Activity:  Extend discussion of tides to issue of expected path of released seals.

Pre-Activity:  Student choice of tidal cycle to support seal travel after release from rehabilitation.

Do Now:  Add your vote to the options for optimal point in tidal cycle for seal release.

Aim:  Transfer measurements of scientific variables to an impact on seals.

Major Assignment:  Demonstrate maps as indicators of choice determinants in animal behavior.

Processes, Skills, Goals:  Develop hypotheses about the behavior of seals.  Extend lesson to include maps of other environmental variables.

Content:  Global and regional maps of environmental phenomena as they relate to seal behavior

Instructions:  Review student hypotheses for optimal point in tidal cycle to release seals.  Ask them to explain why they made their choices.  Ask them to offer an explanation of what the seal is thinking.  Ask them to consider other environmental variables that might affect the seal's behavior.  Remind them of the personal aspects of student performance versus class prediction.  What if the seal is tired, confused, or just in a bad mood?  How does science account for variations between prediction and actual results?  

Materials:  Maps of other environmental variables, prepared discussion of above

Guiding Questions:  What happens if the foundation releases a seal at the wrong time?  How do you feel when you are struggling against the current?  What other factor might we consider in our analysis of the path of the released seals?  What about time of day, season, weather, spills, food sources, temperatures, other seals, whales, humans, etc.

Homework:  Review maps of environmental variables on the days of releases and offer revised hypotheses for the path of the seals.