February 2025

Do Elephants Have Names?

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Students will identify steps a scientist used to investigate his idea that elephants call out to each other by name.

 

Reading Level:

Lexile: 430L; GRL: L 

 

Next Generation Science Standards:

Practice 3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

2-LS4-1: Observe Plants and Animals in Their Habitats

 

Vocabulary:

rumble, communicate, bonds

Use these questions to check students’ understanding and stimulate discussion:

1. What does Mickey think elephants have?
(names)

2. What can elephant communication sound like?
(It can sound like a low rumble.)

3. Why did Mickey record elephant calls?
(Answers will vary.)

4. What happened when Mickey played a call back for an elephant?
(Answers will vary.)

Go online to print or project the Reading Checkpoint.

 

  • Elephants have the biggest brains of any land mammal.
  • An elephant knows every member of its herd, or big family group. It can recognize up to 30 other elephants by sight and smell.
  • Elephants form close friendships. They help and comfort each other when they’re sad.

Materials: Pencils, clipboards, copies of the skill sheet

Overview: Students explore the ways in which we humans succeed or fail at communicating to groups of people by playing the telephone game.

Directions:

  1. Remind students they read about a scientist who thinks elephants have names they use to communicate with other members of their group.
  2. Ask: What challenges do people face trying to communicate in a group? They’ll explore this playing the telephone game.
  3. Pass out skill sheets. Divide kids into small groups and send them to workstations.
  4. Each group chooses a short message.
  5. A representative from each group whispers its message to the next group, asking them to pass it on. (Or the class can sit in a circle. Each group takes a turn starting the game with its message.)
  6. When messages have circled the class, have someone say them aloud. Did they change? Record results on the skill sheets.