A zoo in Southern California has been successfully breeding arctic wolves and they want to exchange some of their extra wolves for kangaroos from a zoo in southwestern Australia. Since it is July, it is quite cold in the other zoo compared to Southern California. What discussion might the zookeepers have about transferring the wolves?

Question

A.  Since Arctic wolves are well-adapted to cold, this should pose no problems.
B.  After several generations in Southern California, the wolves have lost their adaptive genes for cold temperatures.
C.  After growing up in Southern California, the individual wolves have lost their ability to adapt to cold temperatures, but their progeny will still get the cold-adapted genes.
D.  Although the wolves are genetically adapted to cold weather have not grown their cold weather coats.


Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?

What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content:
What do you already know about the cold weather adaptations in wolves? What other information is related to the question? 

Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result
 

Answer 1

D.  Although the wolves are genetically adapted to cold weather have not grown their cold weather coats.


Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
The key concept is identifying how the cold weather would impact the wolves.  

What type of thinking is required?
This is an application level question, you will need to apply what you know about adaptation to cold climates to the situation with the wolves.


Gather Content:
What do you already know about the cold weather adaptations in wolves? What other information is related to the question? 
These wolves are living in a zoo and are being transferred to another zoo where it is very cold. Temperatures in the wolves’ natural habitat range from warm to very cold but the change is gradual. The wolves have time to adapt to the changes in the climate. How is this situation different from the natural climatic cycle?


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
The wolves need to grow their winter coats, normally that takes place as the weather cools at the end of the summer. They wouldn’t have time to grow them on the short flight over to Australia.


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result
Were you able to identify the challenges the wolves, who were raised in a warm weather environment, would encounter in a cold weather environment?