Siskiyou Environmental Education Center
The Mammal Kit contains a pelt and skull collection of common mammals. Tracking activities help sharpen student’s senses outside, making them more aware of subtle signs that reveal the variety of animals that we live with.
Activities:
- Keying Tracks –introducing methods needed to identify animal tracks
- Tracks Casting–allows students to discover animal tracks and signs
- Sand Tracks Detective Game –improves observational skills, perception, and problem-solving skills.
- Neat Feet –looking at mammal habitats and calculating how much weight their feet support.
- A Skull to Match –introducing different mammal skulls and their varying teeth
- Dental Detectives –identifying different types of teeth and how they are used
- Flying Mammals –learning about bats
- Bat and Moth Activity –looking at nocturnal animals and important functions of bats
- Track Casting –making your own tracks
Books:
- America’s Neighborhood Bats
- Animal Tracks of WA and OR
- National Audubon Society’s: First Field Guide
- Peterson’s First Guides- Mammals
- Nature Scope- Amazing Mammals
- Skulls and Bones
- Discovering Marine Mammals
- Scat, Tracks, and Other Animal Signs
- Native American Animal Stories
- Animal Tracks f the Pacific Northwest
- Jackson County Habitat Guide
Resources:
- Eyewitness Mammals Video
- Bats: The True Story Video
- Animal Scat Molds
- Various Mammal Skulls (Beaver, Bobcat, Raccoon, Coyote, etc.)
- Various Mammal Skins (Couger, Red Fox, Bear, Ermine, etc.)
- Track Cast Replicas
- Various Animal Information Sheets
- Various other mammals resources