Wildebeest Populations

Resource Type
Description
This activity explores an image of a wildebeest herd on the Serengeti, which serves as a phenomenon for learning about population dynamics and wildlife management.
In the 1960s, the wildebeest population in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, began increasing at a rate much faster than before. Scientists determined that this increase was due to several factors, including the eradication of a disease called rinderpest. This image shows part of the Serengeti wildebeest herd, which is now the largest herbivore herd on Earth.
The “Educator Materials” document includes background information and implementation suggestions for using the image as a phenomenon. The “Student Handout” includes the image and background information.
The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.
Student Learning Targets
- Examine images of phenomena, make observations, and ask questions.
- Collaborate with peers on ideas, ask questions that require higher levels of reasoning, and develop deeper understanding of concepts.
- Explain how factors such as resource availability and disease can affect population size.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
exponential growth, logistic growth, population dynamics, rinderpest, Serengeti National Park, wildlife management
Terms of Use
The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6
AP Biology (2019)
ENE-4.B, SYI-1.G, SYI-2.B; SP3
IB Biology (2016)
4.1, C.1, C.2, C.5
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Topic(s): 3.4, 3.5
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-3.D, ERT-3.F, SP2
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
2.1, 2.2
Common Core (2010)
ELA.WHST.9–12.9
Vision and Change (2009)
CC5; DP1