I.B.1 Part Three-Creating a Story (inside the classroom)

1. On the chalkboard, list the different kinds of tracks the class found and draw simple illustrations of the tracks. (Students can help you do this.)
   
   
2. Put the following story and map example on the board. (You can also include the raccoon example.):

Early one morning, a mother deer and her young fawn went to the bushes to eat but found a little girl picking the berries and ran away.

Read the example to your class and explain how to use animal tracks and other map features to write a story. Stories should be short and simple and include the following:

• Map of tracks (students should be aware of track sizes and stride lengths)
• Any plants and buildings that are part of the story
• A key to the tracks
3. Have the students fill in the tracks that tell the story on the map example.

Results
After completing this activity, your students should:

• Understand that animals have different ways of moving.
• Be able to examine features of a track and make an educated guess about the animal that made it or the animal's behavior.

Further Questions and Activities for Motivated Students

1. Make plaster casts of a variety of animal tracks for a reference collection.
2. Investigate other kinds of signs animals leave behind, such as chewing marks, nests and dens, scat, and digging evidence. Keep a journal of your discoveries and include a description and a sketch of what you see. Be sure to date each journal entry.