Time: 2 Hours (Can Be Shortened)
Grades: 3-12
In this program, your students will spend time learning about the three species of cats that life in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains! We’ll discuss the mountain lion, Canada lynx, and bobcat! These animals are adapted for different habitats, which we’ll learn all about. We’ll also talk about their social and survival adaptations. Your students will see full mounts, skulls, and pelt for these animals!
Life of Felines:
Like most of our on-grounds programs, the Life of Felines program includes an engaging educational lesson, hands-on animal biofact interaction, a fun activity, a specially themed scavenger hunt, and time for open exploration of the museum. Read below to learn more about each of these; remember, your program can be shortened to fit any time constraints.
Educational Lesson: 60 Minutes
The Life of Felines program will start by taking a look at the three species of cats that live in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. We’ll discuss where they can be found, how big they are, and other general information. Then, we will take a deeper look at each of the three species!
For each of the cats, we will learn about the habitat(s) that you can find them within. Some of these animals can be found across multiple habitats, while some are more specialized. Next, we’ll discuss their food webs; taking a look at some of their most common prey. We’ll also learn about the amazing adaptations that each of these species has. We'll learn about their adaptations to live in their unique habitat(s) and to find their unique food. We’ll conclude the program by talking about the social behaviors of these amazing cats.
Mountain lions, Canada lynx, and bobcats are incredibly fun to learn about, and have some amazing adaptations. Request a program today to learn more about them
Activity: 20 Minutes
The activity for the Life of Felines program is our scent game. Many felines, like the mountain lion, do not have a strong sense of smell. However, bobcats rely on their sense of smell to find prey. Each of your students will be given a small vial with a mystery scent within it. Their goal is to find the one other student who has the same scent as they do. Your students will walk around, smelling the vials of their classmates, until they find their scent partner. This is a very fun game that students love to play! It also reinforces what your students will learn about feline senses!
Scavenger Hunt: 20 Minutes
The Life of Felines scavenger hunt will bring your students through the museum, looking for certain items that pertain to what they learned about in their lesson. This will include the use of mountain lions, bobcats, and Canada lynx in artifacts, artwork, and different biological specimens… including their prey species! The scavenger hunts are completed in small groups or pairs.
Open Museum Exploration: 20 Minutes
While the scavenger hunt allows your students to see a curated selection of items within the museum, the open museum exploration time allows your students to explore whatever they are interested in. The Wyoming State Museum has so many topics (from dinosaurs to mining to pioneers to warfare to animals to Native American culture to national parks and more), that we find it is a great idea to give students free time at the end of the program to explore.