Alternate Exploration 2

Use enlarged photos of a section of beach, or any photos or posters you can find that show large numbers of animals. For example, you might use a poster showing a caribou herd or a picture from a bird rookery. Using the Quadrat Data Sheet and the slide holder quadrats from the "e" activity, have students work in groups of four to practice counting organisms in the quadrat and recording data. Have students practice looking for the area where their organism seems most dense, and counting and randomly tossing their quadrat and counting organisms.

Discuss the protocols for counting organisms that are only partway in the quadrat. Tally your findings and try to identify your organisms. If time allows, practice using various photographs or beach sections.