This series is done in the month of October to celebrate Halloween.
Students are divided into four groups to do this series.
Time frame for this series is 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
This is a series of activities developed to inform students about bats. The activities teach them about the many behaviors of bats and how very useful they are to our world. Did you know that one brown bat can eat 1,000 mosquitos in one hour? What more could you want? Did you know that bats are important to the cashew crop in Africa? Students learn many facts like this doing the activities at the Arboretum. They learn the difference between micro-bats and mega-bats, and how the way their bodies are made allows them to find the food they need, like the mosquitos. Why do bats hang upside down? They also learn about vampire bats and bat structure doing a fun craft project and trying on a pair of bat wings.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity One
Bat Anatomy Activity
Students make and draw bats in batty art projects.
Materials Needed
Toilet paper roles cotton balls construction paper crayons egg crate markers wiggle eyes glue pipe cleaners gel pens yarn scissors felt pipe cleaners pom-pom balls
Procedure
1. On the pavilion students are shown the anatomy of bats by the Docent.
2. Docent shows pictures of different kinds of bats and prompts students to explore how bats’ senses are developed differently than ours.
3. Docent compares human and bird anatomy to bat anatomy.
4. Docent then shows students different projects to make a bat.
5. Students choose which type of project they want to work on.
6. Docent works with students showing and helping them with the steps of the project.
7. Docent encourages students to discuss what they have learned about different bats, how their senses are developed differently, and why certain bats have certain characteristics, etc.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 15 …1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 21, 24 …2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 20, 23 …3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 21,32 …4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 41, 43…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4,
Learning Outcomes
Students will learn about the anatomy of the bat and their adaptations while being creative.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT identify the anatomy of the bat. SWBAT make an anatomically correct bat. SWBAT demonstrate they know the anatomy of the bat. SWBAT connect different body structures with specialized senses. SWBAT identify physical adaptations of bats to mega-bats and micro-bats. SWBAT compare mammal anatomy between bats and humans, and compare structures of bats and birds.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity Two
Bat Salad Activity
Students make the connection between different mega-bats around the world and the special relationships they have with certain foods. They will create a salad using foods that bats play an important role in the processes of pollination, dissemination, and germination. To obtain the components of the salad the students will have to identify the country which certain bats are associated with.
Materials Needed
Dried Mango Dried Banana Dried figs Dried papaya Dried dates cashews world map place mats serving cups laminated bats with species names and countries 6 spoons 6 bowls centerpiece with fresh examples
Procedure
1. Docent will show students a map of the world and where we live.
2. Docent will then explain to students that some bats and plants have a special relationship that helps plants to be able to live and produce more plants.
3. Docent will then explain that the students are about to make a salad out of the foods that bats have a special relationship with.
4. Students are given a ring of laminated bats with stickers on them.
5. Each bat has a species name and country on it. The students try to find the countries listed on their bats on the place mats in front of them.
6. Then they are told they are going to look for the countries on maps at another table, and the other maps have the name of the food associated with that bat. They are to write the food on the sticker on the bats.
7. The students are then instructed to take a few pieces of the dried foods and put them in their bowls and then continue the search for all the countries and foods associated with each bat on the ring.
8. After the students have located all the components to the bat salad the Docent will ask the students what the names of the fruits were and show them the fresh sample available so that the students can see what the bat eats. While this is happening the students can eat their bat salad.
Modified procedure for K-2 1. Docent will show students a map of the world and where we live.
2. Docent will then explain to students that some bats and plants have a special relationship that helps plants to be able to live and produce more plants.
3. Docent will then explain that the students are about to make a salad out of the foods that bats have a special relationships with.
4. Students are given a ring of laminated bats that are in order.
5. Each bat has a species name and country on it. The students try to find the countries listed on their bats on the place mats in front of them.
6. Then they are told they are going to another table to look for the countries named on the bats on maps at another table, and the other maps have the name of the food associated with that bat.
7. The students are then given a few pieces of the dried foods in their bowls, and shown the fresh example, as each country is associated with each bat on the ring.
8. Students then eat the bat salad.
Alabama Course of Study for Science This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, 21 …1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 20, 25…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 25, 26…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 32, 37, 39, 41…4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 41, 43, 46…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 30, 39
Learning Outcomes Students will recognize that there are bats all over the world and that some bats have a very specialized, very important role in the life of some plants.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT locate countries around the world. SWBAT experience the foods that bats eat and help to germinate. SWBAT make connections between different countries and the food products they produce with the help of bats. SWBAT distinguish mega-bats from micro-bats. SWBAT recognize genus and species.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Echolocation Activity
Students play a modified version of blind-man’s-bluff. There will two-three bats at a time who try to make it through a maze of sounds trying to find the food. Students who are bats are blindfolded and given a shaker that makes it’s own sound. The other students in the group are given various size cans with fillers to become the bounced back signal of the bat from trees, insects, and other obstructions.
Materials Needed
12-15 Containers filled with rocks, pebbles, and sand blindfolds diagram of echolocation insect stickers
Procedure
1. Docent takes students to designated area.
2. Docent will then explain to students that they are going to play a game of echolocation which demonstrates how micro-bats obtain food and fly.
3. Docent then explains briefly the structural differences between micro- and mega-bats. Docent explains the relationship between sound and the way it bounces off objects in its path. Docent shows diagram while explaining.
4. Students are given the instructions for the game: The bats have to find their way through the maze of students who represent object in the environment and collect insects without running into another object.
5. Docent demonstrates the different sounds the cans make. Docent shows the students how the bat sound is different from the tree sound, insect sound, etc.
6. Students are asked who wants to be a bat first and try to collect food without running into an obstruction. If all the students want to be a bat first then the Docent will have to ask the students to pick a number between 1-10 and see which two, or three, get the closest.
7. Docent will then blindfold the bats and hand out the shakers and insect stickers.
8. Students will then play the game until time to go to the next activity.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 20…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 25…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 16, 20…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 21, 28, 37, 39 …4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 41, 43…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 30, 39
Learning Outcomes Students will understand the process of echolocation that bats use to fly and obtain food better.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT experience the idea of how bats hear and locate food. SWBAT demonstrate they understand the concept of echolocation through collecting insect stickers in the game. SWBAT make connections between the differences in micro-bats and mega-bats.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity Four
Why do Bats Hang Upside Down? Activity
Students try on a pair of made bat wings to experience why bats do hang upside down. They walk with the wings on and see for themselves that the feat of walking for a bat is not easy. Bats are not designed to walk and that is why they hang upside down.
Materials Needed
bat wings pictures that clearly show bat wings
Procedure
1. Docent takes students to designated area.
2. Docent then asks students why do they think bats hang upside down and tells them that the bat is the only mammal that doesn’t walk.
3. Docent then says why don’t the students find out for themselves.
4. Docent asks for volunteers.
5. Docent distributes the wings to the volunteers and prompts students and adults to help the students into their wings.
6. Students will see how hard it is to walk as a bat.
7. After the first students have had a couple of minutes of trying out the bat wings, the first bats will trade with the bat helpers that want to try the wings.
8. During the activity the Docent is emphasizing the body structure of the bat and prompting students to make connections of how it is similar and different to human structure and bird structure. Docent will prompt students to think of other reasons why a bat might want to hang upside down, and inform them that bats’ knees are backwards to human knees.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 15…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 21, 24…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 20, 23, 25…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 21, 32, 34…4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 41, 43…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 39
Learning Outcomes
Students will experience why bats hang upside down and understand better, what people think of as, this strange behavior of the bat.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT experience the different anatomy of the bat. SWBAT demonstrate the difficulty bats have with walking. SWBAT connect the idea of body structure and the way the body is used.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
**Bat series created by Shannon Whitley with help from Kathryn Royall.
C.H.O.M. has a great bat program too. These two programs work well together.
Bats Biodiversity Earth Month Flower Power
Food Chain Habitats Insects Tree ID
Leaves Native Indians Plants Seeds Senses Soil Trees
Background can be found at the Texture WarehouseThe bat banner was created by Shannon Whitley using Print Shop, v.10 by Broderbund.
