals are likely to be found in the schoolyard compared to a nearby protected area. In the second class period, they search their schoolyard for animal sign and then decide as a class on the location for cameras. (If more than one class of students is involved, allow students from each to make decisions about the locations of one camera during the 10 week monitoring period.)
Objectives • Consider species present in a local wildlife habitat area
• Document animal sign in the schoolyard • Analyze the schoolyard for areas of animal use • Nominate locations for camera placement
Materials • Protected-area mammal species list (Ask a park manager from the protected area nearest your school for a list).
• Slideshow of pictures of mammal species found in the protected-area. Include the common and scientific names on each photo. To obtain photos from government sites that you can freely use for educational purposes, do an internet search using the common name and “.gov” in the search line.
• Schoolyard evidence worksheet (Figure 1).
• Clipboards for the schoolyard worksheet to be taken outside by students working in pairs.
• Field journal for individual notes and recording clues.
Setting the Scene Explain to students that scientists around the world are now using remote cameras to study far-away species such as jaguars, rhinos, as well as wildlife closer to home. They can also be used to monitor animals in schoolyards. Describe how remote cameras work (see above) and let students know that they have an opportunity to select the locations of up to 2 cameras. Since it is ideal to have each camera placed in 3 different locations during the 10 week monitoring period, students will decide every 3–4 weeks if and where they should be moved. Over those 10 weeks, the two cameras will collect a total of 140 trapnights’ worth of images. (i.e. One trapnight equals one camera per night). Using the mammal species list, ask students to predict
which mammals will be captured by class cameras and those might use the schoolyard as habitat. Mark each mam- mal species on the board as: + (mammals we think use the schoolyard as habitat) vs. (mammals we think will be captured by our cameras) (See Figure 5 below.) Tell the students to consider the species that they predict will use the schoolyard as habitat as they identify and nominate camera locations. Explain that “animal sign” consists of visible marks
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