Name: Date: Period:
Lesson 1 Mission 2: Predator Prey Lab Investigation
Labs
Purpose: To create a predator-prey graph using the data collected from the predator-prey lab and be able to explain how the number of predators impact the number of prey in an ecosystem.
Hypothesis:
1. I think that the number of predators will _____________________ and the number prey will _____________________ when there are few predators and many prey in the ecosystem. (increase/decrease/stay the same)
2. I think that the number of predators will _____________________ and the number prey will _____________________ when there are many predators and few prey in the ecosystem. (increase/decrease/stay the same)
3. How do you think the number of predators is related to the number of prey in an ecosystem?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Procedure
• Game starts with 1 wolf and the res of the students are prey
• The wolf can eat one rabbit a turn by tagging the student.
– When the wolf tags a rabbit the wolf gains carbon and energy allowing the wolf to reproduce. The rabbit becomes a wolf with the same traits of the wolf.
• Rabbits that don’t get eaten survive to the next round
• Wolves that can’t find food die and are out of the game for 1 round.
– First round carbon in the dead wolf is decomposing and going into the soil to become nutrients
– Second round, carbon nutrients are absorbed into producers that rabbits eat
– Third round: YOU ARE A RABBIT NOW! Join the rabbit squad
• Rabbit mom eats carbon from the plants to get energy. The mom uses the carbon to grow a baby that also feeds from the carbon in the producer.
• We are going to track the changes in wolf and rabbit population for ____ rounds (depends on time and you guys)
Data Table
Round
Number
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Number of
Rabbits
Number of
Wolves
Round
Number
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Number of
Rabbits
Number of
Wolves
Labs

: Confirm if your hypothesis was correct or incorrect.
1. My first hypothesis for the predator- prey relationship was ________________ (correct/incorrect).
In my hypothesis, I said that the number of predators would ________________________ and number of prey would ________________________ when there are few predators and many prey in the ecosystem to start.
In the lab, we found that the number of predators ____________________ and the number prey ___________________.
2. My second hypothesis for the predator- prey relationship was ________________ (correct/incorrect).
In my hypothesis, I said that the number of predators would ________________________ and number of prey would ________________________ when there are many predators and few prey in the ecosystem to start.
In the lab, we found that the number of predators ____________________ and the number prey ___________________.
Directions: Use the information from the table and graph to support your
answers! Discuss peaks and troughs (low point)
1. What will happen if there is a low number of predators and high number of prey in the ecosystem? Why?
Claim : The number of predators will _______________________ (increase/decrease/stay the same), and the number of prey will _______________________ (increase/decrease/stay the same)
Evidence At year _______ there is a trough representing a low number of predators. At year _____ There is a peak representing a high number of prey. After year _____ you see predator graph ___________________________
_______________________. After year _____ you see the prey graph _____________________________________________________
Reasoning : The reason why the graph shows the number of predators will _________________________ and the number of prey will __________________________ when there is a low number of predators and a high number of prey in an ecosystem is because _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What will happen if there is a high number of predators and low number of prey in the ecosystem? Why?
Claim : The number of predators will _______________________ (increase/decrease/stay the same), and the number of prey will _______________________ (increase/decrease/stay the same)
Evidence: At year _______ there is a peak representing a high number of predators. At year _____ There is a trough representing a low number of prey. After year _____ you see predator graph ___________________________
_______________________. After year _____ you see the prey graph _____________________________________________________
Reasoning : The reason why the graph shows the number of predators will _________________________ and the number of prey will __________________________ when there is a high number of predators and a low number of prey in an ecosystem is because _____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Labs