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SCIN 130 AMU Lab 1 Scientific Method Introduction to Biology American Military University

  • Name of class: SCIN 130 Introduction to biology
  • Name of School: American Military University </br> American Public University
  • Posted By: Nicholas34

SCIN 130 AMU Lab 1 Scientific Method Introduction to Biology American Military University assistance is available at Domyclass

General Instructions

Step 1: Read and complete the Lesson for the week – both the Lecture and Lab portion found in the APUS online classroom! The information you acquire in this Lab will be included in your quiz for the week – so make sure you have it completed prior to taking the quiz!

Step 2: Complete all the activities in this lab instruction packet: SCIN 130 Lab 1: The Scientific Method.  Work through the instruction packet step by step. Record your results in the worksheet as you progress through this instruction packet.

Step 3: You should save a copy of your completed lab with your name and lab # in the title. For example, if you are Felicetti and this is lab 1, you would title your document: FelicettiLab1.doc. You are then to add this as an attachment to the quiz for the week! 

Please note the following:

For any sections that request that you “take notes”, the notes should be in your own words summarizing information learned. You should not copy and paste information from the Internet including media and resources accessed in this lab. Directly copying and pasting information is considered plagiarism in this course.

When taking screenshots save with file name that has your last name, the lab number and the screenshot number. For example, for the first screenshot in lab 1 if your last name was Felicetti the file name would be FelicettiLab1Shot1.jpeg. It is important to follow this image labeling structure. Images submitted without proper labeling will be graded as a zero.

This lab instruction packet will be submitted with the quiz for the week when completed. Again, save the file with your name and the lab number as a Word document. For example, if this was Lab 1 and your last name was Felicetti the file name would be FelicettiLab1.docx. It is important to follow this file labeling structure. Files submitted without proper labeling are subject to a score of zero.

General Instructions

Be sure to read the general instructions from the Lessons portion of the class prior to completing this packet.

Remember, you are to upload this packet with your quiz for the week!

Background

In this lab, we are going to explore elephants, their current status, and discuss why it is so important to survey them. This ties in to the scientific method:

  • Ask A Question
  • Do Background Research
  • Construct A Hypothesis
  • Test with an Experiment
  • Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions
  • Communicate Results


Specific Lab Instructions

Name:     

Date:     

Go to: Survey Methods for African Elephants

Read the “Why Study Elephants” page and answer the following questions:

  1. What is the question that scientists are trying to address with this study?
     
     
  • What is a potential hypothesis for an experiment involving these elephants?
  • Elephants are considered to be a keystone species. What does that mean?
     
  • Name three elephant activities or functions that justify the term “keystone species” and describe how the activity changes African ecosystems.
Elephant Activity Change in Ecosystem
           
           
           
  • Why have elephant populations been declining for the past several decades?
     

Click on the Species Range

  • Click on the Forest Elephant Range, then the Savanna Elephant Range. Which is larger?

Forest Elephant Range

Savanna Elephant Range

  • Review the Methods, Advantages and Disadvantages of the Species Range data collection; add your thoughts in the table on the last page of this packet.

Click on Individual Range.

  • Take the time to watch the video! In general, why to elephants move across the land?
     
  • Why do we only have to collar one mature female to get a lot of data of movement of a group and not all individuals?
     
  1. Review the Methods, Advantages and Disadvantages of the Individual Range; add your thoughts in the table on the last page of this packet.

Review the methods in the How Many section.

  1. Discuss the methods, sample type, advantages and disadvantages of each in the table at the end of this packet.

Click on the Population Change. Review the video, and read the introductory material.

     
  1. Turn on both the 1979 and 2007 range for the elephants on the map. How did the range change? Did it increase, decrease or stay the same?
  1. Turn off the 1979 and 2007 range layers, and turn on the 2016 trends layer. What types of changes do you notice? Are there specific areas where the population is decreasing or increasing? Why do you think this is?
     

Adapted from: Click and Learn “Survey Methods.” (2016). HHMI Biointeractive Teaching Materials.

  Information Gathered Methods Used Type of Count (Total or Sample/Direct or Indirect) Advantages Disadvantages
Species Range             N/A            
Individual Range             N/A            
Aerial Survey                              
Individual Registration                              
Acoustic Surveys                              
Dung Transects