Veterinary Medical Applications I lesson Title: Animal Behavior teks addressed in Lesson

130.6. (c)(5)

(B) recognize the common animal behavior problems

(C) identify common animal behavioral protocols and discuss the relevance to veterinary medical staff

(D) demonstrate appropriate methods of handling a variety of animal behavioral situations

Lesson Objectives:

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  compare instinctive (innate) and learned behavior
  
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  identify ways an animal's instincts and behaviors help it to survive
  
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  investigate the connection between environment and behavior
  
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  Define the word behavior.
  
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  Discuss the role and significance of money as a reinforcer for human behavior.
  
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  Recognize the importance of behaviors to the reproduction and survival of any particular group.
  
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  Identify situations in which animal behavioral could reflect health issues
  

Ask the students to list examples of movements they have completed, things they have said, made or written during the week. Have students look up the definition of behavior, possible answers might include:

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  Behavior is a response to something in your environment
  
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  Behavior is an action you take to do something
  
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  Behavior helps you accomplish things you need to do
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIRno6dc16g

This video explains both innate and natural behaviors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hREwakXmAo

Explain to students that certain animal behaviors contribute to survival. For example, bears can adapt to harsh winters by hibernating, and humpback whales migrate from their nurseries off the coast of Hawaii to feed in the krill-rich waters off of Alaska. Explain that some of these behaviors are instincts, or traits that the animal is born with, and some are learned behaviors, or behaviors that were taught to the animal, often by its parent.

Other discussion points may include:

How do the physical attributes of an animal affect its behaviors? Using whales, primates, and bears as examples, discuss how their physical characteristics affect their instinctive behaviors. Is there any link between those characteristics and their learned behaviors?

Can an organism's instincts and learned behaviors be related to its environment? (bears hibernating, bird migrating)

Activity:

Create a list of 20 of your own behaviors throughout the day, such as waking up, brushing your teeth, walking, eating, or reading. Which of these are learned and which are instinctual? If they were learned, how did you learn them?

Think about all the actions you've performed in the last few hours (preparing for class, answering questions, eating, showering, etc.). Have you demonstrated more instinctive behaviors or learned behaviors? Debate which behaviors are more common in everyday life.

Explain the various ways in which learned behaviors can be learned. For example, how did you learn to tie your shoes? How did you learn that it's best keep your eyes closed when you're washing shampoo out of your hair? Brainstorm other Behavior is an organism's response to stimuli

Continue with lesson…

Stimuli can be internal or external

O External - light, gravity, temperature, odor, moisture, etc.

o Internal - thirst, hormones, etc.

Behaviors can be innate or learned

Innate behavior - response to stimuli that is performed spontaneously the first time the stimulus is encountered (startle response, sucking, crying, etc.)

Other suggested student activities:

http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/training/animal-behavior-&-learning.htm

Discussion: Have students discuss examples of instinctual and learned behavior such as a newborn horse/calf taking its first steps or nursing, or animals mating, or knowing how to hunt.

What other behaviors can you think of?

Some examples:

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  A chicken knowing to incubate the eggs
  
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  Some animals that have babies only at night
  
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  Birds migrating
  

Have students give examples

What do you do when you first meet someone? How do you greet them?

How do dogs greet – what is a dog's “handshake”? Sniffing

When do both cats and dogs prefer not to be bothered?

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  Sleeping
  
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  Playing with toys
  
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  Eating
  
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  Mother with puppies/kittens
  
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  Animals' owner not in sight
  

Dogs that are calm, relaxed, wagging their tail, have their tongue hanging out, and are with their adult owner may want to be your friend.

What are some things we should do when approaching a dog that isn’t ours? (this includes approaching a dog while working/volunteering at a veterinary clinic):

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  Always ask an owner if you can pet his/her dog. Why?
  
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  Walk
  
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  Let the dog sniff your hand
  
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  Don't jerk your hand away
  
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  Pet the dog under the chin or on the side of the neck
  
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  Never pet a dog on top of the head.
  
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  Talk to the dog in your inside voice
  

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  Growling
  
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  Baring teeth
  
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  Cowers behind over
  
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  Shakes/shivers
  

You will need blindfolds and noisemakers.

OBJECTIVES

Students explore the survival advantages of producing sounds.

MATERIALS

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  Blindfolds
  
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  noisemakers—one for each student, two of each kind (examples: whistles, clickers, kazoos, small containers of seeds, two pencils to tap together)
  

1. Discuss animal vocalization as a behavior. Ask students to infer some survival advantages of creating sound. (If necessary, prompt students by asking them how individual animals might locate each other in a dark ocean or on a crowded beach.)

2. Divide students into two equal groups and place them on separate sides of the room or field. Distribute one of each type of noisemaker to one group, and then distribute matching noisemakers to the other group.

3. Blindfold students.

4. Students move across the room or playing field making noise. Each student tries to locate his or her “partner” by listening for the matching sound.

5. When all students have paired up, have them remove their blindfolds and discuss the experience. How did students find their partners?

6. Repeat the simulation with the following twist: Select one or two students to be blindfolded “predators.” As the pairs are trying to locate each other, the predators attempt to find (by sound) and “catch” prey. If a predator locates and tags a student, the student is “out” and must remain silent.

7. Ask students what they can infer about animal vocalizations. Make a list of questions that get raised during discussion. Ask students to brainstorm ways to design experiments that might further our knowledge of the role of animal vocalizations.

8. Students use reference materials such as books, periodicals, and the Internet to investigate the role of vocalizations in mother/pup recognition and mate recognition for various animals. (Research has increased our understanding of the role of vocalizations in bats, fur seals, and penguins, for example.)

References/Additional Materials/Extended Learning Opportunities/Enrichment

Intro to Veterinary Science, Thompson

http://www.discoveryeducation.com

Other Suggested Activities:

The Science of Ape Intelligence:

http://www.lessonplansinc.com/biology/lessonplans/C124/

College and Career Readiness Standards:

Science

III. C 1 (a-c) Presentation of scientific/technical information.