Animal Groups & Survival
Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive, such as herds, packs, or colonies
What a learner can do afterwards
- Give at least two examples of animals that live in groups (e.g. wolves, ants, fish schools)
- Explain how group living provides survival advantages (protection, finding food, raising young)
- Construct a simple argument with evidence for why a specific animal benefits from group behaviour
The lesson
Some animals live and hunt alone, but many animals survive better in a group. A group of wolves is called a pack. A group of elephants or zebras is called a herd. Fish swimming together are in a school. You already know that ants and bees live in colonies. Every one of these groups helps its members stay alive.
A lone wolf cannot catch a large elk. But a pack of about six wolves can work together: some chase the elk, others cut off its escape, and together they bring it down. While the hunters are away, other wolves guard the pups back at the den.
When you see animals in a group, ask three questions: Does the group protect its members? Does it help them find food? Does it help raise the young? If the answer is yes, group living is helping that animal survive.
Animals like wolves, zebras, and fish survive better in groups, because a group can protect its members, find food, and raise young more safely than one animal alone.
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8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.