1. I bet you didn’t know… Stripes and Concealment
Teacher Guide
Curriculum Areas
Animals
Habitats
Ages
4-11 years

2. Copyright
The materials included in these resources are ©Primary Science Teaching Trust 2019, but may be freely reproduced by teachers in schools for educational purposes, subject to the source being credited.
Materials may not be used for promotional or commercial purposes without the express permission of the PSTT. On no account may copies be offered for sale.
Disclaimer
Primary Science Teaching Trust (PSTT) is not liable for the actions or activities of any reader or anyone else who uses the information in this document or the associated classroom materials. PSTT assumes no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information contained in these plans.
PSTT recommends that a full risk assessment is carried out before undertaking in the classroom any of the practical investigations contained in the power point.
Safety note
PSTT advises teachers to refer to either CLEAPSS website or SSERC website for up to date health and safety information when planning practical activities for children.
This power point is intended to be a guide for teachers for their reference although they may wish to show certain slides in the classroom.
We would welcome any feedback on these materials.

3. What do you think experimental psychology is?
Who are the scientists?
Stripes for warning and stripes for hiding: spatial frequency and detection distance
James B. Barnett,a Annabelle S. Redfern,b Robin Bhattacharyya-Dickson,a
Olivia Clifton,a Thomas Courty,a Thien Ho,a Annabel Hopes,a Thomas McPhee,a
Kaitlin Merrison,a Robert Owen,a Nicholas E. Scott-Samuel,b and Innes C. Cuthilla
a School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol
b School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol
What do you think experimental psychology is?

4. What did the scientists know?
Some animals have striped of patterned skin to help them to hide from predators in their habitat.
Some animals have striped or patterned skin to warn other animals to avoid them because they may be dangerous.

5. What did the scientists do?
Scientists made artificial moths with triangular pieces of waterproof paper (2.5 cm x 5 cm).
Each artificial moth was baited with a mealworm larva and hung in trees.
The researchers measured survivability – they recorded how many larvae were taken by birds in a given time. 
The researchers measured detectability - they measured the distance that human volunteers could see the artificial moths.

6. What did the scientists find out?
Survivability of the olive moths was best when the stripes were close together.
Survival of olive moths was greatest when detectability is lowest.
Survival of yellow moths was best when stripes were at intermediate spatial frequencies (not the narrowest stripes or the widest stripes).
The orientation of the stripes made no difference to the visibility for humans or birds.
Scientists don’t yet know whether this means that the birds cannot see the  yellow/black stripes they used or that the birds were intentionally avoiding these patterns because they are similar to a wasp and signalled danger.

7. Quick activity
Why are some animals camouflaged?
Resources
Pictures of camouflaged or conspicuous animals with stripes/spots

8. What colours/patterns are best for a moth?
Longer investigation
What colours/patterns are best for a moth?
Draw stripes of different colour/width/orientation
Cut out some triangles
Hide them around the classroom or outside
Can other pupils find them?
Resources
paper/card, coloured pencils/felt tips, scissors, rulers
tape or hole punch (to fix moths to plants)

9. Which patterns were easily found? Which were not discovered?
What did you find out?
Which patterns were easily found?
Which were not discovered?
Would your results be different in another season?
Why did the birds not take the yellow/black moths, even though they were more visible?

10. Questions for further learning
Can children think of examples where animals' coats change seasonally?
Do you know any animals that are camouflaged because of their shape?
Can you think of any examples of animals that change stripes/spots to blend with their surroundings?
Can you think of any animals that have stripes/spots to make them stand out from their surroundings?
Can you think of any examples of animals that hide by copying another animal?

11. Maths links
Area of learning
Activity
Shapes
Drawing equilateral triangles
Patterns
Stripes, orientation
Measuring
Measuring the width of different stripes

12. Writing links
Area of learning
Activity
Narrative
Read ‘How the zebra got his stripes’.
Children could write a similar story about how a different animal got its camouflage pattern
Non-chronological report
Explain how and why a chosen animal benefits from being camouflaged

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