Battle at Kruger: Water Buffalo Save Calf from Lions (Phenomenon)

Contributor
Jason Schlosberg
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Phenomenon , Animation/Movie
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be “fully aligned,” the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

This short video captures student interest, elicits ideas, and provides evidence about how groups of organisms work together for survival. It contains real footage of a pack of lions attack on a water buffalo calf. The footage filmed by ameteur tourists features a surprising plot twist (featuring a crocodile), and exciting finale with the water buffalo herd rescues the calf and chases off the lions. Suggestions are provided to help make this phenomenon align with NGSS. 

Intended Audience

Educator and learner
Educational Level
  • Grade 5
  • Grade 4
  • Grade 3
  • Upper Elementary
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.

Performance Expectations

3-LS2-1 Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource was not designed to build towards this performance expectation, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
This phenomenon is an example illustrating how some animals form groups that allow them to survive. It is an example of a behavioral adaptation: herding behaviors (i.e. males forming a defensive line and females surrounding the calf) that enable water buffalo to survive. In addition, the cooperative hunting behaviors of the lions help them get food.The teacher should use this video with other evidence gathered by students to construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource was not designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
This resource was not designed to meet this science and engineering practice, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below. Comments About Including the Science and Engineering Practice: After watching this video, students can be guided to develop questions about what they observed and what they think is happening (and why). Students can also use information from this video in conjunction with additional evidence gathered from books and other videos to construct an explanation that some animals form groups that help members survive. The resources will collectively form a pattern of evidence that animals exhibit herding behaviors that enable them to survive.

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
Use the video in combination with books (and other videos) to support learning of group behaviors that help organisms survive.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource was not designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
This resource was not designed to meet this disciplinary core idea, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below. Comments About Including the Disciplinary Core Idea: Teachers can use this video in conjunction with the Muskox Maneuvers lesson and Muskox Save Calf from Wolves Video. Students can also read books/articles about other organisms that have similar adaptive behaviors. For each animal group, the teacher needs to make the specific behaviors explicit. How are the adaptive behaviors of the animal groups alike? Different?

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource was not designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
This resource was not designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, but can be used to build towards it using the suggestions provided below. Comments About Including the Crosscutting Concept: After watching the video, students can discuss how the pride of lions acts as a system of parts that work together. After learning about other organisms that have similar adaptive behaviors, the teacher can expand the conversation about how many types of organisms act as a system of parts that work together. How are their behaviors alike? How are they different? How do the behaviors help the animals survive?

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: - none -

  • Instructional Supports: - none -

  • Monitoring Student Progress: - none -

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: - none -