TOPIC: BATS
LEVEL: Intermediate/Advanced

"Where Bats Live"

[information | preparation | activity ]
SCIENCE CONCEPT:

Bats can be found in almost all habitats except extremely hot deserts and the cold polar regions. Species are more diverse in the warmer latitudes. Only one insect-eating species can be found in northern Canada. About 150 species are found, along with several non insect eating bat species, in some tropical areas near the equator.

STUDENT OBJECTIVE:

The student will demonstrate through making a world map the diversity of species that are found around the world.

OVERVIEW:

The student will draw a world map and label the map with the types of bats that are found in the various parts of the world. The labeling of the map will also include the name of the countries where the bats live.

TEACHER TEXT:

Bats have lived on the Earth for about 50 million years. There are nearly 1,000 species varying in size, color, body features, habitat, and diet living in all parts of the world except for most of the Arctic and all of Antarctica. The most diversity is found in South and Central America, while the most numbers are found in Africa. Forty-three different species are found in the United States alone. Bats make up one fourth of all mammal species and are second in diversity only to rodents. More bats are found in the tropics than any other mammal.

Bats are expert fliers. They have gone beyond the gliding and parachuting abilities of flying squirrels, lemurs, and possums. They are capable of true flight. Of the nearly 4,000 mammal species on earth, bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight.



PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

LESSON TIME: 30 minutes

TEACHER PREP:

Gather books with world maps showing the bat species population. Have enough books so that students can see them easily during the assignment.
WORDS TO KNOW: MATERIALS NEEDED:
STEPS TO FOLLOW:

1. Show the students maps of the bat distribution around the world. Discuss the great variety of species that can be found in so many different areas.

2. Give each student a large piece of white paper and ask them to draw the outlined shapes of the continents of the world.

3. Have them label the continents in small lettering with the black pens.

4. Then ask the students to draw small black shaped bats in the various locations of the world where bats are found.

5. Have the students label the black bat shapes with the names of the bats that are found in the different locations.

6. Ask the students to share their maps in front of the class, comparing the various species that each student found in the books that they consulted.

7. Put maps on display on a large bulletin board.

WHY?

Bats are a fascinating mammal that are capable of true flight. With the diversity of species around the world we can see that they have inhabited the planet in a way that only a flying creature is capable of. Bats are expert fliers. They have gone beyond the gliding and parachuting abilities of flying squirrels, lemurs, and possums. Of the nearly 4,000 mammals species on earth, bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight.


ASSESSMENT: Can the student communicate what they observed?

4....Student is able to locate numerous bat species on their map and label them correctly.

3....Student is able to locate many of the bat species on their map and label them correctly.

2....Student is able to locate some of the bat species on their map and label them correctly.

1....Student is able to locate one of the bat species on their map and label it correctly.

Last modified: Tue Jul 15 22:42:59 PDT 1997