author: lisa morlock illustrator: carrie anne bradsha€¦ · examples: squirrels, rabbits, frogs,...

Author: Lisa Morlock Illustrator: Carrie Anne Bradshaw

Guide created by Patricia Pierce

This guide may be reproduced for use with this express written

consent of Sleeping Bear Press

Published by

Sleeping Bear Press 315 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 200

Ann Arbor, MI 48108 800-487-2323

www.sleepingbearpress.com

http://www.sleepingbearpress.com/

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Track that Scat

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES Anticipation Questions – Discuss responses to the following questions. To actively involve all students, instruct students to respond by “thumbs up” for yes responses and “thumbs down” for no responses.

1. Scat is dangerous to touch. 2. Scat is gross and disgusting. 3. Exploring the outdoors is fun and exciting. 4. You can identify at least one animal track.

Book Marker

Cut out the above book marker. Punch out the hole on top and add a yarn tassel.

5. You have stepped in scat at least one time. 6. You have smelled a skunk more often than you have seen one. 7. You have followed a trail of animal tracks. 8. You can tell what an animal has been eating by examining its scat. 9. Tracks can tell you if the animal had been moving slow or fast.

10. Animals can be identified by their scat. The Scoop on Poop Get the scoop on poop by visiting the Web sites of the Minnesota Zoo and the Denver Zoo for interactive educational games.

• Minnesota Zoo www.whopooped.org • Denver Zoo www.denverzoo.org

Whose Poo? Game listed under the heading Kids Small Group Listing Ideas

• List common signs of wildlife in nature Examples: scat, nests, holes on tree trunk, chewed leaves, tracks

• List animals you commonly see in nature Examples: squirrels, rabbits, frogs, deer • List animals you don’t commonly see, but know they live in your area

Examples: owls, raccoons, possums • List types of animal homes

Examples: nests, cocoons, holes in trees, dens, burrow, shell • List human signs and the effect of humans on the environment

Examples: footprints, trash, beverage cans, broken branches, fire

Track that Scat! | 9781585365364 Sleeping Bear Press | 800-487-2323 | www.sleepingbearpress.com

http://www.whopooped.org/

http://www.denverzoo.org/

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What is Scat? The word scat has multiple meanings. Read the following definitions and determine which meaning is used in each sentence below. Indicate the correct meaning by circling meaning 1, 2, or 3 after each sentence. Meaning 1 – scat: verb To go off quickly; to move fast

Meaning 2 – scat: noun Animal fecal droppings

Meaning 3 – scat: noun Jazz singing with nonsense syllables

1. We were surprised to find bear scat around our campsite.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 2. At the concert, we listened to a scat solo performance.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 3. The scientist collected endangered specie’s scat for research.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 4. “Scat,” yelled my neighbor when he found raccoons by his garbage cans.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 5. “Shoe-bop, bee-bop, diddle-do-bop,” crooned the scat singer.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 6. We knew it was time to scat when the skunk wandered into our yard.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3 7. Roundworm parasites are often found in raccoon scat.

Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Meaning 3


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Capture a Set of Tracks

Materials Needed:

• A large piece of cardboard • Flour

Directions:

1. Place the cardboard in an area where there is a high likelihood of

animal crossings, such as along a fence line or under a shady area.

2. Next, dust the cardboard with a layer of flour.

3. Leave overnight.

4. Check for tracks the following day. Identify the tracks in the flour and

look for scat nearby!

5. Clean up the area.

Outdoor Journal Find an area outside where you can sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes daily. Try to go to the same area at the same time of day for at least five days. Suggestions for viewing areas include along a fence line, near a garden, under shady trees, or near bushes. Keep a journal of the things you observe. Use the following journal page as a guide. Use the back side of the journal page to draw sketches of what you see. Be quiet and observant. Look all around you; look high and low. Listen carefully. Watch for any signs of nature. After sitting and journaling, search the area for tracks and scat. Remember to avoid touching the scat. Repeat this activity in the same area for five days, but at a different time. If possible, save your journal and repeat the entire process during each season of the year. You will be amazed at the sights and sounds of nature. Enjoy your time in the outdoors! Share what you discover with family and friends.


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Page two


My Outdoor Journal

Location _________________ Season of the Year________

Date _________ Time__________ Weather ______________________________________________ Wind blowing not blowing Temperature _____________ Sounds _________________________________________________ Insects Observed _________________________________________ Animals Observed _______________________________________________________ Plant Description _______________________________________________________ Tracks Yes No Scat Yes No My thoughts and feelings ________________________________ _____________________________________________________ (Sketches on back)

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Preserving Tracks Materials Needed:

• Small box, such as a shoe box, in which bottom of the box has been cut

out, leaving a square form or frame

• Plastic spoon

• Plaster of paris

• Disposable mixing bowl

• Container of water

• Measuring cup

Directions:

1. Find a suitable track to cast. Look in soft mud near water sources or damp

sand. The track should be deep enough to produce a solid cast.

2. Carefully clear away any debris around the track.

3. Press the box frame into the ground around the track. This frame serves as

an outer mold for the plaster.

4. Mix two cups of plaster with one cup water. Stir until the mixture is free of

lumps. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.

5. Gently pour the mixture into the track and frame.

6. Let the cast set up; usually takes approximately 30 minutes.

7. After the plaster is firm, carefully remove the frame.

8. Lift the cast and lightly brush away any dirt.

Additional ideas

• Paint the plaster surrounding the track to “set off” the track from the

plaster frame.

• Label in pencil the location, date found, and identification of the animal

on the back of the cast.


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Watch Your Step Game Cut out the game board below and on the next page. Overlap page two on page one and attach together by glueing along the gray area. Gather game markers and a die. Cut out the game cards on the following page.

Game Directions 1. Place the game markers on Start. Stack the question cards.


Question Card

Question Card .

Splat ! Oh no, you have stepped in scat.

Go back two spaces.

Question Card


Go back two spaces.

Question Card

Skit-scat! Move

ahead two spaces!

Skedaddle! A hissing skunk is in handstand stance. Move ahead three

spaces.

Question Card

Question Card

Question Card


Go back two spaces.

Question Card

START

FINISH

WINNER!

Glue page two on top of this area.

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2. Roll the die. Move your marker ahead the number of spaces rolled. Follow directions on the space. 3. Remain on the space if you answer correctly. Return to start if incorrect. 4. The first player to reach Finish wins. Game Cards

Question Card .

Skit-scat! Move ahead two

spaces.

Question Card

Question Card


Go back two spaces.

Question Card

Question Card

Splat! Oh no, you have stepped in scat.

Go back two spaces.

Skit-scat!

Move ahead three spaces!

Question Card

.

Question Card

Question Card

Splat! Oh no, you have stepped in scat.

Go back two spaces!

Question Card


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1. True or False Rabbits can growl, hiss or make a purr-like sound.

2. True or False Rabbits eat their soft, moist poop.

3. When a rabbit is bounding away, what hits the ground first, the back paws or the front paws?

4. About how many pounds of scat does a Canada goose produce daily?

5. Are geese herbivores or carnivores?

6. When geese migrate, what sound do they usually make?

7. What color is fresh goose scat?

8. Why is raccoons’ scat dangerous?

9. What do raccoons’ front paws resemble?

10. True or False Raccoons make their own toilets, latrines, far away from their dens.

11. Describe the tracks of a red fox.

12. What is usually found in red fox scat in the summer?

13. True or False The chest cavity of a red fox is extremely wide.

14. True or False The bark of a red fox sounds similar to that of a yappy dog.

15. True or False A skunk walks with a waddle.

16. What is commonly found in skunk scat?

17. What sound does a skunk usually make before it sprays?

18. True or False A skunk can spray a target from 15 feet away.

19. Describe what fresh chickadee scat looks like.

20. True or False Chickadees leave numerous tracks that are easily detected.

21. True or False Chickadees poop a lot because they eat continuously throughout the day.

22. True or False Scat can be used to help identify an animal.

23. True or False Raccoons are known to leave scat on rocks and fallen logs.

24. How can you tell if a goose feels threatened?

25. True or False A skunk can spray a target from 15 feet away.


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Splat – Right into Scat! Cut out the circle and fold along the dotted line. Place the folded circle with the bottom half resting on your desk and the top half positioned vertically. After reading Track that Scat, choose a scat to “step in.” Complete the section below.

Scat Facts

Scat Drawing

Name_____________________

Splat! I stepped right into ______________________ scat!


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Busy Feet Animal Track Socks Materials Needed:

• Track that Scat book • Pair of white, cotton socks • Fabric paint (color of your choice) • Paint brush • Strip of cardboard cut slightly longer and wider than sock

Directions:

1. Create a flat surface of the sock by stretching each sock over a piece of cardboard.

2. Looking at the illustrations in Track that Scat, choose a track to paint on the flat surface of the socks.

3. Lightly paint with fabric paint outlines of the track on each sock. You can randomly place your outlines or place them in a set pattern on the sock. Consider painting the outline on the bottom of the sock too!

4. When satisfied with your outlines, paint in the outlined areas.

5. Allow the paint to dry.

6. Repeat the process on the flip side of each sock.

7. Remove each sock from the cardboard.

Now get busy! Slip on your socks, put on your boots, and step out to explore while wearing your

animal track socks!


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Who’s Who?

Identify each animal below by reading the clues! Refer to Track that Scat if necessary.

rabbit - Canada goose - raccoon – red fox – skunk – chickadee

2. *chest cavity is narrow *fur tangles around small bones found in scat *growls and whines

animal ______________

3. *tracks are hard to detect *scat looks like small round pile of pencil lead *eats continuously

animal_________________

4. *typically silent animals *zig-zag tracks *eats own poop animal _______________

6. *five-toed tracks *scat narrows at one or both ends *walks with waddle

animal_______________

1. *three-toed web tracks *fresh scat is greenish gray *honks when migrating

animal _____________

5. *tracks look like human hands *shuffle when they walk *scat is blackish brown with reddish tint

animal_________________

Track that Scat! | 9781585365364

Sleeping Bear Press | 800-487-2323 | www.sleepingbearpress.com

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Finn’s Next Adventure

Imagine Finn on another outdoor exploring adventure. What animal scat does she find this time? Research the following facts on an animal of your choice.

Finn’s foot goes splat. Oh no! She’s stepped in _______________ scat.

Animal____________________________________________________ Habitat___________________________________________________ Description of track _________________________________________ Description of scat __________________________________________ What it eats _______________________________________________ Sounds it makes ____________________________________________ Interesting fact ____________________________________________

Draw a picture of the animal, its track and scat in the box below.


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Scat Singing Shoe-bop, bee-bop, Diddle, diddle, wee-bop

Scat like a cool cat! Ordinarily jazz scat singing is improvised. However by singing a familiar melody and changing the lyrics to nonsense silly words and syllables, you can experience the fun of scatting!

• Pick a familiar song, such as “Do Your Ears Hang Low?”

• Start by singing the original lyrics.

• Sing again, but this time change a word or two in each line to a nonsense word or syllable. Do your ears bop-bop? Do they wobble wah wah?

Can you tie doot doot?Can you tie moot moot?

• Continue changing the word to nonsense words or syllables. Do-da ba bop-bop? Do-da wobble wah wah?

Zooo-da wah doot doot?Zooo-da wah moot moot?

• Keep on scatting; improvise by changing the melody and rhythm.

Additional song suggestions: “Eensy Weensy Spider,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Hickory Dickory Dock,” “Hokey Pokey,” “ I’m a Little Teapot,” “ Skip to My Lou”

minnie, mop, mmummy, mee, wah, wah, skeep-beep-bop,

skettle-at-de-op, bada, bada, bwi,

op, moop, moop, me, oo-wee, bop,

ba, ba, bada bo, la, la, la, ding-a-ling!

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Tracking Hidden Animals In each sentence the name of an animal is hidden. Try to track it down! Combine the end of one word with the beginning of the next word to discover the hidden animal. Underline the animal name in each sentence.

Example: Issac owes three dollars in fines at the library.

1. In the wicker basket, we found a lemon, key, and books. 2. The baseball team lost because they made errors the entire game. 3. Anthony will be arriving tomorrow at noon. 4. We played soccer with Caleb at the park this weekend. 5. Keith enjoyed camping with his friends at Yellowstone National Park. 6. It was difficult to keep ignoring the whiny child. 7. Please use all the sauce from that jar before opening another. 8. The tornado gained momentum after it touched the ground. 9. The author seemed delighted to autograph my book. 10. Eric attached several pictures to his science report.


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Track that Scat Crossword Puzzle

Across 1. Name of Finn’s dog 2. To go off quickly 3. An animal that only eats plants 4. Animal fecal droppings 5. Exhausted; very tired

Down 1. An outdoor toilet that is usually a hole dug in the ground 2. Jazz singing with nonsense syllables

3. A line of marks left on the ground by something that has passed

1. 2.

1.

2. 3. 3. 4.

5.


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Scat Word Search Search for these words that tell you to scat! SCOOT SHOO LEAVE SKEDADDLE FLEE GO AWAY ESCAPE FLY THE COOP BUZZ OFF HEAD FOR THE HILLS BEAT IT GET

S K H E A D F O R T H E H I L L S B C E B O Z Z G O S C H G E Z E A F E A U S H O O H F L E B T B L O L E A V E O C F E L K A U S A U Z Y G E M L S H O G E D S Z L E B U T O Z D F Y K T E S D K Z B A E N H B U S L E A E G K Z E O H L A E E S H F K T L Z D A Y Z F E S T S C O B T F F D K B A H E F A C I C O S O C Z D S F W D D L H S T T O O L H O L F L A A Z U D E Z Z E F P S E O O C O E U R F Z L T B U Z B U Z T S G H B Z Z H F O E D L T F G E T L E A E S C A P E Z O F B S K E F B U Z H E S G E P B U T O


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Answer Key

Page 2 – What is Scat? 1. Meaning 2 2. Meaning 3 3. Meaning 2 4. Meaning 1 5. Meaning 3 6. Meaning 1 7. Meaning 2

Page 8 – Watch Your Step Game Cards 1. True 2. True 3. Back paws 4. 1-3 pounds

5. herbivores 6. Honk 7. Greenish-gray 8. Contains roundworm parasite

9. small hands 10. True

11. Tracks are one foot directly in front of the other; each paw makes a small oval shape with four clawed toes; heel pads make broad V-shape

12. seeds or green plant material 13. False 14. True

15. True 16. Insect wings and legs 17. Hiss or snarl a warning

18. True 19. Small round pile of pencil lead 20. False

21. True 22. True 23. True 24. Hissing sound 25. True

Page 11 – Who’s Who? 1. Canada goose 2. Red fox 3. Black capped chickadee 4. Rabbit 5. Raccoon 6. Skunk

Page 14 – Tracking Hidden Animals 1. In the wicker basket, we found a lemon, key, and books. 2. The baseball team lost because they made errors the entire game. 3. Anthony will be arriving tomorrow at noon. 4. We played soccer with Caleb at the park this weekend. 5. Keith enjoyed camping with his friends at Yellowstone National Park. 6. It was difficult to keep ignoring the whiny child. 7. Please use all the sauce from that jar before opening another. 8. The tornado gained momentum after it touched the ground. 9. The author seems delighted to autograph my book. 10. Eric attached several pictures to his science report.

Page 15 – Crossword Puzzle Across 1. Skeeter 2. Scat 3. Herbivore 4. Scat 5. Pooped Down 1. Latrine 2. Scat 3. Tracks

Page 16 Word Find S K H E A D F O R T H E H I L L S B C E B O Z Z G O S C H G E Z E A F E A U S H O O H F L E B T B L O L E A V E O C F E L K A U S A U Z Y G E M L S H O G E D S Z L E B U T O Z D F Y K T E S D K Z B A E N H B U S L E A E G K Z E O H L A E E S H F K T L Z D A Y Z F E S T S C O B T F F D K B A H E F A C I C O S O C Z D S F W D D L H S T T O O L H O L F L A A Z U D E Z Z E F P S E O O C O E U R F Z L T B U Z B U Z T S G H B Z Z H F O E D L T F G E T L E A E S C A P E Z O F B S K E F B U Z H E S G E P B U T O

author: lisa morlock illustrator: carrie anne bradsha€¦ · examples: squirrels, rabbits, frogs,...

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