ANIMAL ENGINEERS
Spring Trimester 2015
Essential Questions:
Project Description:
Animal Engineers is a project that will have students investigating the ways that animals can be engineers in their environment. Students will learn about what it means to be an engineer and essentials of engineering and design practices. Students will go to the Zoo to record data on the way animals can change their environment to meet their needs, making connections to human engineers. To reflect on what we are noticing in nature, we will study poetry and ways to use descriptive words to create written art. Throughout this project, students will build on their knowledge from science to interpret how animals can be engineers in their environment, creating a habitat or purposeful space. We will be looking closely at how animals use materials around them to create their own homes.
Students will study bees, birds, ants, beavers, meerkats, and termites through field work, informational texts, and animal experts. We will investigate the materials used in each creation, look for patterns, shapes, and elements that indicate a strong structure, and use our data to design and create animal home prototypes.
Throughout the animal investigation, we will be exploring poetry during reading and writing workshop. Students will notice literary elements in poetry and begin to construct their own short poems describing things in nature and around our classroom/school. A final poem will be written either from the perspective of an animal engineer/builder, or another engineering perspective.
Student Work & Products:
Fieldwork & Experts:
San Diego Zoo
Jack's Pond
Hilary Kearney, Bee Keeper
Engineer
Connections across curriculum:
Math:
Students will learn about shapes and patterns
Collect data on species that are engineers/builders
Measuring materials during prototype construction
Writing:
Students will learn about poetry
Using descriptive language in our writing to bring ideas/writing to life
Rhyming, syllable investigation, repetition, and other creative applications of poetry
Presenting their writing in new and creative ways.
Taking notes in the field
Reading:
Students will conduct research through interactive read alouds about animal engineers
describe how non-fiction texts can help give us information
Look closely at poetry; making connections between different types of poetry.
- How do animals change their environment to meet their needs (NGSS)?
- How are animals engineers?
- How can we present science through art?
- How can we engineer a space that animals can change?
Project Description:
Animal Engineers is a project that will have students investigating the ways that animals can be engineers in their environment. Students will learn about what it means to be an engineer and essentials of engineering and design practices. Students will go to the Zoo to record data on the way animals can change their environment to meet their needs, making connections to human engineers. To reflect on what we are noticing in nature, we will study poetry and ways to use descriptive words to create written art. Throughout this project, students will build on their knowledge from science to interpret how animals can be engineers in their environment, creating a habitat or purposeful space. We will be looking closely at how animals use materials around them to create their own homes.
Students will study bees, birds, ants, beavers, meerkats, and termites through field work, informational texts, and animal experts. We will investigate the materials used in each creation, look for patterns, shapes, and elements that indicate a strong structure, and use our data to design and create animal home prototypes.
Throughout the animal investigation, we will be exploring poetry during reading and writing workshop. Students will notice literary elements in poetry and begin to construct their own short poems describing things in nature and around our classroom/school. A final poem will be written either from the perspective of an animal engineer/builder, or another engineering perspective.
Student Work & Products:
- Becoming an engineer
- Interview an engineer
- Learn about design solutions
- Build prototypes of animal homes
- Critique throughout the building process
- Learn about the social dynamics of some animal builders
- Engage in refection and the creative writing process through poetry about the building process (?)
- Engineering/art journal filled with notes, poetry, and ideas for prototypes
Fieldwork & Experts:
San Diego Zoo
Jack's Pond
Hilary Kearney, Bee Keeper
Engineer
Connections across curriculum:
Math:
Students will learn about shapes and patterns
Collect data on species that are engineers/builders
Measuring materials during prototype construction
Writing:
Students will learn about poetry
Using descriptive language in our writing to bring ideas/writing to life
Rhyming, syllable investigation, repetition, and other creative applications of poetry
Presenting their writing in new and creative ways.
Taking notes in the field
Reading:
Students will conduct research through interactive read alouds about animal engineers
describe how non-fiction texts can help give us information
Look closely at poetry; making connections between different types of poetry.
Animal Engineers Exhibition Handout | |
File Size: | 2237 kb |
File Type: |
Animal Engineers Project Handout | |
File Size: | 2838 kb |
File Type: |