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The Great Swan Map
Subjects: Geography, History, Language Arts
Location: Classroom
Grade Level: 5-8 (may be adapted for elementary or high school groups)
Activity Type: Post-Electronic Field Trip
OBJECTIVES
The student will
- Create maps showing the
historical and present distribution of trumpeter swans in North America.
- Compare and contrast
historical and present distribution of trumpeter swans in North America.
BACKGROUND
Trumpeter swans were once widespread across much of North America.
Beginning in the 1700s, they were widely hunted for their commercial
value. They also suffered severe loss of their habitat. By 1900 they
were nearly extinct. A small group of these birds survived in the wilderness
of the Yellowstone region. In 1918 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act officially
protected trumpeter swans outside of Yellowstone National Park. Red
Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, to the west of Yellowstone National
Park, was established in 1935 to offer further protection for these
remaining swans and their breeding area. From 1935-1952, the trumpeter
swans were fed grain during the winter at this refuge. As the population
of trumpeter swans began to recover, the refuge became an important
source of trumpeter swans for reintroduction into other parts of the
country. In the 1950s, another large population of trumpeter swans was
discovered in Alaska, easing the fear that this species was threatened
with extinction. Given suitable wetland homes and protection from hunting
pressures, trumpeter swan numbers have rebounded.
PROCEDURE
Following the electronic field trip, the teacher will
- Instruct students to explore the field trip's Trumpeter
Swan History Link.
- Instruct students to research the historical decline
and recovery of the trumpeter swan.
- Provide a blank map of North American to each student.
- Instruct students to map three different distributions
of trumpeter swans using three different colors. These should be:
the original distribution, distribution of swans in 1900, and the
current distribution.
- Instruct students to write a paragraph describing
at least one reason for the decline and one reason for the recovery
of the trumpeter swan.
EXTENSION
Encourage students to study another animal species of Yellowstone
and map its historic and current population distributions.
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