Scientific Method Review

All science students/grades will continue our review of the scientific method this week. Each student should study the PowerPoint entitled “How science works” that resides on our wiki space (http://zoowiki.wikispaces.com/ ). Students have probably seen this material at least once before at their lower grade levels.

The classroom exercise today will concentrate on skills required to apply the scientific method (observe, measure, and classify). We are classifying three bat specimens (order Chiroptera) that were collected in and around our school over the summer and preserved for study. Students will use the dichotomous key from Clair, et al. 1989 to identify our bats.

Natural History Notes: There are more than 850 species of bats worldwide. Oklahoma has 19 bat species representing two taxonomic families. This material corresponds to Oklahoma’s Science Process and Inquiry standards 1.1-3 and 2.1-2.

Reference:

Caire, W., J.D. Tyler, B.P. Glass, and M.A. Mares. 1989. Mammals of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma, Norman. 567p.