Summary
To protect his bird feeder, Mark builds an eight-part American-Ninja-Warrior obstacle course for squirrels — then films how the squirrels learn to beat each challenge. It's part engineering build, part animal-behavior study.
Viewer safety
Made for a general YouTube audience — an occasional mild or bleeped word can slip in, so preview if your classroom bar is strict.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Animals take in information through their senses and change their behavior with practice. Watch how the squirrels learn the course faster over the weeks.
- What senses do the squirrels use to work out each obstacle?
- How did the squirrels' behavior change from the first try to the last? What does that tell us about learning?
- If you were designing an obstacle, what would make it hard for a squirrel but fair?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: adaptation, behavior, senses, problem-solving.
Try it: Watch one obstacle twice. Write down what the squirrel tried first, and what it changed the second time. Name the sense it relied on most.