Introduction
Create an Animal Project
NGSX SCIENCE STANDARDS
4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Task
Imagine you are a scientist studying animals. You have just finished an experiment and concluded you are able to create a brand new animal species. You can make it belong to any animal class you like. It can be a vertebrate or invertebrate. You can also create a brand new kind of animal class. It can look, act, move, live, eat, etc., however you want it to. It must be an original animal (not an existing fictional animal or creature from books, movies, or TV shows). However, your company has set firm expectations that your animal live and survive in one of six biomes in the world; tropical rainforest, decidious forest, desert, taiga, tundra or grasslands. Lastly, you must identify an existing plant from your biome and design a 3-D image it.
Like all good scientists, you need to have a plan for your creation. On the following pages you will find essential questions related to your fictional animal, from how it looks to how and what it eats. In order for your company to approve the creation of your animal, you must product three things:
1. A model of your animal (2-D or 3-D)
2. An informational placard (like you'd find next to an exhibit in a museum)
3. Some form of report with the specific information about your animal
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ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
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In which biome will my animal exist?
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What internal or external structures will my animal need to survive in its biome?
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What are the specific functions of these structures and how to they support my animal's ability to survive?
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Is my animal a vertebrate or invertebrate?
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What is my animal's classification (e.g., fish, reptile, arachnid, mammal, etc.) and what features help to classify it this way?
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What does my animal eat and what structures help it become successful in getting its food?
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How does my animal respond when it encounters a predator and also when it encounters prey?
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What's my animal's most important sense and how does this help it survive?
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What are my animal's habits (nocturnal or diurnal)?
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How does it communicate with other members of its species?
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Does it belong to a pack, a family, or is it solitary?
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What size is it and how many limbs does it have?
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How does my animal get around (swim, fly, crawl, etc.)?
Process
Use these online resources to help you research your biome:
- https://youtu.be/0fb8143ndo8 - Biomes of the World for Children: Oceans, Mountains, Grassland, Rainforest, Desert
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Access more online resource links using Schoology.
Evaluation
To successfully complete your company's assignment, you will have . . .
1. Created a model of your animal (2-D or 3-D)
2. Composed an informational placard to accompany your diorama display (like you'd find in a museum)
3. Compiled your research in a form of a report which details specific information about your animal
Conclusion
After successfully completing your assignment, you will exhibit your animal in it's specified biome with other 4th grade students. You will observe other students' animal creations as well as share specifics about yours with them too.
We can't wait to see your finished project!!
Credits
Create An Animal Rubric: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_3UTRGWWE-HE9Ozbo7JZB_mL8MXcUwYb/view?usp=sharing