Bat-Sized (K-5) At a glance This activity will help students practice measuring and data gathering skills at the Nocturnal House as they learn interesting facts about bats and compare this information to themselves. Grade(s) Grades K-5 Materials For each student: Clipboard Pencil 1 copy of student page Measuring tool (meters or yards) Academic standards Ohio Mathematics Academic Content Standards (Grade: Indicators) Kentucky Core Content Mathematics Indiana Mathematics Standards Goal(s) To determine the sizes of different bats and how they relate to their own size Objective(s) Student will be able to use a measuring tool, Student will be able to collect data from observations and signage and organize it in a table, Student will be able to describe the relative sizes of different bats (larger, smaller or equal), and Students will be able to create a graph showing the difference in bat sizes. Number, Number Sense and Operations (K: 8,10) (1: 11a.) (2: 6) (3: 3,12) (4: 3,13,14) (5:4) Measurement (K: 2,3) (1: 1,5) (2&3: 1a.,5) (4: 5) (5:5) Pattern and Function (K: 1a.) (1: 5) (2: 7) (3: 8) Data Analysis and Probability Standards (K: 2) (2: 1,6) (3: 1,3) (4: 2) (5:4) Mathematical Processes (K-2: B, D & H) (3-4: A, B, F, G & J) Number Properties and Operations Number Sense MA-(EP-1.1.2) (EP-1.1.3) (04-1.1.2) (04-1.1.3) Estimation MA-(EP-1.2.1) (EP-1.3.1) (04-1.2.1) (04-1.3.1) Measurement Measuring Physical Attributes MA-(EP-2.1.1) (EP-2.1.4) (EP-2.1.6) (042.1.1) (2.1.6) Systems of Measurement MA-(EP-2.2.1) (04-2.2.1) Data Analysis and Probability Data Representations MA-(EP-4.1.1) (EP-4.1.2) (EP-4.1.3) (04-4.1.1) (04-4.1.2) (04-4.1.3) Number Sense (K.1.2) (K.1.6) (K.1.9) (2.1.12) (4.1.4) Algebra and Functions (K.3.1) Measurement (K.5.1) (1.5.1) (1.5.4) (2.5.1) (3.5.12) (4.5.1) (4.5.2) Problem Solving (1.6.1) (1.6.5) (2.6.1) (2.6.5) (4.7.2) Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 1 of 7
Background Bats, the incredible flying mammals, have many things in common with people. As mammals, they are covered with hair, have live birth, feed their babies milk and maintain their own body temperatures. Other familiar mammals are cows, dogs, elephants and cats. There are approximately 1,000 species of bats ranging in size from flying fox bats with 6-foot wingspans to bumblebee bats with 6-inch wingspans. Bats are found on all continents except Antarctica. About 70 % are insect eaters, 23% are fruit eaters while others eat fish, flesh, pollen and nectar. Just three of the 1,000 species are vampires. Bats are mammals with special adaptations that allow them to truly fly, not just glide like flying squirrels. Their forelimbs (front legs) are modified as wings. They have four fingers, a thumb and the same bones in their hands and arms as we do. However, the sizes of these bones are different and a membrane connects these bones to form wings. Their legs are small and weak because they are used to support the body while hanging upside down to sleep and rest. Activity Step 1 How big are bat wings? Go to the Nocturnal House and find the sign titled Sizes of Wings. Explain that on this sign are outlines of bats showing the size of the wings of the largest (flying fox) and smallest (bumblebee) bats in the world. Students use measuring devices to take actual measurements of each bat s wingspan and record this information on their worksheet. Bumblebee bat = 6 (13cm) Flying fox bat = 72 (200 cm) Students will decide if their arm span is larger,(>) smaller,(<) or equal(=) to the wingspan of each of the two bats on the sign by standing with his/her back to the sign with arms outstretched. Students will form pairs and measure each other s arm span and record this on their worksheets. Students will round their measurement to the nearest whole number. Step 2 - Observing Bats After completing the worksheets, go into the Nocturnal House and observe the bats in their exhibits. Ask students if they can see the bats wings? Are any of these bats as large as the flying fox bat outline? YES Are they as small as the bumblebee bat outline? NO Vampire bat = 11 ½ -12 ½ (32 cm) Gigantic flying fox bat = 72 (200cm) (Grades 3-4) Read signs at each exhibit that tell about these bats. Are any of them the same as those on the sign that you measured outside the building? YES The Gigantic flying fox bat Step 3 Back at School Students will use data from the worksheet to find the difference between the wingspan of the flying fox bat and their own arm span. Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 2 of 7
Students will decide if this difference is larger, smaller or equal to their own? If larger or smaller, by how much? What about the bumblebee bat? Students will find the difference between the wing span of the flying fox bat and the bumblebee bat. Students decide whether flying fox bat s wingspan is larger, smaller or equal to the bumblebee bat s wingspan? If larger or smaller, by how much? Extensions Students can create a graph showing the arm span of each student in the class. The wingspan of the bumblebee bat and the flying fox bat can be added to the graph. Students can develop their own math problems using the information they have generated. These problems can be exchanged with each other or shared with other classrooms. Students can practice making simple unit conversions from inches to feet, or centimeters to meters. Assessment Have the students turn in their completed student pages. Unsatisfactory Student did not complete all required elements and/or achieved less than 60% accuracy. Satisfactory Student completed all required elements and achieved between 60 and 85% accuracy. Excellent Student completed all required elements and achieved greater than 85% accuracy. Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 3 of 7
Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized Nocturnal House Student Page Grades K-5 At the Zoo Go to the Nocturnal House and find the sign titled Sizes of Wings. This sign shows the outlines of two different species (kinds) of bats the bumblebee bat and the flying fox bat. Look carefully at the outlines of the two bats. If you spread your arms as wide as you can, how do you compare to the sizes of the bat outlines? a) Stand directly in front of the bumblebee bat outline. Spread your arms out as wide as you can and compare your arm span to the bumblebee bat wing span. Is your arm span larger(>), smaller(<) or the same as(=) the bumblebee bat wing span? > < = b) Stand in front of the flying fox bat outline. Spread your arms wide again and compare your arm span to the flying fox bat wing span. Is your arm span larger, smaller or the same as the flying fox bat wing span? > < = Use your measuring device and take the exact measurements of the wing spans of the bumblebee bat and flying fox bat. (K-2) Round to the nearest number. (3-4) Round to the nearest tenth. Also measure your arm span and your classmate s arm span. Write these numbers in the correct boxes in the chart below. Bumblebee bat wingspan Flying fox bat wingspan My arm span Classmate s arm span Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 4 of 7
Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized Nocturnal House Student Page Grades K-5 (cont.) Go inside the Nocturnal House and look for the live bats in the exhibits. Can you see their wings? Are they as big as the outline of the flying fox bat on the sign outside? Are they as small as the outline of the bumblebee bat on the sign? Find the signs that tell you about these bats. Are any of the bats a flying fox bat or a bumblebee bat? Write down the names of the two bat species in this building. Which bat is the largest? Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 5 of 7
Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized Student Page Grades K-5 (cont.) Back at School Look at the chart of information you made during your Zoo visit to help answer these questions. a) Compare the wing span measurements of the bumblebee bat and the flying fox bat. Which is larger? How much? How did you get your answer? b) Compare the wing span measurement of the flying fox bat and your arm span. Which is larger? How much? How did you get your answer? c) Compare the wing span measurement of the bumblebee bat and your arm span. Which is larger? How much? How did you get your answer? Use the information from your chart and make a graph showing the wingspan or arm span measurements of the following: a) bumblebee bat b) flying fox bat c) your measurement d) classmate s measurement Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 6 of 7
Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized Nocturnal House Chaperon - Solution Page The name of this activity is Bat Sized. The location for this activity is the Nocturnal House at the Zoo. There is a sign outside the Nocturnal House titled Sizes of Wings which has the outlines of the largest (flying fox) and smallest (bumblebee) bats in the world. Students will look at the bat outlines on the sign and decide how their arm span compares to the wing spans of the bats. a) Have each student stand in front of the outline of the bumble bee bat with his/her arms spread out as far as possible. This is their arm span. The students will each compare their arm spans with the wing span of the bat. Each student will decide if their arm span is larger, smaller or equal to the bumble bat. They will circle their choice on their worksheet. b) Follow the same procedure with the flying fox bat outline. Each student will use their measuring devices and measure the wing span of the bumblebee bat and flying fox bat. Have students (K-2) round to the nearest whole number, and (K-4) round the nearest tenth on their measuring device. Students will form pairs and take turns measuring each others arm spans. Students will write the wing span measurements of the two bats, their own arm span and the arm span of their partner s arm span in the chart on their worksheet. Bumblebee bat Flying fox bat My arm span Classmate s arm span Take the students inside the Nocturnal House and look for the live bats in the exhibit. The students will look for the bats wings. Are they as big as the outline of the flying fox bat outline on the sign? YES Students will write their answers on the worksheet. (One bat is as large as the sign.) Are they smaller than the outline of the bumble bee bat? Write answer on worksheet. (No) Help the students find the signs that tell about the bats. Students will write the names of the two bat species on their worksheets gigantic flying fox bat and common vampire bat. Which bat is larger? Students write answer on worksheet (gigantic flying fox bat). Zoo Math Days: Bat-Sized, September, 2009 Page 7 of 7