A Comparison of Walking and Running Trackways
photo: GSA Dinosaur Ridge Fieldtrip
Author:
Antonia Velure; Meyer Middle School; River Falls, WI 54022 Tvelure@pressenter.com
Grades:
Grades 4-8
Overview of Lesson:
Using water and paper, students will make tracks and record the time needed to complete a set of prints. Students will compare prints made by walking and running to determine the speed of an animal.
Suggested Time:
45-60 minutes
Students' Prior Knowledge:
An understanding of the concept of stride and pace. Use two sets of tracks to have students brainstorm the answers to these questions:
1. If the same animal made the tracks, which tracks indicate a running animal?
2. If two different animals made the tracks, which animal had the longer legs?
Background Information:
Dinosaurs are thought by many to be slow moving creatures. The sauropods, (soar oh pods), the large four-footed dinosaurs with long necks and tails, may have moved as fast as 2 to 4 miles per hour or 3.2 to 6.5 km/h. However, the Stenonychosaurus (stuh-NON-ick-uh-SAWR-us) may have been the fastest dinosaurs moving at a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) or more.
We can estimate the speed of dinosaurs by their fossilized tracks. The distance traveled in a measured length of time can determine speed. Scientists use stride and pace to determine clues to the speed of an animal. An important factor in determining speed is the length of the animal’s back leg from foot to hip. Dinosaurs with longer legs have a longer pace than animals with shorter legs. The longer the stride and pace of the dinosaur, the faster it moved. The prints of modern animals can be compared to the tracks of dinosaurs to determine the speed.
Materials:
· Meter sticks (1 per group)
· large craft roll paper about 5 meters long each (2 per group) Non-waxy kind works best.
· a scissors
· water
· shallow pan big enough to place feet in
· stopwatch or time piece (1 per group)
· sponges with elastic on them to cover over shoes
· one person with longer and one person with shorter legs.
· marking pens (1 per group)
· clipboards/pencils to keep data-(could be science notebook)
Student Activity:
1. Have shallow pan filled with water.
2. Take students into hallway or outside area with lots of room.
3. Measure out 5 meters of rolled paper.
4. Put paper on flat surface (grass, sidewalk, gym floor etc.).
5. Place pan with water on one end of paper strip.
6. Strap sponges on feet pulling elastic band over shoes.
7. Wet sponges by stepping into pan of water.
8. Have partner time as student walks at normal speed across the paper.
9. Record time as walking time.
10. Use the marking pen to outline the wet footprints on the paper.
11. Repeat this process with a clean sheet of paper as before, except this time have partner time as student runs across the paper to the other end.
12. Record running time.
13. Use marker pen to outline the wet footprints on the paper.
14. Use the meter stick to compare stride and pace. Measure from toe to toe or from heel to heel.
15. Repeat this process with partner making the wet footprints and measuring the time.
16. Compare stride and pace with those of partner.
Teacher Notes:
The stride is shorter and the time is longer for the footprints made by walking. The footprints made by running produce a longer stride in less time. The pace will be greater for the person with the longer legs. Refer to the Elephant and Dinosaur Trackways on this web page, under classroom resources.
Vocabulary:
Stride- the length of the stride is the distance from a point on one footprint to the same point of the next print made by the same foot.
Pace- the distance from a point on one footprint to the same point on the next footprint made by the opposite foot.
Paleontologist- a scientist who studies prehistoric life on earth.
Quadruped- four legged animal.
Biped-two legged
Imprints-impressions made by organisms in soft mud that were preserved when the mud solidified: can be traces of an animal’s activity, rather than it’s actual remains.
Trackway- a sequence of tracks; also called a trail.
Trace Fossils- tracks, trails, burrows, and other indirect evidence of prehistoric life.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Connections can be made to language arts: creative writing, math: measurement,
Extension Activities:
· Have the students walk and run on the tracks.
· Compare and contrast animal movement based on actual tracts taken from the past. (Use same procedure but use different colored paint on each hand and foot. Using rubber gloves and old socks.)
· Analysis of animal structure and size based on real evidence. (Use imprints of the Carnegie dinosaur models.)
· Identification of animals based on their track imprints.
· Use modern animal tracks.
Wisconsin State Science Standards:
A.4.3
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scia4.html
When investigating a science-related problem, decide what data can be collected to determine the most useful for explanations.
A. 8.3
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scia8.html
Defend explanations or models by collecting and organizing evidence that supports them and critique explanations and models by collecting and organizing evidence that conflicts with them.
B. 8.3
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scia8.html
Explain how general rules of science apply to the development and use of evidence in science investigations, model making and applications.
B. 8.5
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scia8.html
Explain ways in which science knowledge is shared, checked, and extended, and show how these processes change over time.
C.4.4
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scic4.html
Use simple science equipment including rulers safely and effectively to collect data relevant to questions and investigations
C.4.6.
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scic4.html
Communicate the results of their investigations in ways their audiences will understand by using charts, graphs, drawings, written descriptions, and various other means.
E.8.5
http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/standards/scia8.html
Analyze the geologic and life history of the earth, including change over time, using forms of scientific evidence.
