Predator-Prey Graphing and Analysis Activity

Secondary ecology, environmental science, and biology students will have an ideal population interaction study to graph and interpret with this lesson. Students will follow user-friendly directions to create a double line graph for coyotes and rodents over a twenty-six-year span. The graph will feature two y-axis scales, with the rodents on the left side in the millions and the coyotes on the right side in the thousands.

Students will then analyze the graph and explain the change in the cyclic predator-prey population pattern. The follow-up questions will feature the following terms: carrying capacity, biomass, and factors that increase and decrease population size. Students will also ascertain the coyote and rodents' carrying capacity from the graph.

This activity comes with a complete three-page key, which will become editable upon conversion to Microsoft Word using Adobe Acrobat.

I appreciate your interest. This lesson is one of several population study graphing activities I have published. I have almost thirty years of teaching experience and have published science lesson kits since 2002. I am confident this resource will serve you and your students well for years!