Hands-on science: (no lab required) after reading "Smart Suckers" (p. 8), try out this activity to get an octopus's-eye view of what it's like to navigate a maze..PREDICTS Researchers use mazes to test octopuses' ability to learn and remember. The solution to the maze maze, detail of landscape gardening based on the Greek labyrinth, consisting of intricate paths or alleys lined with high hedges and having a center and exit difficult to find. It was a prominent feature in the formal English gardens of the 17th and 18th cent. may seem obvious to the researchers who are able to see the maze from above, but to the slippery test subjects inside the maze, it can be much more difficult. Do you think it would be hard for you to remember the way out of a maze if you had to solve the puzzle from a cephalopod's point of view? Why or why not? MATERIALS * a copy of the maze below * construction paper * ruler * scissors scissors Cutting instrument or tool consisting of a pair of opposed metal blades that meet and cut when the handles at their ends are brought together. Modern scissors are of two types: the more usual pivoted blades have a rivet or screw connection between the cutting ends * watch DIRECTIONS 1 Divide into groups of two. One student in each group will be the "octopus" and one will be the "scientist." Each scientist will need a copy of the maze at right and a piece of construction paper. Note: Do not try to solve the maze yet. Wait until Step 5. 2 Cut out a 0.8 centimeter centimeter (sĕn`tĭmē'tər), abbr. cm, unit of length equal to 0.01 meter, the basic unit of length in the metric system. The centimeter is the unit of length in the cgs system. It is approximately equal to 0. (0.3 inch)-wide circle in the center of the construction paper. 3 The scientist will cover the maze with the construction paper, positioning the hole over the "Start" of the maze. 4 Place the maze in front of the octopus. 5 When the scientist says "Go," the octopus should begin navigating (networking, hypertext) navigating - Finding your way around. Often used of the Internet, particularly the World-Wide Web. A browser is a tool for navigating hypertext documents. the maze by sliding the hole along the puzzle's path to "see" its way through. 6 The scientist will time how long it takes for the octopus to reach the puzzle's "Finish." Record the time. 7 After the octopus completes the maze, have him or her rest for 2 minutes. Then, repeat steps 3 to 6 two more times. 8 Use the data you collected to make a bar graph showing the amount of time it took for each of your maze attempts. 9 Switch roles and repeat steps 3 to 8. CONCLUSIONS 1. Using the graph that displays your maze attempts, explain how your ability to solve the maze changed over time. 2. Why do you think this change occurred? 3. How did your results compare with real life octopuses' ability to remember how to navigate (1) "Surfing the Web." To move from page to page on the Web. (2) To move through the menu structure in a software application. a maze? To answer this question, you may need to reread Verb 1. reread - read anew; read again; "He re-read her letters to him" read - interpret something that is written or printed; "read the advertisement"; "Have you read Salman Rushdie?" the section labeled "Maze Madness Madness Alcithoe driven mad by Dionysus. [Gk. Myth.: Kravitz, 16] Alcmeon driven mad by the Furies. [Gk. Myth. " on p. 10. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion