Projects for Middle School Children on Mammals

Comparing Mammals

• It is important for students to learn what makes mammals different from other animals. Characteristics such as hair, four-chambered hearts and the mammary glands for which mammals are named all set mammals apart from other animals. Compare pictures of mammals to other organisms, taking care to point out the differences between animals that are similar, such as bats and birds or dolphins and sharks. Then either ask students to observe at home or go outside as a class to observe animals and point out which are mammals and why. If possible, a trip to a park, lake or other natural setting is ideal for the project.

Taxonomy

• Taxonomy is the system that biologists use to classify animals into groups with similar traits and characteristics. All animals belong to the taxonomic kingdom "Animalia," but that group is broken down into further groups, with mammals all belonging to the same overall group. Discuss taxonomy, then give students pictures of many different mammals and let them divide the mammals into groups by their characteristics. You may need to divide students into smaller groups if you have a lot of students. Discuss what traits they chose to divide the animals, then discuss how they are divided by biologists. Based on their experience, why is taxonomy often difficult and controversial?

Animal Behavior

• Mammals behave differently from other types of animals because they have different physical characteristics and different biological needs. Discuss how scientists observe animals and draw up a chart of different activities that an animal might do, such as eating, running or sleeping. Ask students to observe two different animals, a mammal and any animal that is not a mammal, making a tally of what activity an animal is doing at regular time intervals. Compare the activities of the animals and discuss why animals of different species have different behaviors. This is an easy project if you have class pets, such as a mouse and a turtle, but is also a good activity for a field trip to a zoo. If neither is available, try going outside and observing animals such as birds and squirrels or chipmunks.

Environmental Effect of Mammals

• Mammals fulfill specific ecological niches, and mammals in different parts of the world will have different adaptations because of their environment and ecological role. Observe mammals living in your area; this works well in any area, even an urban setting, where there are fewer animal species. What kinds of animals do you see? Take photographs of the animals you observe if you can and try to identify specific species. Why are these particular animals living in your area? What ecological role do they fulfill? Some species are invasive; that is, they are not native to the area and can cause damage to native plants and animals. For instance, in Hawaii, there is only one mammal that lives on the land and is native: a bat. Other mammals, such as cats, dogs and rats, are all invasive species that harm native wildlife. Do you think that you observed any invasive species?