1-LS1-1

1-LS1-1 use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and animals use their external parts to help them survive. grow, and meet their needs.

Science and engineering practice are to use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem or a solution to a specific problem. This makes me think about the bird unit we do in EL curriculum and discuss bird beaks and their functions. We could correlate this to the utensils we use to eat with. Students are served this food (give them the example) what utensils could you design that would help you eat this food? Why?

DCI: All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, and protect themselves. It would be interesting to see if students could sort pictures of bird beaks to a food source. Which beak would be able to gather the food source most effectively, why or why not?

CC: The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their functions. Again another picture sort, which beak is designed for food, protection, or mating? Which feathers are designed for food, protection or mating? Which wings...etc.. Having students step back and describe would be a very effective assessment tool to gadge student understanding of this standard.