Animal Adaptations

thingiverse

The Earth is constantly changing and with the increase of people, so are the environments that animals live in. Can you help an animal adapt to its environment by making something for it to complete its life tasks? Print Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator (5th Generation) Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Post-Printing Note that the grey hat on the robot is meant only to help the students attach their adaptations on to the robot. It is not necessary. There is however another lesson, H2o Make it Go, using this hat as well. Standards NGSS Overview and Background As the environment changes, animals need to adapt to be able to complete their life tasks (eating, finding shelter, moving, etc.) in a new environment. Through this lesson students will need to help “Sphero” adapt to his newly flooded environment. Sphero used to be able roam free but is now struggling to move, catch food and fight predators. Your job is to help Sphero with one of these tasks so that he may continue on living. Lesson Plan and Activity Introduction Introduce Sphero to the class. Show how he is able to drive around, go up and down ramps, etc. Then put Sphero into a bin of water. Point out that he has trouble moving and how hard it would be to catch food if he can’t hardly move himself. He also would have trouble defending himself were he to get into a fight. Task Help “Sphero” adapt to his newly flooded environment. Sphero used to be able roam free but is now struggling to move, catch food and fight predators. Your job is to help Sphero with one of these tasks so that he may continue on living. Skills Learned 3-5-ETS1-1 3-5-ETS1-2 3-5-ETS1-3 3-LS4-2 3-LS4-3 3-LS4-4 3-PS2-4 Duration of Lesson 1-2 weeks: allow one day for information and discussion, a full week for designing and testing and make sure you have 2 full days to revisit and share designs and debrief. Preparation Depending on which manner the students want to use to construct the design, students may need access to: ipads, computer, printer, found objects, glue, etc. Example materials might include foam, styrofoam, cardboard, fabric, wire, hot glue, putty, stickers, string, pipe cleaners- this list is only limited by student ideas. You only need one sphero for this lesson, unless you have students attach their adaptations to the device. I would recommend tinkercad for this design, however if your students are more comfortable in another design environment that works too. For students struggling to design on tinkercad, you might show them makerbot print shop and have them draw their design on paper and then scale it however this program will most likely require the full design to be made in parts as it takes a 2d drawing and scales it to make it 3d - you can’t really modify beyond that.