Lesson Nine: Energy Expenditures
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Support Materials
–Breeding Cycle Phases
–Energy Used by Bird Activities
Skill level: Advanced
Classes appropriate for:
High School Algebra
One of the goals of avian research at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest has been to understand what is needed for birds to survive and reproduce. To do so, researchers must first know how much energy birds require to perform vital functions and sustain themselves. This lesson aims to share the methods and results of this research with students while providing an interesting and real life example as the context for students to practice solving word problems. The first part of this lesson is aimed at strengthening students’ science inquiry skills through guided discussion, focusing on how scientists calculate energy budgets for birds. The second part builds on the first by allowing students to apply math skills to real data in order to quantitatively illustrate the concepts from the first part.