Serc: Mn Step: The American Red Squirrel an Outdoor Inquiry Lesson

For this activity, students are presented with red pine cones that have been partly eaten by the American Red Squirrel, a fact that is not divulged to them at this stage. After a discussion of the possibilities, the class takes a walk in the woods and searches for further evidence of the perpetrator, which they are intended to find, e.g., food stashes or animal refuse, and hopefully the red squirrel itself. Once back in class, they study pine cones to find their seeds, and write in their science journals.