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INTRODUCTION
The process of science is iterative and adaptable. Scientific inquiry is often initiated by making observations about the natural world. Observations can inspire questions about phenomena, to gain understanding about how nature works. For scientists to answer a question, it must be testable, meaning that it could be answered by designing an experiment and/or collecting data. After identifying a testable question, the scientist may form a hypothesis, which is an explanation for the observed phenomenon based on observations and/or prior scientific knowledge, and predict the expected results of the investigation if the hypothesis is supported. The scientist can test the hypothesis through experimentation or further observation and then analyze and interpret the collected data.
In this activity, you will use actual trail camera data from your choice of two natural parks: Gorgorosa and Darien, to generate a testable question, form a hypothesis and prediction, and choose and analyze the appropriate data to answer your question from the WildCam Lab. The results of your investigation may contribute to the conservation effort in Gorongosa or Darien National Park.
THE PARKS
Gorongosa National Park is a 1,570-square-mile protected area in Mozambique. Lion researcher Paola Bouley and her team use motion-detecting trail cameras to learn more about Gorongosa’s lions. Lions are not the only animal captured by these cameras. The photos provide valuable information on a variety of different animals, including numbers to help estimate populations, behaviors, and interactions with other animals. The public has identified animals and collected data from the photos on a citizen science website called WildCam Gorongosa (www.wildcamgorongosa.org). The WildCam Lab is a part of WildCam Gorongosa, where you can view trail camera data on a map, filter, and download the data to investigate scientific questions.
You can learn more about the trail camera project and help identify animals at WildCam Gorongosa.
MATERIALS
Internet access, computers/tablets with spreadsheet software (Excel or Google Sheets)
PROCEDURE
Several online/supplemental resources are used in this activity:
Gorongosa Interactive Map
WildCam Lab for data sets
Tutorial for analyzing data
Follow the instructions and answer the questions in the spaces provided.
PART 1: Making Observations and Asking Questions
Launch the Gorongosa Interactive Map (http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/gorongosa-national-park-interactive-map) to learn more about the natural features and vegetation types of Gorongosa National Park. In the menu on the left side of the interactive, click on and off the different layers of the map. Clicking features on the map will launch pop-up windows with additional information.
The map for Darien is a little less detailed: https://classroom.zooniverse.org/#/wildcam-darien-lab/students/map. There is some information on the ecology of both ecosystems under the “Ecology” tab at the top of the map.
What biomes are present in the park? Describe briefly the climate in the area.
How many types of vegetation are present in the park and what are they?
What are the sources of water in the area? (Rivers, lakes)
C: Open the Data page of WildCam Lab (https://lab.wildcamgorongosa.org/students/data). You can choose to explore Gorgorosa or Darien or both. A legend in the lower left of the screen explains how the map is color-coded by vegetation type and natural features. The orange dots on the map show the location of cameras. When you click on any of the orange dots, a pop-up window with a random selection of six images is displayed from that camera. Along the top of the pop-up window, information is displayed about the camera location and vegetation type
