Case Study: The Grey Wolf
The Grey Wolf is the largest member of the wolf family, and can be found in remote areas of North
America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is though to be the only ancestor of the domestic dog, with
adult wolves averaging approximately 40kilograms or 90 pounds. The Grey Wolf is a social animal, often
traveling in families made up of a mated pair, accompanied the pair’s adult offspring. The diet of the Grey
Wolf is primarily small animals and livestock. Although the fear of wolves is prevalent in many human
societies, the majority of recorded attacks on people have been attributed to wolves suffering from rabies.
The only major predators of the wolf are humans and tigers. In Canada, the wolf population was
significantly reduced during the middle of the twentieth century by widespread hunting and poisoning of
wolves.
The data table below shows the five countries with the largest Grey Wolf Populations:
Country
Russia
Canada
India
United States
Turkey
Grey Wolf Population (in thousands)
27
55
1
9
7
YOUR CHALLENGE:
Create an appropriate graph to show the Grey Wolf population in
different countries.
Changes in the Canadian Grey Wolf Population
Due to widespread fear of wolves, Canadian wolves were hunted and poisoned in large numbers during
the early and middle parts of the 20th century.
The decline in wolf populations across Canada resulted in a large increase in populations of their most
common prey, including elk, moose, and deer. The growing populations of elk, moose, and deer depleted
the supply of aspen and willow in Canadian forests. As a result, the number of songbirds and beaver
lodges was diminished, and the entire ecosystem suffered.
Wolf packs have been re-introduced into some Canadian forests, and the hunting of wolves in protected
areas is now illegal. As a result of these measures, the Canadian wolf population is recovering.
The table below shows the changes in Canada’s grey wolf population over time.
Year
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Canadian Wolf Population (in thousands)
60 000
55 000
50 000
40 000
30 000
20 000
15 000
25 000
30 000
40 000
50 000
YOUR CHALLENGE:
Create an appropriate graph to show the changes in Canada’s
Grey Wolf population over time.
CRITERIA FOR BAR GRAPHS: Grade 6
CHECKLIST:
The title describes the information shown in the graph using detail.
The title is underlined with a ruler and located at the top of the graph.
The first letter of each important word in the title is capitalized.
All bars are of EQUAL width.
All bars are spaced an equal distance apart.
Each bar is clearly labeled.
The correct categories of information are plotted along the x-axis.
The numerical values are plotted along the y-axis.
The x- and y- axes are clearly labeled, including relevant units.
The number scale is chosen so the graph spreads across the full page.
All lines are drawn using a ruler.
The graph is neat and easy to read and interpret.
The graph is drawn neatly in pencil. Bars may be coloured.
CRITERIA FOR LINE GRAPHS: Grade 6
CHECKLIST:
The title clearly describes the information shown in the graph in detail.
The title is underlined with a ruler and located at the top of the graph.
The first letter of each important word in the title is capitalized.
The line should be straight or a smooth curve.
The x- and y- axes are clearly labeled.
The appropriate units are labeled on the x- and y- axes.
The number scale on each axis follows a regular pattern.
The number scale is chosen so the graph spreads across the full page.
The graph is drawn neatly in pencil.
The graph is clear and easy to interpret, with inclusion of a legend
where necessary.
Hi Everyone,
Please find attached a case study on the Grey Wolf that can be used by students to create line
and bar graphs.
I’m also attaching a checklist that to score bar and line graphs. The checklist is similar to what
we use in Grade 7, with a few changes to bring it to the Grade 6 level. These checklists lend
themselves well to peer-assessment…
Depending on your teaching style, you might want to create some additional case studies that
can be used to make learning centres. This way, lab groups can work on different topics, and
then present their graphs in a jigsaw type of activity. This would allow you to differentiate,
since you can gear the complexity of information and data sets to meet the needs of individual
students and/or lab groups.
One website I liked showed changes in populations of endangered species, which can be used to
generate data sets for the creation of all sorts of bar and line graphs:
http://www.esasuccess.info/california.shtml
Please let me know if there’s anything else I can provide. Also, if you do end up generating more
case studies, please share them. If we can collect 7-8 case studies, then we can get them
laminated and use them to develop a learning centre kit to store in the prep room for everyone’s
benefit!
If you’d like me to generate a couple more cases, I’d be happy to do so when I have a bit more
free time at the end of September…