THIS LESSON IS OFFERED AS A DISTANCE LEARNING SESSION FOR FREE BY THE ELK
COUNTRY VISITOR CENTER: MATERIALS INCLUDED
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
TOBY NEAL
(814) 787-5173 or Email: tjn5065@gmail.com
Natural Resources & Ecology
Unit: Wildlife Management
Lesson Title (Essential Question):___Elk Ecology Overview
Instructional Time needed for Lesson (minutes/class periods):____40min__________________
Lesson Type (Circle):
Informational
Operational
Managerial
PA Academic Standard(s) and Anchors(s) Addressed
Science
3.1.10.C1: Explain the mechanisms of biological evolution.
3.1.10.C2: Explain the role of mutations and gene recombination in changing a population of
organisms.
3.1.10.C3: CONSTANCY AND CHANGE-Interpret data from fossil records, anatomy and physiology,
and DNA studies relevant to the theory of evolution.
PA Agriculture Standards and Benchmarks Addressed
Natural Resource Management
6. Fish and Wildlife
6.1. Describe the history of human impact on fish and wildlife management of Pennsylvania
6.2. Identify fish and wildlife found in Pennsylvania
6.3. Explain and identify fish and wildlife management techniques
6.4. Understand the impact of land use on fisheries and wildlife
Objectives: Upon completion of class instruction:
Objective 1: Students will be able to differentiate antlers and horns to teacher satisfaction.
Objective 2: Students will be able to recognize the 4 members of the deer family found in the NE U.S.
with 100% accuracy.
Objective 3: Students will be able to compare the size of each species of the deer family to teacher
satisfaction.
Key Agriscience Terms (Essential Vocabulary):
Bull
Cow
Calf
Antler
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Horn
Migratory
Ivory
Modalities Addressed:
x Visual
x Auditory
Multiple Intelligences
Addressed:
Logical Verbal-Linguistic x
Mathematical
xKinesthetic
x Naturalist
x Visual-Spatial
x Bodily-Kinesthetic  Musical
x Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
Need/Situation: 250 students, Grade 3
Students will have the opportunity to explore elk ecology through an in depth interactive virtual session.
Students will use their senses to learn with the props included in the elk trunk.
Resources (Community, etc)
ECVC
Project WILD
Realia (Tools, Equipment and Supplies):
Microsoft Surface
Elk Pelt
Elk Antler
Deer Antler
Moose Antler
Caribou Antler
Bison horn
Elk Skull with Ivories
Back drop
Radio-telemetry Collars
Deer Fawn and Elk Calf mounts
Deer and Elk Track
Deer and elk jawbones
Deer and Elk Scapulas
Pre-Class Set-Up
Props on table arranged in front of back drop. Surface camera facing props
Bell Work:
N/A
Interest Approach (Activating Strategies):
Virtual Lesson
Elk Trunk in Classroom
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Transition/Segue Questions (at least 2-3):
What is an antler made out of?
What is the difference between a reindeer and caribou?
What is a horn made out of?
How can you tell an elk’s age?
Summary of Content and Teaching Strategies
(40min) General Elk Lecture (While discussing the items, you can pass around the objects and have
students describe them to you.)
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Irish Elk Poster- Antlers spread 12ft & Weigh 88-100lbs
- Could not get enough nutrition to keep bones healthy
- Extinction could be related to gigantism
- Osteoporosis-brittle bone disease
Prehistoric Elk Poster (Fangs)
- Used for defense
- Could have eaten small mammals and been omnivores
- Modern Elk Ivories are remnants of these “tusks”
- Modern musk deer in Asia still have these protrusions
European Red Deer Poster
- Crossed Bearing Straight Land Bridge
- Stranded in North America
- Developed into the Modern sub-species of elk
- Adapted/changed to live in the habitat they were in
- North America has a large variety of habitats
Elk Sub-species Posters
- Merriam Elk- Extinct, Lived in Parts of TX, OK, and New Mexico
- Eastern Woodland Elk- Extinct, lived here in PA, and East of the Mississippi, Last one shot in 1867
- Manitoba Elk- Alive and Well, Province VS State, found in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, some filter
into Northern US
- Tule Elk- Alive and Well, Lives in the deserts of California & Arizona, Smallest Sub- Species, Nickname-Camel
Elk, lives a long time without water
- Roosevelt Elk- Alive and Well, Largest Sub-species, Nickname- Ghost of the Forest. Dark coloration/camo,
Lives in the TEMPERATE Rain Forest of Washington and Oregon
- Rocky Mountain Elk- Alive and Well, Original elk came from Colorado and Wyoming, Now the Species we
have in PA, Trapped and traveled by train and released into PA
Comparison among Deer Family (Elk, Moose, White-tail Deer, Caribou)
- Moose- Largest, Antlers used to assist in feeding
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- Elk- Second Largest
- Caribou- Next to Smallest, both males and females have antlers
- White-tailed Deer- Smallest, Browsers
Size Comparison White-tail Deer vs. Elk (Babies, tracks, scapulas, jaw bones, antlers)
- Elk Calves Born around 40lbs VS White-tailed Deer around 7lbs
- Tracks- Elk- Size of Cattle VS Deer- size of goats
- Scapulas- both used as Native American weapons, today artwork
- Jaw bones- Elk- Grazers VS Deer-Browsers
- Antlers- Cannot age by antler size, depends on nutrition, genetics, and age
Antlers vs. Horns
- Antlers=Bone VS Horns=Keratin
- Antlers= Many Points VS Horns=single point
- Antlers=Regrowth VS Horns=permanent (1 exception= Pronghorn Antelope have horns that shed)
Population and Research
-Radio collars
- Minimum number alive
-Aerial Surveys
Extras:
Oh Deer (Project WILD)
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