Hickory Dickory Dock: The Biological Clock Interactive Slide Show

Hickory Dickory Dock: The Biological ClockInteractive Slide Show

Ahhh…the sun! • Did you know that the sun is what makes an animal’s biological clock go tick tock?

That’s right…it tells some fish, like these salmon, when it’s time to grow big! • It also tells them when it’s time to swim upstream, to go lay their eggs so they can hatch their babies:

It tells chickens like these…. • When to lay eggs like these in the summer… • And it tells them when to stop laying eggs in the winter, too!

It tells a big hawk…. • And a little hummingbird…. • When it’s time to fly south for the winter!

But just how does the sun tell animals these things? • Here are some hints…

Hint 1: This is what eastern Washington looks like in the summer, when the hawk is there: • And this is what pictures of the sky might look like throughout a summer day: • 5:00 a.m. • 7:00 a.m. • 12:00 noon • 4:00 p.m. • 9:00 p.m.

Hint 2: This is what eastern Washington looks like in the fall, when the hawk is just leaving to fly south: • And this is what pictures of the sky might look like throughout a fall day: • 5:00 a.m. • 7:00 a.m. • 12:00 noon • 4:00 p.m. • 9:00 p.m.

Hint 3: And this is what eastern Washington sometimes looks like in the winter. The hawk is long gone by now! • And this is what pictures of the sky might look like throughout a winter day: • 5:00 a.m. • 7:00 a.m. • 12:00 noon • 4:00 p.m. • 9:00 p.m.

So now, can you figure out how this: • can tell these: • when to do these things? • Lay eggs • Lay eggs • Fly south

Now you know how the sun makes their biological clocks go tick tock!

Hickory Dickory Dock: The Biological Clock Interactive Slide Show