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Science through LEGO Engineering Design an Animal Model: Animal Studies

Curriculum Resources

2008-2009 Edition

Contributors: G. Michael Barnett, Ph. D., Boston College Kathleen Connolly, Tufts University Linda Jarvin, Ph. D., Tufts University Ismail Marulcu, Boston College Chris Rogers, Ph. D., Tufts University Kristen Bethke Wendell, Tufts University Chris Wright, Tufts University

The preparation of this curriculum was partially supported by grant DRL-0423059 from the

National Science Foundation. Grantees undertaking such projects are encouraged to express freely their professional judgment. This curriculum, therefore, does not necessarily represent the

position or policies of the National Science Foundation.

Not for distribution without the authors’ permission

Table of Contents for this Resource Packet

Section 1. Teacher’s Guide Section 2. Student Handouts for All Lessons Section 3. Supplemental Teacher Resources

Section 1: Teacher’s Guide

Science through LEGO Engineering Animal Studies Module: “Design an Animal Model”

Module Overview

Overall Goals: The purpose of studying and modeling the animals is to (1) practice observing and

modeling animals, (2) learn how animals are structured and how they behave, and (3) consider how

animals’ structure and behavior enable survival in their environment.

Big Science Question: Why do animals look and act the way they do, and how can we study and explain

their looks and actions?

Lesson Title Lesson Overview Lesson Learning Objectives Students will be able to…

1

How can we learn

about animals?

First attempt at the unit’s grand design

challenge (inventing and modeling new

creatures for an adventure movie).

Discuss the plan for learning the science

necessary to complete the challenge.

Define engineering design as the process of applying creativity and math and science knowledge to the solution of human problems.

2

How can we

group animals?

Create “pet posters” that describe 7

common pets from 7 different animal

groups.

Group animals by the physical characteristic they share into the major groups of animals (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, insects, birds).

3

What makes a

place a “habitat”?

Research and make LEGO models of the

pets’ native habitats. Consider how each

animal is a good match for its habitat.

Describe the major elements of habitats in general and for specific animals

4

How do scientists

study animals?

(May take place over multiple sessions.)

Observe structures and behaviors of live

animals in the classroom, and record

observations through writing and

drawing. (Replaced by

book/internet/video study of animals if

live animals are not available.)

Observe and model animal body structures.

Identify animal behaviors that are in response to stimuli in the environment.

5

Why do animals

look the way they

do?

Carefully study the locomotion structure

of one animal. Use LEGO pieces to create

a model of this structure.

Observe and model animal body structures.

Explain how structures determine animal functions.

6

What makes a

good model of an

animal’s

structure?

Critique and revise structural models, and

reflect on the modeling process. Compare

models to real animals.

Explain how structures determine animal functions.

Identify adaptations that help animals survive in their environment.

7

Why do animals

act the way they

do?

Observe pre-programmed robotic model

animals and predict the “rules” that

govern their behavior. Write a stimulus-

response behavior rule that models the

behavior of one carefully studied animal.


Explain how behaviors help animals survive in their habitats.

Copyright 2008 Tufts University Center for EngineeringEducational Outreach and LEGOengineering.com


Module Overview

Lesson Title Lesson Overview Lesson Learning Objectives Students will be able to…

8

What makes a

good model of an

animal’s

behavior?

Critique and revise behavioral models,

and reflect on the modeling process.

Compare models to real animals.



9

How can we

invent and model

new animal

structures?

Propose an animal that would be well

adapted to the rainforest ecosystem, and

build a structural model of this fictional

animal. Test according to a structure

model rubric.

Combine different materials, shapes, and structures to design and build models of animals.

Identify adaptations that help animals survive in their environment.

10

How can we

invent and model

new animal

behaviors?

Use NXT programming to create a

behavioral model of the proposed

fictional animal. Test according to a

behavior model rubric.

Combine different materials, shapes, and structures to design and build models of animals.


11

Would our

invented animals

survive?

Final tests of student-invented animal

models. Wrap-up discussion of the

animals for survival in the environment,

given their characteristics.

Define engineering design as the process of applying creativity and math and science knowledge to the solution of human problems.

List and explain the steps of the engineering design process.



Module Overview

Learning Objectives for LEGO Engineering Animal Studies Module

07/01/08

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

1) Group animals by the physical characteristic they share into the major groups of

animals (fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, crustaceans, insects, birds).

2) Observe and model animal body structures.

3) Explain how structures determine animal functions.

4) Identify adaptations that help animals survive in their environment.

5) Describe the major elements of habitats in general and for specific animals.

6) Identify animal behaviors that are in response to stimuli in the environment.

7) Explain how behaviors help animals survive in their habitats.

8) Combine different materials, shapes, and structures to design and build models of

animals.

9) Define engineering design as the process of applying creativity and math and science

knowledge to the solution of human problems.

10) List and explain the following steps of the engineering design process:

i. Identifying a problem

ii. Researching possible solutions

iii. Picking the best solution

iv. Building a prototype

v. Testing the prototype

vi. Repeating any steps needed to improve the design

(Objectives based on the National Science Education Standards, the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, and the Somerville District Science Benchmarks)



Module Overview

Animal Studies: Design an Animal Model – Related National, State, and District Learning Standards

National AAAS Benchmarks

Strand 5: The Living Environment, Grades 3-5 - A great variety of kinds of living things can be sorted into groups in many ways using

various features to decide which things belong to which group.

- For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals thrive, some do not live

as well, and some do not survive at all.

- Organisms interact with one another in various ways besides providing food.

- Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics, and sometimes the differences

give individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

Strand 11: Common Themes - Models, Grades 3-5 - A model of something is similar to, but not exactly like, the thing being modeled. Some

models are physically similar to what they are representing; others are not.

- Models are very useful for communicating ideas about objects, events, and processes.

When using a model to communicate about something, it is important to keep in mind

how it is different from the thing being modeled.

National Science Education Standards Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry (K-4) - Identify a simple problem, propose a solution, implement proposed solutions, evaluate a

product or design, communicate a problem, design, or solution. Content Standard C: The Characteristics of Organisms (K-4) - Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth,

survival, and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for

walking, holding, seeing, and talking.

- The behavior of individual organisms is influenced by internal cues (such as hunger) and

by external cues (such as change in environment). Humans and other organisms have

senses that help them detect internal and external cues.

Content Standard C: Regulation and Behavior (5-8) - Behavior is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental

stimulus….Behavioral response is a set of actions determined in part by heredity and in

part from experience.

- An organism’s behavior evolves through adaptation to its environment.

Massachusetts Frameworks

Grades 3-5, Life Sciences Strand - Classify plants and animals according to the physical characteristics they share.

- Give examples of how inherited characteristics may change over time as adaptations to

changes in the environment that enable organisms to survive, e.g., shape of beak or feet,

placement of eyes on head, length of neck, shape of teeth, color.

- Describe how organisms meet some of their needs in an environment by using behavior

(patterns of activities) in response to information (stimuli) received from the environment.

Recognize that some animal behaviors are instinctive and other are learned.

Design An Animal Model Learning Objectives By the end of this module, students will be able to:

1) Group animals by the

physical characteristic they

share into the major groups

of animals (fish,

amphibians, reptiles,

mammals, crustaceans,

insects, birds).

2) Observe and model animal

body structures.

3) Explain how structures

determine animal functions.

4) Identify adaptations that

help animals survive in their

environment.

5) Describe the major elements

of habitats in general and

for specific animals.

6) Identify animal behaviors

that are in response to

stimuli in the environment.

7) Explain how behaviors help

animals survive in their

habitats.

8) Combine different

materials, shapes, and

structures to design and

build models of animals.

9) Define engineering design

as the process of applying

creativity and math and

science knowledge to the

solution of human

problems.

10) List and explain the

following steps of the

engineering design process:

i. Identifying a problem

ii.Researching possible

solutions

iii.Picking the best

solution

iv.Building a prototype

v.Testing the prototype

vi.Repeating any steps

needed to improve the

design

Somerville Science Benchmarks

Grade 4 Benchmarks for Structure and Function of Animals - List the key characteristics of each of six important groups of animals (fishes, amphibians,

reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects).

- Name at least two animals from each group (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals,

and insects).

Grade 4 Benchmarks for Adaptations of Animals - Identify at least two animal adaptations that help the animal survive in its environment.

(e.g. thick fur on a polar bear, long beak on a hummingbird)

- List at least two animals and their behaviors that help them survive in their natural habitat

(e.g., birds build nests, ducks migrate).


Science through LEGO Engineering Design an Animal Model - July 2008

1-1

Suggested Time !!!!!!!!!!!! Lesson Overview !!!!!!!!!!!! Learning Objectives

!!!!!!!!!!!! Teacher Background

One 60-minute session

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Students will be introduced to the unit’s “Grand Design Challenge”: As a science adviser to a movie studio, you must invent and model an imaginary but believable animal creature for a rainforest adventure movie. Students will consider what science ideas will help them

successfully complete this challenge and answer the unit’s “Big Science

Question”: Why do animals look and act the way they do, and how can we study and explain their looks and actions?

! Exploration question – squirrel survival

! Read design challenge brief

! View images of the design challenge environment

! Consider current and future knowledge that will help with design

challenge

! Propose initial “pitch” for a rainforest movie creature

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Define engineering design as the process of applying creativity

and math and science knowledge to the solution of human

problems.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is a tropical rainforest? A tropical rainforest is a warm, humid forest where it rains at least 100 inches every year and where the temperature stays near 75° F all year round. Because they are so warm and wet and full of plants, at least half of all the earth's animals species live in tropical rainforests. In fact, new species of animals are still being discovered in the rainforests! Different animals live in each of the three rainforest layers. On the forest floor there are earthworms, insects, and elephants. Among the bushes and small trees there are jaguars, snakes, possums, woodpeckers, and more insects. Up high in the trees and vines of the canopy there are monkeys, frogs, sloths, and parrots. Rainforests also have large rivers with many kinds of fish.

Lesson 1

How can we learn about animals?



1-2

!!!!!!!!!!!! Vocabulary

!!!!!!!!!!!! Materials

!!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation

!!!!!!!!!!!! Instructions for Teachers

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Animal adaptation – A special trait that helps an animal survive.

Model – A simplified version of a real thing or event that is used to

describe, explain, or better understand some part of that real thing or

event. A model can be a drawing, a construction, a math equation, or a

computer simulation.

Survive – To stay alive.

Tropical rainforest – A warm, humid forest full of trees, flowering

plants, and animals where it rains more than 100 inches per year. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal 1

For the class ! Images of rainforest environment (provided at end of lesson plan)

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Prepare overhead projector, LCD projector, or TV/DVD for viewing of

rainforest images.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

PART I: Introduction to Grand Design Challenge (15 min)

1) Give students 2-to-3 minutes to record their ideas about the

exploration question: “What makes squirrels so good at surviving in

the cities of the northeastern United States?”

2) Ask a few students to explain their thoughts on this question. Then,

explain that you are about to begin a science unit that is all about this

kind of question – why do animals look and act the way they do?

3) Explain that to become experts at how animals look and act, and at

why they look and act the way they do, students will be challenged

with an engineering design project that requires expertise on the

science of animals. Today, students will take a first try at the animal

engineering design challenge. Then, for the next several science

classes, students with gather new science knowledge necessary for

succeeding at the challenge, just like real engineers do when

researching their design projects.

4) Direct students to turn to journal page 1-2, the Design Brief. This

page explains students’ grand challenge for this science unit. Ask

Lesson 1 How can we learn about animals?



1-3

Now that students have

been introduced to their

design challenge, it is time

to map out a plan for the

unit’s science learning.

NOTE: Save this chart for Lesson 11, when you will

complete the third column.

students to read the Design Brief independently, or read it together.

5) Announce that the movie director has given you some early scenes

from the movie so you can get a sense for the rainforest environment.

Ask students to look carefully and try to notice as many details as

possible. Display the rainforest images.

PART II: Planning for Learning Animal Science (25 min)

6) Ask students to turn to journal page 1-3, which summarizes the

design challenge, states the big science question, and asks students to

plan for their science learning.

7) Allot 5 minutes for students to work independently on the “What do

you already know?” and “What do you need to learn?” table.

8) Create a class chart with three columns. Leave the third column

blank, and use the first two to record what students already know and

what students need to learn to complete the animal engineering design

challenge.




1-4

When students can

thoroughly answer this Big

Science Question, they will

be able to complete the

Grand Design Challenge.

NOTE: You might remind students that engineers

often come up with dozens of design ideas for one

design challenge. They keep trying until their design

meets all of the criteria. As they try and try again, they

learn many new things.

9) Use the chart as a starting point for previewing the unit. Circle the

ideas that will be addressed in the unit, and then explain that over the

next several lessons, students will be:

a. Describing the different types of animals

b. Thinking about why certain animals live in certain places,

and building LEGO models of those places (habitats)

c. Observing real animals (live, videotaped, or in books)

d. Modeling the way animals look, using LEGO structures

e. Modeling the way animals behave, using robots

f. Completing the grand design challenge – inventing and

modeling a rainforest movie creature

As students work on all of these tasks, they will be developing

expertise to answer the unit’s “Big Science Question”: Why do animals look and act the way they do, and how can we study and explain their looks and actions?

PART III: Development of Initial “Pitch” for the Rainforest Movie

Creature (15 min)

10) Explain that before staring any of the animal science investigations,

students must brainstorm initial ideas for the movie director.

11) Direct students to turn to page 1-4, where they will use just writing

and drawing to make an initial “pitch” for their rainforest creature

idea. Allot 10 minutes for students to complete their pitch.




1-5




1-6




2-1

Suggested Time !!!!!!!!!!!! Lesson Overview !!!!!!!!!!!! Learning Objectives !!!!!!!!!!!!


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to recognize that animals

can be classified into groups according to their characteristics, needs, and

habitats. To learn about these groups, students will first practice

describing the characteristics of animals: each pair will make a poster

about one of seven familiar pets. Then, the class will work together to

assign each pet to a different animal group (fish, amphibians, reptiles,

mammals, crustaceans, insects, birds).

! Consider a true story about a scientist that discovers a new species

! Creation of pet posters that describe the characteristics of familiar

pets (goldfish, frogs, cats, snakes, ants, parakeets, hermit crabs)

! Assignment of the seven pets to seven major animal groups (fish,

amphibians, mammals, reptiles, insects, birds, crustaceans)

! Discussion of special features of each major animal group

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Group animals by the physical characteristic they share into seven

major groups of animals (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals,

crustaceans, insects, birds).

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 2

How can we group animals?



2-2


!!!!!!!!!!!! Materials !!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amphibian – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton and

spends part of its life in water and part of its life on land.

Behavior – The way an animal acts; what an animal does; an animal’s

pattern of activities.

Bird – A warm-blooded, egg-laying animal that has an inner skeleton,

wings and feathers.

Characteristic - A quality of an individual or group.

Crustacean – An animal that has a hard shell, jointed legs, antennae,

three mouth parts, and a fan-shaped tail, and usually lives in water.

Fish – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton, lives in water,

has gills, fins, and a tail, and moves by swimming.

Habitat – The home of an animal.

Insect – A very small animal that has an outer skeleton, a segmented

body, three pairs of legs, and usually wings.

Mammal - A warm-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton and has

hair or fur; female mammals produce milk to feed their young. Reptile – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton, lives on land,

and has waterproof skin with scales or plates. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal 2

For each student pair ! " sheet of chart paper (or " poster board or 11x14 paper)

! Markers For the class ! Seven animal group labels (7 small strips of paper, each with one of

these words written in large print: fish, amphibians, mammals,

reptiles, insects, birds, crustaceans)

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Cut chart paper or poster board, or obtain 11x14 paper.

! Prepare animal group labels.

Lesson 2 How can we group animals?



2-3


GETTING STARTED

ACTIVITY EXPLANATION

NOTE: Page 2-3 shows the

layout for the poster. Students do not need to

write on page 2-3; it is just a template.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

PART I: Introduction (15 min)

1) Explain that today’s exploration question involves reading a true

story about a scientist that discovers a new animal species. The

students’ task is to determine what steps the scientist takes to make

that discovery.

2) Read the story out loud, or allow time for students to read the story to

themselves. Allot 5 minutes for students to identify and record the

steps taken by the scientist.

3) Ask students to share the steps they identified, such as:

• Describing looks/physical characteristics

• Describing actions/behavior

• Describing the surrounding plant life

PART II: Pet Poster Explanation/Demonstration (10 min)

4) Explain that the students will now practice the role of a scientist who

is observing and describing animals. However, since they are in the

city instead of an Indonesian forest, they will describe animals that

are “closer to home,” and with which they are very familiar – pets!

5) Explain that each student pair will be told the name of a different

common pet. Each pair’s task is to brainstorm everything they know

about that animal and record at least one idea in each of three

different categories on a poster. The three categories are:

looks/physical characteristics, behavior, and needs (food, nearby

plants, climate, etc.).

6) Model this poster-making process for the students by making a poster

for another familiar pet. Your poster might look something like this:




2-4

NOTE: If you have fewer than seven pairs of students, you might ask some groups to describe two animals, or

describe some yourself.

STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT

WORK

MAKING SENSE OF THE ACTIVITY

The next pages provide

information about the seven

animal groups and show

samples of students’ “pet

posters.”

7) After modeling the poster-making task, assign one of these seven

animals to each student pair (but do not yet reveal the animal groups):

a. Goldfish (pet from the fish group) b. Frog (pet from the amphibians group) c. Parakeet (pet from the birds group) d. Hermit crab (pet from the crustaceans group) e. Snake (pet from the reptiles group) f. Cat (pet from the mammals group) g. Ant (pet from the insects group)

PART III: Students’ Creation of Pet Posters (15 min)

8) Allot 10-to-15 minutes for students to work independently on their

posters.

9) Reassure students that these posters do not need to be elaborately

decorated or perfectly neat. This is a brainstorming exercise, a chance

for students to share informally their knowledge about one animal.

PART IV: Class Discussion about Animal Groups (20 min)

10) Hang the posters at the front of the room. You now have seven lists

of animal characteristics identified by the student groups.

11) After each list is visible in the room, display the labels for the seven

animal groups: fish, amphibians, birds, crustaceans, reptiles, mammals, and insects. Ask students which animal group name is best

matched with each list of characteristics. Place the correct label on

each poster.

12) Direct students to record these animal group names and

characteristics on journal page 2-4.

13) When animal groups are identified, facilitate a discussion requesting

students’ ideas on the following questions:

a. What other animals could be classified into each group?

b. How would you convince others that these groupings are

helpful for studying and talking about animals?




2-5


Group Name Major Characteristics 3 Examples

Cold-blooded (body temperature depends on their environment)

Salamander

Live both in water and on land throughout life Newt

Amphibians (Vertebrate)

To breathe: use gills in water when young and lungs on land when older

Toad

Warm-blooded Pelican

Have feathers and wings (MOST can fly) Parrot

Birds (Vertebrate)

Lay eggs Penguin

MOST are cold-blooded Trout

Breathe with gills because they live in water, and swim in water with fins

Eel

Fish (Vertebrate)

MOST lay eggs Shark

Warm-blooded Elephant

Produce milk for their young, which are born live Monkey

Mammals (Vertebrate)

MOST have body hair Platypus

Cold-blooded Turtle

Have scales on their skin Alligator

Reptiles (Vertebrate)

MOST lay eggs Lizard

Body has outer shell (exoskeleton), eyes, antennae, and three mouth parts

Shrimp

MOST live in water (fresh and salt water) Crayfish

Crustaceans (Invertebrate)

Fan-shaped tail Lobster

Body has outer shell (exoskeleton), three parts, joined legs, eyes, and antennae

Butterfly

Breathe through holes in body Mosquito

Insects (Invertebrate)

Hatch from eggs Grasshopper



2-6




3-1

Suggested Time !!!!!!!!!!!! Lesson Overview

!!!!!!!!!!!! Learning Objectives !!!!!!!!!!!!


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this lesson, students will research and make LEGO models of the

native habitats of common pets (which they described in Lesson 2). They

will also consider how each animal is a good match for its habitat. The

primary goals for this lesson are for students to connect animal

characteristics to habitat features, and for students to start thinking about

models as simplified versions of real things, designed to highlight

specific important ideas.

! Exploration question – where sharks and seagulls live

! Researching native habitats of common pets (or wild animals in the

same family as common pets)

! Considering how each habitat is a good match for the animal

(thinking about the specific features of each habitat)

! Quick-build: LEGO models of habitats

! Determining what makes a habitat (identifying the common features

of all habitats)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Describe the major elements of habitats in general and for specific

animals.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LEGO model of a desert habitat

Lesson 3

What makes a place a “habitat”?



3-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Body of water – A large amount of water all in the same place, such as a

lake, pond, river, ocean, dam, creek, or stream.

Characteristic – A quality of an individual or group.


Land feature – A natural part of the landscape such as a hill, mountain,

valley, dune, crater, plain, or meadow.




computer simulation. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal 3

For each student pair ! LEGO NXT kit

For the class ! Books or articles about these seven animals in their native habitats:

crabs, ants, frogs, snakes, tigers (or other wild cat), parakeets (or

other wild bird), sharks (or other wild fish)

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Gather books or articles that provide information on animal habitats.

! Prepare a sample “habitat research chart” (but do not fill it out yet).

! Build a sample of a LEGO model habitat (see photo above).

Lesson 3 What makes a place a “habitat”?



3-3


GETTING STARTED

ACTIVITY

EXPLANATION

!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Explain that today students will shift from describing animals to

describing the places where animals live – their habitats. Each pair

will research the native habitats of the “wild” versions of their Lesson

2 pets. (Note: Students whose Lesson 2 animal is found only as a pet,

such as cats and goldfish, will research similar animals that live in the

wild, such as tigers and sharks.)

2) Direct students to the exploration questions on page 3-1. Allot 5

minutes for students to record their ideas. These questions ask

students to consider why sharks and seagulls live where they live.

3) Ask some students to share their ideas for each of the three questions.

Conclude this initial discussion by pointing out that there are some

common things that all animals need in their habitats, and some

things that each animal needs specifically. For an animal to survive

and thrive, its habitat must have the common features needed by all

animals as well as the features specifically needed by that animal.

Animals must be “good matches” for their habitats; they must have

characteristics that make them well-suited for their environment. In

this lesson, the students will investigate more about habitats and their

connections to animal characteristics.

PART II: Habitat Research and Modeling Demonstration (10 min)

4) Explain that each student pair will first research the native habitat of

their animal, or one like it, and record their findings in the “research

chart” on page 3-2. Second, they will write about how their animal is

a good match for its habitat. Third, they will build a LEGO model of

that habitat. Each LEGO model must “show off” at least three of the

characteristics recorded in the students’ research chart.

5) On the overhead projector, board, or chart paper, demonstrate how to

fill out a research chart and answer the follow-up question (page 3-2).




3-4

NOTE: You might want to point out that your model

habitat is very simple because you spent less than 10 minutes building it, and

you focused on modeling only the plant life, food

source, and land feature of the habitat. You did not

worry about making it look exactly like a real habitat.

6) Display your sample LEGO model of a habitat.

PART III: Students’ Habitat Research and Modeling (25 min)

7) Distribute books or articles and direct the students to begin their

habitat research. When students complete their charts and follow-up

question (page 3-2), they may obtain their LEGO kits to do their

modeling.

8) Allot 25 minutes for students to research and build models. When 10

minutes are left, make sure all students have moved on to modeling.

PART IV: Discussion of Habitat Common Features and +/- Chart (10

min)

9) In today’s wrap-up discussion, your goal is to answer two questions:

a. What makes a place a “habitat”? b. How good are the LEGO models at showing what makes a

place a “habitat”?

10) Display these two questions, and facilitate a discussion of the first

question: what makes a place a “habitat”?




3-5

The common features of all

habitats are food (enough

for the particular animal),

air/oxygen (enough for the

particular animal), water

(enough for the particular

animal), and space in which

to move around (enough for

the particular animal).

These are the things that

transform a place into a

habitat. If a place is

without food, oxygen,

space, or water, it cannot be

an animal habitat.


a. One way to think about this question is: Can any place be a

habitat? For example, could a child’s bedroom be a habitat for

a bear? Could a car be a habitat for a frog? Why not?

b. Another way to think about this question is: What do all

animal habitats have in common? Do they all have trees? Do

they all have dirt? Why not? What do all animals need in their

habitats?

11) Ask students to complete Step 3 on page 3-3: What are four things that all animals need in their habitats?

12) Next, focus students’ attention on the second main question: How

good are the LEGO models at showing what makes a place a

“habitat”?

a. To facilitate a discussion about this question, make a class +/-

chart: Draw a vertical line. Draw a “+” (plus) on the left of it,

and a “-“ (minus) on the right of it.

b. Under the plus sign, record the students’ ideas about the

advantages of using the LEGO models to explain habitats to

others? What do they help you show?

c. Under the minus sign, record the students’ ideas about the

disadvantages of using the LEGO models to explain habitats?

What ideas are you not able to show using the LEGO models?

Do they help you explain that all habitats need oxygen, water,

food, and space?

13) Conclude the lesson by explaining that the students will continue to

build models throughout this unit, and each model will be good at

explaining some things, and not good at explaining other things.

Models are simplified versions of real things, and they are used to

help explain and think about certain features of real things.



4-1

Suggested Time !!!!!!!!!!!! Lesson Overview !!!!!!!!!!!! Learning Objectives

!!!!!!!!!!!!

One-to-three 60-minute sessions (depending on the extent of your live animal studies, if any) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to gain experience

observing the animal structure and behavior and recording those

observations in written and drawn form. If you do not keep live animals

in your classroom, students may make indirect observations of animals

through books, videos, and websites. If you would like students to make

observations of multiple animals, this lesson may stretch over multiple

sessions.

! Exploration question – comparing animal structures

! Observe animal body structures

! Complete animal structure data table

! Observe animal behavior

! Complete animal behavior data table

! Reflect on how observation data can inform design challenge work

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Observe and model animal body structures.

• Identify animal behaviors that are in response to stimuli in the

environment.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 4

How do scientists study animals?



4-2



NOTE: Some animal images are provided on the

unit CD.

!!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Observation – The information (data) obtained by watching carefully

and trying to notice as much as possible.

Observe – To watch carefully; to look at closely and try to notice as

much as possible.

Structure – A body part with a particular function; the parts of an

animal that give it its shape and movement. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal Part 4

(If students will be observing multiple animals, they may need extra

copies of the data tables on pages 4-2 and 4-3.)

For the class ! Live animals (aquatic frogs, fiddler crabs, millipedes, crickets,

guppies, hamsters, goldfish, etc.)

OR

! Multimedia resources (books, videos, or previewed websites) that

provide information about animals’ structures and behaviors (some

animal photos provided on unit CD)

OR

! A combination of live animals and multimedia resources

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! If you will be studying live animals but have not yet set them up in your

classroom, you should do so before beginning this lesson (or work with

students to do so).

Lesson 4 How do scientists study animals?



4-3


GETTING STARTED


NOTE: To explain the term

structure, you might ask students, “If I listed: eye,

ear, leg, knee, elbow, arm, nose, what would you say

all those things are examples of? Body parts! A science word for an animal body part is ‘structure.’ So

eyes, ears, legs, knees, elbows, arms, and noses are all examples of structures.”

NOTE: When you review

the behavior data table, you may need to review the

“senses”: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell.


ACTIVITY

!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Allot five minutes for students to record their ideas for today’s

exploration question: “Imagine that some scientists visit your school

to study a very important animal species – humans! If the scientists

watched you for 10 minutes during a math lesson, what could they

learn about you? What would they notice about you?”

2) Ask a few students to share their responses. Help students notice that

they are discussing both what they look like and how they act. When

scientists want to learn about an animal, they must pay careful

attention to both of these aspects of the animal. When they study

what an animal looks like, they focus on its body parts and what

those body parts do (walk, smell, hear, etc.). They call body parts

structures. When scientists study how an animal acts, they focus on

what it does and what triggers what it does. They call actions

behavior.

PART II: Explanation of Animal Observations (10 min)

3) Explain that today, students will be studying the structures and

behaviors of real animals.

a. Review the definition of animal structure. b. Review the definition of animal behavior.

4) Explain that students will document today’s studies of animal

structure and behavior in their journals. The journals have data tables

that will help them organize all of their observations.

5) Display a transparency or poster version of the structure data table.

Ask students to follow along on page 4-2. Review the questions in the

title row of the structure data table. Explain that these questions tell

students what kind of information to record in each column. Then

review the sample data table entry.

6) Display a transparency or poster version of the behavior data table.

Ask students to follow along on page 4-3. Review the questions in

the title row of the behavior data table. Explain that, again, these

questions tell students what kind of information to record in each

column. Then review the sample data table entry.

PART III: Observing and Recording Animal Structures and Behaviors

(30 min)

7) Allot 30 minutes for students to observe animals (or study them with

multimedia resources) and record their observations in the data tables.

8) You may also want to allow small bits of time throughout the day for




4-4

NOTE: If all students will be observing the same live

animal, you may need to assign students different

observation times throughout the day.


students to observe animal behavior, so that their data table entries

are spread throughout several hours rather than following one right

after another.

PART IV: Wrap-Up Discussion (10 min)

9) Gather students together. Ask a few students to share something they

learned from observing the animals’ structure and behavior that might

help them with the rainforest movie challenge.




5-1



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to study carefully the

locomotion structure of one animal and consider how structure impacts

function. This kind of thinking will be enabled as students use LEGO

pieces to create a model of a locomotive structure (a body part used for

movement). Each student pair will choose one specific animal (from

among those that the class has been studying), determine a structure that

helps that animal move, study that structure, and build a model of it using

LEGO materials.

! Exploration question – comparing animals’ leg structures

! In-depth study of a structure used for movement

! Structure model planning

! Structure model building

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Observe and model animal body structures.

• Explain how structures determine animal functions.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 5

Why do animals look the way they do?



5-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Function – The specific job or purpose of something. Joint – A place where two bones meet; a place where a body structure is

able to bend. Model – A simplified version of a real thing or event that is used to




Structure – A body part with a particular function; the parts of an animal

that give it its shape and movement.

!!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal Part 5


! Access to live animals or detailed photos and diagrams of animals

For the class ! Sample animal “structure study” page

! Sample animal structure model (instructions below)

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Prepare a sample of page 5-2, the “structure study” page, to display as a

poster-size chart or on the overhead projector.

! Build a sample animal structure model. The instructions below explain

how to build a dragonfly structural model. This model is deliberately

poor, and it is intended to help students point out weaknesses of

models.

A.) This is the animal whose movement structure you are modeling:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Platetrum_depressum_1_Luc_Viatour.JPG

Lesson 5 Why do animals look the way they do?



5-3

Preparation, continued

B.) You will model only the dragonfly’s back wings, and you will

attempt to model the way they are connected to the body. (Remember,

this is a deliberately poor model.)




5-4

Preparation, Cont’d. !!!!!!!!!!!! Instructions for Teachers

GETTING STARTED

Some similarities are that

both human and duck legs

can bend at the knee and

ankle joints, both are used

for walking upright, both

come in a pair, and both

have limited range of

motion (they cannot rotate

180 degrees in every

direction). Some differences

are that duck legs have

webbed feet attached to

them, duck legs are

optimized for swimming,

and duck legs are shorter

relative to a duck’s total

body size.

C.) Your finished model should look like this:

!!!!!!!!!!!!



exploration question: “What things are the same about human and

duck leg structures? What things are different about human and duck

leg structures?”

2) Ask a few students share their responses.

3) In conclusion, point out that although human legs and duck legs are

different, both structures are used to help animals move. Every

species of animal has structures for movement.

4) Explain that today, students will build models of structures used for

movement. Each student pair will choose one specific animal (from

among those that the class has been studying), determine a structure

that helps that animal move, study that structure, and build a model of

it using LEGO materials.

5) If necessary, review the definitions of structure and model.

PART II: Demonstration of Structure Study and Modeling (10 min)

6) Direct students to turn to page 5-2 in their journals as you display a

large (poster or overhead transparency) version of this page.

7) Read Today’s Engineering Challenge: “Make a movable LEGO




5-5



ACTIVITY

model of a body structure that helps with an animal’s movement.”

8) Explain that to begin this challenge, students must complete an

animal structure study, and the steps on page 5-2 will help them do

this study. Students should use their animal structure data tables from

Lesson 4 to identify a structure used for movement.

9) Demonstrate how to complete page 5-2. In our example, shown

below, we have used a dragonfly.

Choose an animal to model: Dragonfly

Structure that helps the animal move: Back wings

(A) Connection to rest of body: Top inside corner of each wing is attached to a point on the back of the body

(B) Joints: Wings themselves cannot bend, but there is a joint where each wing attaches to the body so that it can flap up and down

(C) Shape: Wings are like very long uppercase D’s turned sideways, or like long oval snowshoes with one pointy end

Sketch:

10) After demonstrating how to conduct the structure study, explain that

students’ next step is to plan how they will model the structure with

LEGO materials. Review the planning steps on page 5-3.

11) Finally, explain that the students’ last task is to build the LEGO

structure model. Display your sample structure model (building

instructions for dragonfly model are provided in the Preparation

section above). Show students how your model’s wings move (they

move back and forth horizontally, rather than up and down

vertically). Ask students if these model wings do a good job of

showing how a real dragonfly’s wings move. Help students see that

they are NOT good at showing the movement, and students should

work to build models that are better at showing the movement of an

animal structure.

PART III: Studying and Modeling Animal Structures (40 min)

12) Allot 40 minutes for students to complete their structure study, plan

their LEGO model, and build a first version of their LEGO model.




5-6

13) Reassure students that they will have time during the next lesson to

improve their LEGO models.

14) Make resources available that will help students study their chosen

structures in detail. These resources might include live animals,

books, websites, or videos.

Some Animal Image Resources (More are included on unit CD.)




5-7




6-1



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to evaluate and revise their

structural models and reflect on the modeling process. Student pairs will

trade models with another pair and evaluate (or “judge”) each other’s

model. They will use that feedback to make improvements to their

models. The lesson will conclude with a discussion on the strengths and

weaknesses of LEGO structure models. Students will consider whether

they are useful tools for teaching others about real animals.

! Exploration question – teddy bear as animal model

! Evaluation (“judging”) of structure models, using rubric

! Improvement of structure models

! Final self-evaluation of structure models, using rubric

! Reflection on strengths and weaknesses of LEGO structure models

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Explain how structures determine animal functions.

• Identify adaptations that help animals survive in their

environment.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 6

What makes a good model of an animal’s structure?



6-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Function – The specific job or purpose of something, Joint – A place where two bones meet; a place where a body structure is

able to bend. Model – A simplified version of a real thing or event that is used to




Rubric – A checklist of goals and point values, used to evaluate or judge

how well something has been done.

Structure – A body part with a particular function; the parts of an animal




! Access to live animals or detailed photos and diagrams of animals

For the class ! Sample structure model rubric

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Prepare a display version (poster or overhead transparency) of page 6-2,

the rubric for judging animal structure models.

! Make sure you have your sample structure model from Lesson 5.

Lesson 6 What makes a good model of an animal’s structure?



6-3


GETTING STARTED


!!!!!!!!!!!!



exploration questions: “ (1) Could you use a toy bear to teach

someone how a real bear moves? Why or why not? (2) Is the toy bear

a good model of a real bear’s structures? Why or why not?”

2) Ask a few students to share their responses.

3) Explain that, in this lesson, students will learn more about what

makes a good model of an animal’s structure. They will do so by

using a rubric to evaluate (or “judge”) each other’s models, and then

use their classmates’ feedback to improve their models.

4) If necessary, review the definitions of structure and model.

PART II: Demonstration of Structural Model “Judging” (10 min)

5) Direct students to turn to page 6-2 in their journals as you display a

large (poster or overhead transparency) version of this page.

6) Review the four steps listed at the top of page 6-2. First, students will

evaluate (“judge”) each other’s models. Then, each pair will read the

ratings given to their model by another pair. Third, each pair will

improve their model. Finally, each pair will self-evaluate their

improved model.

7) Point out that pairs need to swap both models AND journals. They

should record their ratings of the other pairs’ models in the other

pairs’ journals.

8) With students’ input, use the rubric to evaluate your sample structural

model from Lesson 5. Explain how you are deciding to circle ‘yes’ or

‘no’ for each row. Write an explanation for each ‘no’ answer. For the

dragonfly model, the rubric would look like this:




6-4


ACTIVITY


PART III: Studying and Modeling Animal Structures (25 min)

9) Help student pairs determine with which other pair they will swap

models. (In other words, form groups of 4 students each.)

10) Make sure that each student pair can find a photo, diagram, or live

version of the animal whose model they are evaluating.

11) Allot 25 minutes for students to evaluate each other’s models,

improve their models, and complete final self-evaluations.

PART IV: Wrap-Up Discussion with Plus/Minus Chart (15 min)

12) Gather students for some reflection about their structural models. Ask

them to consider: “If you were teaching someone else about how your

animal moves, how could you use your model in your teaching?”

13) To organize the students’ ideas, create another plus/minus chart.

Under the plus sign, record ideas about the advantages of the LEGO

models for explaining animals structure and movement. Under the

minus sign, record ideas about the disadvantages of the LEGO

models for explaining structure and movement (i.e., what cannot be

explained with the LEGO models?).

14) Conclude by asking students to share any new ideas about the

lesson’s main question: “What makes for a good structural model of

an animal?”




7-1



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to become familiar with

describing animal actions in terms of sense-and-response behavior (also

called stimulus-response behavior). Students will observe robotic model

animals, which have been pre-programmed by you, and deduce the

“rules” that govern their behavior. Then, they will write a sense-and-

response behavior rule that models the behavior of one carefully studied

animal from earlier lessons.

! Exploration question – human behavior

! Observation of robotic animal behavior models

! Deduction of rules followed by robotic models

! Writing behavior rules to model previously studied animals

! Translating behavior rules into LEGO NXT computer programs

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Identify animal behaviors that are in response to stimuli in the

environment.

• Explain how behaviors help animals survive in their habitats.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 7 Why do animals act the way they do?



7-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Action – What an animal does.



Computer program – A set of instructions that tell a computer what to

do, usually written in a symbol language or a shortened version of the

English language.





Response – Action that an animal takes after sensing something (a

stimulus).

Robot – A machine that uses a computer and electronic devices to

perform tasks automatically, without human control. Robotic – Using a computer and electronic devices to perform tasks

automatically, without human control.

Sense – To take information in from the surroundings.

Sense structure – A body part that takes information in from the

surroundings.

Sensor – An electronic device that takes in information from the

surroundings and converts it to an electrical signal.

Stimulus – Something that is sensed; information from the surroundings;

something that can cause an action.


For each student pair ! One set of 12 behavior model cards (cards provided with kit, but

additional copy masters provided at end of lesson plan)

For the class ! Four pre-built NXT cars, each pre-programmed with a different

sense-and-response behavioral rule

! Bright white paper (to activate light sensor)

! Flashlight (to activate light sensor)




7-3

!!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation !!!!!!!!!!!! Instructions for Teachers

GETTING STARTED

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Start a “sense structure” chart, as shown below

! Start a “behavior rule” chart, as shown below.

! Find the behavior model cards provided with the unit kit. Each student

pair needs one set of 12 cards.

! Decide which area of the classroom you will use as your robot

observation area. Place the behavior rule chart in that area.

! Build four two-motor NXT cars (see building instructions at end of

lesson plan).

! Add four sensors to each car: touch sensor wired to #1, sound sensor to

#2, light sensor to #3, distance/nearness (ultrasonic) sensor to #4.

! Download a different NXT-G animal behavior program onto each car

(light program on one car, sound program on another car, etc.).

Programs are included on the unit CD.

! Tape a different colored (red, yellow, blue, green) piece of paper to

each NXT car.

! Make sure each NXT car has a charged battery (or fresh AA batteries).

!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Before students answer the exploration questions, take a moment to

review the five human senses. Explain that today you will be thinking

about how animals act, and animals’ actions are often triggered by

the use of their senses. To warm up for this kind of thinking, you

need to review the five senses used by humans (which are also used

by animals). To review the senses, ask students to help you complete

the chart shown below. You will add a third column to this chart in

the next lesson, when you review robotic sensing.

Sense Structure Chart

2) Read through the examples of human senses and actions at the top of

page 7-1. Then, allot five minutes for students to answer the

exploration questions about their own human senses and actions.




7-4

You are now shifting from

thinking about human

behavior to thinking about

the behavior of the animals

you have been studying.

A computer program is a

set of instructions for a

computer. For LEGO

computers, the programs are

written in a picture

language, similar to

hieroglyphics or symbols.

NOTE: The four behaviors are: (1) Make a noise and

move toward bright light/bright white. (2) Back

quickly away from other animals. (3) Spin around

after hearing loud sounds. (4) Stop for 5 seconds after

being touched.

3) Ask a few students to share their responses, and clarify any confusion

between what senses are and what actions are.

PART II: Matching Robotic Behavior Models with Real Animals and

Computer Programs (20 min)

4) Explain that, in this lesson, students will apply their behavior data

from Lesson 4 to create models of animal behavior. However, before

they begin working on their own models, they will observe four

models that you have already made.

5) Place the pre-programmed NXT cars in the designated “observation

area.”

6) Explain that these LEGO cars are robotic animals with computer programs that tell them to behave according to simple rules.

7) Explain that the students’ task is to observe the animal models closely

(but not to touch them) and guess the rule that controls each model’s

behavior. Afterward, students will match each robotic model with (1)

the real animal that it is modeling, and (2) its computer program.

8) Point out the chart where you will record what students notice about

the robotic models’ behavior rules.

Behavior Rule Chart

9) Activate one robotic model at a time. After about 30 seconds, stop the

model and ask the students to share their guesses for its rule. Record

their ideas in the columns for that model.

10) After observing all four animals, introduce the words stimulus and

response. Stimulus is the science word for what is sensed, and

response is the science word for action. As the robots sense and then

act, they are modeling stimulus-response behavior. 11) Students will now practice their understanding of stimulus-response

behavior by matching the robotic stimulus-response models with real-

life animal behavior and computer programs.




7-5

NOTE: You might conclude this portion of the lesson by

providing (or having students provide) some

examples of stimuli (things that are sensed) and

responses (actions) of common animals, which

could be modeled with robots and computer

programs. For example, fish respond to the stimulus of food by swimming. Cats respond to the stimulus of

petting by purring. Penguins respond to the

stimulus of cold air by huddling.

ACTIVITY

EXPLANATION


ACTIVITY

12) Distribute a set of 12 behavior model cards to each student pair.

Explain the sorting task: students should make four groups with three

cards each, and each group should have (1) a robotic model, (2) the

real animal whose behavior it is modeling, and (3) the computer

program that controls the robotic model.

13) Allot 5 minutes for students to make their groups. Then review the

correct groups, which are shown below.

PART III: Explanation of Behavior Modeling Task (10 min)

14) Direct students to turn to journal page 7-3 on “Writing Animal

Behavior Rules.” Explain that now they will test their understanding

by creating their own animal behavior models, just as they created

their own animal structure models.

15) Explain that each pair will write a rule as a normal English sentence,

and then they translate it into a pictorial computer program that can

be tested on the NXT animals.

16) Review the rule-making instructions on pages 7-3 to 7-5. You might

use an overhead transparency, chart paper, or the board to model how

a completed page should look. Point out that the LEGO cars have a limited number of sensors and actions, so students must choose from the stimuli of hearing, light, nearness, and touch, and they must choose a response that is a noise or movement.

17) Refer students to the animal behavior charts they created during their

animal study in Lesson 4.

PART IV: Behavior Model Creation (20 min)

18) Allot 20 minutes for students to work with their partners on rule-

writing and program-creation.

[Behavior model cards and NXT car building instructions are included on

the next pages.]




7-6



7-7



7-8


NXT Two-Motor Car Building Instructions

(This photo does not show the wiring of the car. See Step #6 for wiring instructions.)

These are instructions for a simple two-motor car that can be built

with pieces from the NXT kit in fewer than 10 minutes.


Building Instructions: Full Car Model

© 2008 LEGOengineering.com & Tufts University Center for Engineering Educational Outreach

53

Step# 1

Side Views

Attach a double black connector peg and a single black connector peg to both sides of the NXT. Connect the double peg vertically in the top most holes. The single peg should be connected in the middle horizontal hole. Your NXT should look like the below picture before moving on to the next step.


Kristen Bethke

Kristen Bethke



54

Step# 2

Side View Top View Attach the motors (one per side) to the NXT using the double black connector pegs and the short black connector pegs attached to the NXT. The red dots in the side view identify which holes on the motor attach to the pegs. Your NXT should look like the below picture before moving on to the next step. Note: The top connection of the double black connector peg is not connected to anything.


Kristen Bethke



55

Step# 3

Take an 11-holed rounded beam and attach two short black connector pegs to the outside holes as seen in the red square. Connect the pegs to the back of each motor (as identified by the red dots) to further support the motors to the NXT. Your NXT should look like the below picture before moving on to the next step.


Kristen Bethke



56

Step# 4

Assemble 2 rear wheel assemblies using a 6 stud axle, a wheel, and a hub. Attach one to each motor as seen below.


Kristen Bethke

Step #5 Front Wheel

(A) Take a small L-

beam and insert two

black connector pegs

in the short side.

Insert a red 2-stud

axle in the last hole

of the L-beam.

(B) Attach a gray

perpendicular axle

joiner to the axle and

insert a tan or blue

axle-peg into the

remaining hole of

the perpendicular

axle joiner.

(C) Now slide the

thin wheel onto the

other side of the

axle-peg and insert

the two black pegs

into the bottom of

the NXT, as shown

below.

Car with front wheel


Step #6 Wiring

Motors – Find a short wire and insert one end into a motor and the

other end into port B. Find another wire and insert one end into a

motor and the other end into port C.

Sensors - When wiring NXT sensors, use the numbered ports.

Each sensor type has a default port:

Port 1 - Touch Sensor

Port 2 – Sound Sensor

Port 3 – Light Sensor

Port 4 – Distance/Nearness Sensor

A

B

C

1

2

3

4


The next four pages demonstrate how to add each of the

four sensors. When you have added and wired all the

sensors, you car should look like the one pictured

below.

Step #7 Adding the Sensors

(4) Distance

(2) Sound

(3) Light

(1) Touch


Parts List

- 1 Short Connector Peg

- Touch Sensor

Insert a short

connector peg

into the hole

closet to the

NXT’s USB port.

Slide the sensor

onto this peg.

Then, wire the

sensor to port #1.

Step #7A Adding the Touch Sensor


Step #7B Adding the Sound Sensor

Parts List

- Two Short

Connector Pegs

- Sound Sensor

Insert two

connector pegs into

the top two holes

on the left motor.

Slide the sound

sensor onto these

pegs, with the

microphone

pointing away from

the wheel. Then,

wire the sensor to

port #2.


Step #7C Adding the Light Sensor

Parts List

- One Long

Connector Peg

- Light Sensor

Insert one long

connector peg into

the hole closest to

Port A on the NXT.

Slide the light

sensor onto this

peg. Then, wire the

sensor to port #3.


Parts List

- 6 Short Connector Pegs

- 5x4 Angled Beam

- 7-Hole Rounded Beam

- Distance (“Eyes”) Sensor

Step #7D Adding the Distance Sensor

(1) Use two connector pegs

to attach an angled beam to

a 7-hole rounded beam.

Use two more pegs to

attach the distance sensor

to the angled beam:

(2) Insert two more

connector pegs into

the top two holes on

the right motor. Slide

the 7-hole beam onto

these pegs. Then, wire

the sensor to port #4.



8-1



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The primary goal of this lesson is for students to test and evaluate their

behavioral models and reflect on the modeling process. They will test

their models on NXT cars that you have pre-programmed with the

programs written by students in Lesson 7. Each pair will share its model

with one other pair. At the end of the lesson, students will compare their

behavior models to real animal behavior.

! Exploration question – penguin behavior

! Review of robotic behavior models: robotic sensors

! Testing, sharing, and evaluating behavior models

! Reflecting on strengths and weaknesses of LEGO robotic models of

animal behavior

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Identify animal behaviors that are in response to stimuli in the

environment.


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 8

What makes a good model of an animal’s behavior?



8-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Computer program – a set of instructions that tell a computer what to


English language.






stimulus).

Robot – A machine that uses a computer and electronic devices to




Sense structure – A body part that takes information in from the

surroundings.

Sensor – An electronic device that takes in information from the

surroundings and converts it to an electrical signal.




For each student pair ! LEGO NXT car pre-programmed with the program written in Lesson

7 (see programming instructions below)

For the class ! Bright white paper (to activate light sensor)

! Flashlight (to activate light sensor)

! Large print-outs of NXT sensor photos (copy masters provided at end

of lesson plan)

! “Running an NXT Program” poster

Lesson 8 What makes a good model of an animal’s behavior?



8-3

!!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation NOTE: Each NXT can store

multiple programs, so you may have several pairs of students share each NXT

car. If you do so, fewer NXT cars would need to be built.

!!!!!!! ! Determine how you will form groups of four students (two pairs) each.

! Build enough additional LEGO NXT cars so that there is one for each

student pair. (You might ask student volunteers to work on these cars

during free time.)

! Convert each pair’s written program (journal page 7-5) into an actual

NXT-G program, and download the program onto a LEGO NXT car

marked with those students’ names.

Instructions for Writing NXT-G Programs from Students’ Journals:

1. Open NXT-G, open a new program, and click on the small green circle near the

bottom left of the screen so that the “Common Palette” is showing.

2. To begin, drag a loop onto the NXT-G screen.

(A) Click and drag: " (B) Will appear as:

3. Drag four icons into that loop:

The MOVE icon, adjusted to move B and C forward at power level 20, for unlimited time.

Makes the car creep slowly while it waits to sense something. "

A WAIT icon, specified for the sensor circled by students (light, sound, nearness, or touch).

Tells NXT to go on to the response specified by icon #3. " (light)

A MOVE or SOUND icon, adjusted for the response circled by students (forward, backward, spin, sound, etc.) for unlimited time.

Specifies the response behavior.

" OR

"

A WAIT-FOR-TIME icon, adjusted for the time written by the students. Specifies the duration of the response behavior.

"

Below is a sample program, for a student who selected the light sensor, moving forward

fast, for 2 seconds.




8-4


GETTING STARTED


!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Today’s exploration questions will remind students how they have

been thinking about animal behavior: in terms of stimulus and

response, or sensing and acting. Allot five minutes for students to

record their ideas about penguins’ huddling behavior.

2) Ask a few students to share their responses, and clarify any confusion

between the stimulus and response aspects of animal behavior.

3) Explain that before students continue work on their animal behavior

models, you will review some important parts of those models. Direct

students’ attention to the “sense structure” chart from Lesson 7. Add

a third column to the chart, and title it “Matching LEGO Robot

Sensors.” Ask students to help you fill in the names and photos of

the LEGO robot sensors that correspond to each sense. Your

completed chart should look like this:

PART II: Explanation of Behavior Model Testing (10 min)

4) Direct students to turn to journal pages 7-4 and 7-5 to remind

themselves of the behavior models they created in Lesson 7. Ask a




8-5


ACTIVITY

few students to share their stimulus-response sentences and explain

the real animal behavior they were attempting to model.

5) Explain that in a few minutes, students will test and share LEGO

robots that you have programmed with the behavior rules written by

students. Students will carry out this exercise in groups of four – two

pairs to a group. Students will complete three steps:

a. Test their own robotic model and fill out the top of page 8-2.

b. After testing their own robotic models, take turns sharing their

model with one other pair. Guess the rule followed by the

other pair’s model and fill out the bottom of page 8-2.

c. Finally, on page 8-3, write about how well their model

worked and what they would change for next time.

6) Demonstrate how to test and share a robotic model. Use a

transparency, chart paper, or board version of pages 8-2 and 8-3 to

demonstrate how to record the results of testing and sharing.

7) Remind students to test each of their three programs individually.

Point out the “Running an NXT Program” poster that will remind

them how to test their programs.

PART III: Testing, Sharing, Evaluating Behavior Models (20 min)

8) Arrange students into groups of four (two pairs each).

9) Distribute the appropriate robotic model to each pair.

10) Allot 20 minutes for students to test their own models, share their

model with another pair, and fill out evaluation page 8-3.




8-6


PART IV: Wrap-Up Plus/Minus Discussion (20 min)

11) Gather students for some wrap-up reflection about the LEGO robotic

behavior models.

12) First, facilitate discussion about similarities and differences between

the model behavior and the real behavior. Ask students to use their

journals to write down one similarity and one difference between the

real animal and model animal behavior.

o On a transparency, chart paper, or the board, draw two

columns – one for similarities and one for differences. Record

some student ideas on the class chart.

13) Second, facilitate discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of

the robotic behavior models. Ask students to use their journals to

write down one plus and one minus of the robotic models. “Pluses”

concern how the NXT models would help explain real animal

behavior. “Minuses” concern what aspects of real animal behavior

with which the NXT models would not be able help.

o Draw two more columns – one for “pluses” and one for

“minuses.” Then, record some student ideas on the class chart.




8-7

NXT Sensor Photos




8-8




9-1



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this lesson, students return to the unit’s grand design challenge:

making models of a weird – but believable - rainforest creature for a new

adventure movie. To complete the first part of the challenge, students

will build and test a structural model of their fictional animal.

! Exploration question – rainforest plant life ! Review of design challenge requirements for structural model ! Writing and drawing proposal for rainforest movie creature

! Building structural model of proposed creature

! Testing and evaluating structural model

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Combine different materials, shapes, and structures to design and



environment.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 9

How can we invent and model new animal structures?



9-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






how well something has been done. Structure – A body part with a particular function; the parts of an animal



plants, and animals, where it rains more than 100 inches per year.



For the class ! Two sheets green poster board

! Ten 2x2” white squares with LEGO connectors

! Two 12-inch lengths of bamboo pole

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Prepare the rainforest habitat model:

o Lay out two sheets of green poster board (model forest floor).

o Place two 12-inch bamboo pole (model branch) on top.

o Cut ten 2x2-inch squares of white paper (model food). To each

piece of paper, tape this LEGO piece:

o Place this “model food” on the poster board.

Lesson 9 How can we invent and model new animal structures?



9-3


GETTING STARTED


!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Today’s exploration questions will re-introduce students to the

rainforest environment in which the final design challenge is set.

Allot five minutes for students to read the paragraphs about tropical

rainforests and complete the questions about plant life and animal

survival.

2) Ask a few students to share their responses to the second question,

“What parts of the rainforest would help animals survive?” Explain

that they must continue to think about the special features of the

rainforest as they invent animals that are well-matched to live there.

3) Explain that, in this lesson, students will begin work on the unit’s

grand design challenge. Remind students that the movie director

requested two models of each rainforest movie creature – one

structure model made out of LEGO pieces, and one behavior model

made with a robot. Students will complete the structure model in this

lesson.

4) Review the summary and requirements for the structure model

portion of the grand design challenge. These are printed on journal

page 9-2. As you review the requirements, show students the model

branch (bamboo pole), which used to test balancing, and the model

food (white paper with LEGO pieces), which is used to test eating.




9-4


ACTIVITY


5) After reviewing the design requirements, review the steps for

completing the structure model challenge (pages 9-3 to 9-5):

(STEP 1) With your partner, discuss your ideas for your movie

creature, and use writing and drawing to plan three structures that

would help it survive in the rainforest.

(STEP 2) With your partner, build a LEGO model of these structures.

(STEP 3) Test that your model meets the requirements, and make

changes if necessary.

(STEP 4) Do a final judging of your model.

PART II: Making Plans for Rainforest Movie Creatures (15 min)

6) As needed, refer students to appropriate resources for their structure

planning and modeling. These include: (1) books about animals, (2)

photos that show animal structures, (3) photos and text about the

rainforest, (4) structure data tables from Lesson 4, which may help

students think about the kinds of structures their new animals need.

7) After 15 minutes of planning, encourage students to move on to

building and testing.

PART III: Building, Testing, and Evaluating Structure Models (30 min)

8) When 15 minutes remain in the class session, encourage students to

test the structures that they have constructed so far.

9) You might consider taking a photo of each structure model, since the

models will be disassembled after the end of the unit. Photos also

might be useful for the “movie pitch” posters the students will create

in the last lesson.




10-1


Two 30-minute sessions

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this lesson, students continue with the unit’s grand design challenge:

making models of a weird – but believable - rainforest creature for a new

adventure movie. To complete the second part of the challenge, students

will create a behavior model of their fictional animal, using a LEGO

robot.

SESSION A (30 min) ! Exploration question – robotic models ! Review of design challenge requirements for behavior model ! Writing behavior rules for rainforest creature

- BREAK – Convert rules into NXT-G programs

SESSION B (30 min) ! Testing and judging programmed robots

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Combine different materials, shapes, and structures to design and



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 10

How can we invent and model new animal behaviors?



10-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Computer program – A set of instructions that tell a computer what to


English language.






stimulus). Robot – A machine that uses a computer and electronic devices to




how well something has been done.




plants, and animals, where it rains more than 100 inches per year. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal Part 10


For the class ! Rainforest predator model (programmed NXT car)

! Rainforest baby animal model (programmed NXT)

! Green poster board

! Model “food” from Lesson 9 (small squares of white paper)

! “Running an NXT Program” poster

Lesson 10 How can we invent and model new animal behaviors?



10-3

!!!!!!!!!!!! Preparation NOTE: Each NXT car can

store multiple programs, so

you may have several pairs

of students share each NXT

car.


GETTING STARTED


!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Prepare the rainforest predator model:

o Build another NXT two-motor car.

o Download the <predator.rbt> NXT-G program onto the

NXT (program provided on the unit CD).

o Label the NXT with the word “Crocodile,” or tape an

image of a crocodile to the NXT.

! Prepare the rainforest baby animal model: o Find an extra NXT (just the NXT itself, not a car).

o Download the <babies.rbt> NXT-G program onto the

NXT (program provided on the unit CD).

o Label the NXT with the word “Babies.”

! Prepare the model rainforest “set,” where the behavior model tests will

take place:

o Lay out two pieces of green poster board next to each

other.

o Place ten small squares of white paper (or model food

from Lesson 9) on the poster board.

o Place the “Crocodile” NXT in one corner of the board

area.

o Place the “Babies” NXT in another corner of the board

area.

! Decide how you will handle the computer programming aspect of this

lesson. Option A is for you to convert students’ paper programs into

computer form and download them onto NXT cars for the students.

Option B is for student pairs to meet with you one at a time to convert

their programs and program their NXT cars.

! Display the “Running an NXT Program” poster to remind students how

to test their programs.

!!!!!!!!!!!!

SESSION A, PART I: Introduction (15 min)

1) Today’s exploration questions will re-introduce students to the use of

robots as models of real-life behavior. Allot five minutes for students

to propose real-life behaviors (either human or animal) that could be

represented by the LEGO robots shown in the photos.

2) Ask a few students to share their responses. Explain that because

students will use LEGO robots for their rainforest behavior models,

they will need to use their creativity to invent LEGO robot maneuvers

that can represent or stand in for the real behavior of rainforest

animals.

3) Explain that, in this lesson, students will complete the behavior

model of their rainforest movie creature.

4) Review the summary and requirements for the behavior model




10-4

portion of the grand design challenge. These are printed on journal

page 10-2.

5) Demonstrate the behavior of the model crocodile (lunges forward

when anything comes within 6 inches of its nearness sensor) and the

model baby animal (makes chirping noises every 4 seconds). Remind

students what the model food looks like (white squares).

6) After reviewing the design requirements, review the steps for

completing the behavior model challenge (pages 10-3 to 10-6):

(STEP 1) With your partner, discuss your ideas for your creature’s

behaviors, and use the guides in your journal to write three rules:

one to “avoid the predator,” one to “find food,” and one to “take

care of babies.” Circle the computer program icons that match

your rules.

(STEP 2) With the help of your teacher, put the programs on a

computer and then download them to an NXT car.

(STEP 3) Test that your programmed model meets the requirements,

and make changes if necessary.

(STEP 4) Do a final judging of your programmed model.




10-5


ACTIVITY

SESSION A, PART II: Writing Behavior Rules (15 min)

7) If necessary, walk students through one of the guides for writing a

behavior rule (page 10-3, 10-4, or 10-5). A sample is shown below:

8) As needed, refer students to appropriate resources for their behavior

modeling. These include: (1) journal pages from Lesson 7, which

provide more detail about the procedure for writing a behavior rule,

(2) behavior data tables from Lesson 4, which may help students

think about the kinds of behaviors their new animals need.

9) Allot 15 minutes or so for rule-writing. When students have written

their rules and selected the matching computer program icons, the

first session of this lesson has concluded.




10-6


10) At this point, either (A) collect students’ journals so that you can convert their paper programs into NXT programs at another time, or (B) make a schedule for when pairs will meet with you to convert their programs with your help.

BREAK: Converting Rules into NXT-G Programs 11) See the Lesson 8 Preparation section for instructions on converting

paper programs into NXT computer programs. 12) Each student pair will have three separate programs to download

onto an NXT car – a program to show behavior for “avoiding the predator,” a program to show behavior for “finding food,” and a program to show behavior for “taking care of babies.”

SESSION B: Testing Programmed Behavior Models (10 min)

13) In the second session of this lesson, students need to test their

programmed NXT cars, seek your help to make any changes, and

then judge their final behavior model using the rubric on page 10-6.

14) Remind students to test each of their three programs individually.

Point out the “Running an NXT Program” poster, which will remind

them how to test their programs.




11-1


One 60-minute sessions

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this lesson, students will create posters to make one final “pitch” for

their animals’ believability – their ability to survive in the rainforest.

Then, students will review the ways they utilized the engineering design

process to complete the unit’s grand design challenge. Finally, students

will summarize their learning about animals by completing a third

column of the “already know/need to learn” chart started in Lesson 1.

! Making persuasive posters for final “pitch” of movie creature ! Display and review of posters ! Review of engineering design steps used in unit ! Completion of “already know/need to learn” chart with a final

column on “what we learned”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: • Explain how behaviors help animals survive in their habitats.


environment.

• List and explain the steps of the engineering design process.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lesson 11

Would our invented animals survive?



11-2



!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!








plants, and animals, where it rains more than 100 inches per year. !!!!!!!!!!!! For each student ! Engineer’s Journal Part 11

For each student pair ! Structure model from Lesson 9

! Behavior model from Lesson 10 (NXT robot might be shared with

another pair)

! Poster paper – " sheet poster board, " sheet chart paper, large

construction paper, etc.

! Markers

For the class ! “Already know/Need to learn” class chart from Lesson 1

!!!!!!!!!!!! ! Display the class chart from Lesson 1.

! Display the “Engineering Design” Process poster.

Lesson 11 Would our invented animals survive?



11-3


GETTING STARTED



ACTIVITY

!!!!!!!!!!!!


1) Explain that instead of answering an exploration question, students

will begin this lesson by making one final “pitch” for why their

invented animal should be included in the rainforest adventure movie.

2) Ask students to imagine that the movie director has decided to choose

the creature that would be most believable to the movie audience. In

other words, the movie director is looking for the animal that would

best be able to survive in the rainforest. To make her choice, the

director has asked that each team create a poster that explains why its

animal would be a convincing rainforest creature for movie

audiences. Journal page 11-1 provides instructions for the poster.

3) Review the poster instructions on page 11-1.

4) If you have photos of the students’ structure models or behavior

models, you may want to provide copies of the photos for students to

include on their posters.

PART II. Creating Posters for Final Rainforest Creature “Pitch” (20 min)

5) Allot 20 minutes for poster creation.




11-4


6) Display the posters on the wall. You might allot five minutes or so

for a poster session during which students can review each other’s

work.

PART III: Review of Engineering Design Steps Used to Complete

Challenge (15 min)

7) Direct students’ attention to the Engineering Design Process poster.

Remind them that they used this process to learn about animals and

complete the unit’s grand design challenge.

8) Request students’ input in identifying which parts of the unit

corresponded to each part of the engineering design process. There

will be multiple answers for each question.

o When in the unit did you “find a problem”? o When did you “research possible solutions”? o When did you “pick a best solution”? o When did you “build a prototype”? o When did you “test a prototype”?

PART IV: Adding “What We Learned” to the “What We Already Know/

What We Need to Learn” Chart (15 min) 9) To conclude the unit, lead a discussion about what students learned

about animals as they worked through the design process and

invented their rainforest creatures (which included lots of “research”

in Lessons 2 through 8).

10) To facilitate students’ thinking, display the “What we already

know/What we need to learn” chart from Lesson 1. Add the title:

“What we learned” to the blank third column.




11-5

11) To inspire students’ ideas, remind them of the topics they studied:

What did you learn… o About animal groups? o About animal habitats? o About observing animals? o About animal structures? o About animal behaviors? o About robotic animals? o About making scientific models of animals? o About animals in the rainforest? o About animals’ needs for survival?



Section 2: Student Handouts for All Lessons

Name: __________________________________________

Design an Animal Model Engineer’s Journal

YOUR GRAND ENGINEERING DESIGN CHALLENGE: Design an animal that would be an unusual but believable creature for a rainforest adventure movie. Make two models of your animal – a LEGO model to show the animal’s structures (its body parts), and a robotic model to show the animal’s behaviors (how it acts).


1-1

Name: How can we learn about animals?

DESIGN AN ANIMAL MODEL – PART 1 TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTION: There are many squirrels in the Boston area. In fact, squirrels are very good at surviving in the cities of the northeastern United States. What makes squirrels so good at surviving in this area? (Use the box and lines to write and draw your ideas.)


1-2

RAINFOREST MOVIE CREATURE DESIGN BRIEF

IMAGINE…You have been hired as a science adviser for a movie about an adventure in the tropical rainforest. In the movie, a family goes on a vacation to the rainforest. While on vacation, they discover a weird creature that no one has ever seen before. The movie director does not know enough about animals to think of an interesting rainforest creature, so she’s asked you to invent one for her. The movie is fictional, so your rainforest creature must be imaginary. However, the movie also needs to be realistic so your creature must also be believable (made to survive in a real rainforest habitat). Your job is to convince the director to use your creature idea as a character in the movie.

GRAND DESIGN CHALLENGE…Design an animal that would be an unusual but believable creature for a rainforest adventure movie. Make two models of your animal – a LEGO model to show the animal’s structures (its body parts), and a robotic model to show the animal’s behaviors (how it acts).

What is a tropical rainforest? A tropical rainforest is a warm, humid forest where it rains at least 100 inches every year and where the temperature stays near 75° F all year round. Because they are so warm and wet and full of plants, at least half of all the earth's animal species live in tropical rainforests. In fact, new species of animals are still being discovered in the rainforests! Different animals live in each of the three rainforest layers. On the forest floor there are earthworms, insects, and elephants. Among the bushes and small trees there are jaguars, snakes, possums, woodpeckers, and more insects. Up high in the trees and vines of the canopy there are monkeys, frogs, sloths, and parrots. Rainforests also have large rivers with many kinds of fish.

Example Animal Structure Model

You must show structures for moving, eating, and protecting.

Example Animal Behavior Model

You must show behaviors for finding food, avoiding predators, and taking care of baby animals.

Rainforest Movie Scenery

The movie director will test your animal models in her rainforest model. Your models must prove that your animal could survive in a real rainforest.


1-3


CONNECTING DESIGN AND SCIENCE

The Grand Design Challenge:

Design a believable animal creature for a rainforest adventure movie. Make two models of your animal – a LEGO model to show the animal’s body parts, and a robotic model to show how the animal acts.

The Big Science Question:

Why do animals look and act the way they do, and how can we study and explain their looks and actions?

To plan your science learning for this unit, fill in the table below.

Things I already know that will help me with the design challenge…

Things I need to learn before I complete the design challenge…


1-4


RAINFOREST MOVIE CREATURE BRAINSTORMING Your teacher will give you 10 minutes to come up with your first idea for a rainforest movie creature. Remember, your animal should be imaginary but believable (designed to survive in a real rainforest).

In the space below, make your first “pitch.” This is your first idea for the movie director. You must write 3 sentences and draw 1 sketch.

I think that the movie’s rainforest creature should be ______________________________________ Here is a sketch of what I am thinking:


2-1

Name: _______________________________ How can we group animals?

DESIGN A MODEL ANIMAL – PART 2

TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTION: Read the story about the scientist who discovers a new animal species. Then, write three steps that the scientist took to study the new species.

Example: The scientist traveled to a rainforest in Indonesia and hiked one mile up a

mountain.

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________


2-2

One Scientist’s Rainforest Story

1) My name is Martua. I am a mammalogist, a scientist who studies mammals. In 2007, I traveled to a tropical rainforest in the mountains of Indonesia. The goal of my trip was to search for new animal species.

2) One morning in the rainforest, I went on a hike. About one mile into the hike, I saw a tree that looked like it might make a nice home for a bird. I stopped and listened very closely.

3) To my delight, I heard a squeak, and I watched the tree for any sign of movement. Surprisingly, I saw not feathers, but a flash of brown fur! Then I saw an entire furry animal! I looked at it very carefully.

4) It looked like a mouse, except that it had huge black eyes, rectangular ears, and a long pink snout. Its body was the same length as a tree leaf. I counted four legs with five claws each. Silently, I took a photo of the weird animal. I also drew a quick sketch in my notebook.

5) Next, I stood very still and watched what the animal was doing. Its thin ears were twitching, its long tail was swinging in

the air, and its pointy nose was wiggling. Its claws were wrapped tightly around a branch. I used my notebook again to write about all the actions I had just noticed.

6) Suddenly, the animal vanished! Now that I had nothing left to watch, I took some time to write about the leaves, branches, and berries of the tree where the animal had been.

7) When I returned to camp, I decided that the mystery animal must have been some sort of tiny possum. I used the internet to get a list of all the possum species in the world. No possum on the list was so small, made such high squeaks, or had such flexible claws as the animal I’d seen in

the rainforest.

This meant that no scientist had ever before seen my possum. I became very excited. I yelled to everyone, “I discovered a new possum species!”

PHOTO CREDIT: National Geographic. (2007).

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/photogalleries/giantrat-pictures/photo2.html

This story is a fictional adaptation of the Associated Press article “Giant Rat, Tiny Possum Discovered in Indonesian Jungle,”

December 17, 2007. URL: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071217-AP-indonesia-g.html.


2-3

ANIMAL CHARACTERISTICS POSTER This page explains the three sections your poster should have. Create your poster on a larger sheet of paper.

Animal: ___________________________________________________________________ Physical Looks (What does it look like? Size, weight, color, shape, body covering): Behavior (What does it do? How does it act? Moves, sleeps, barks, flies, etc.): Needs (What does it need to survive? Cold or hot weather, kind of food, lives in trees, etc.):


2-4

Name: _______________________________ How can we group animals?

Animal Group Chart: Fill in the characteristics and animal examples for each animal group.

Animal Group Name Major Characteristics 3 Example Animals

_________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

____________________

____________________

____________________


3-1

Name: ___________________________ What makes a place a “habitat”?

DESIGN A MODEL ANIMAL – PART 3 TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTIONS: (Use the boxes to write and draw your ideas.) Where do sharks live? Where do seagulls (sea birds) live? What is the same about where seagulls live and where sharks live? What is different about where seagulls live and where sharks live? Why don’t seagulls and sharks live in the same place?


3-2


SCIENCE INVESTIGATION: NATIVE HABITATS STEP 1. Read about your animal’s native habitat. Answer each of the five questions below with at least one fact about the habitat. The animal whose habitat I am describing is the ________________________________________.

What plant life is there in the native

habitat?

What food is there for your animal in its

native habitat?

What bodies of water are there in the native habitat?

What land features are there

in the native habitat?

What is the weather like in the

native habitat?

STEP 2: Think about why your animal lives where it does, and answer the question below. What makes your animal a good match for its habitat? (Hint: What does your animal need to stay alive?)

__________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2008 Tufts University Center for EngineeringEducational Outreach and LEGOengineering.com

3-3


TODAY’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE STEP 1. In 10 minutes or less, use LEGO pieces to model your animal’s native habitat (this is a “quick-build” challenge).

Your model habitat must: - Take 10 minutes or less to build. - Show off at least one example of the plant life in the real habitat. - Show off at least one example of the land feature OR body of water in the real habitat. - Show off at least one example of the food sources in the real habitat.

STEP 2. After you build, sketch a diagram of your LEGO model of the habitat. *** Label the food, water, plants, or land features that you are including in the model.

STEP 3. Think about this question: What makes a place a “habitat”? From the list below, circle the four things that all animals need in their habitats: Dirt Milk Trees Food Space Water Buildings Paper Nests Pillows Air/Oxygen Apples


4-1

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5-1

Name: ___________________________ Why do animals look the way they do?

DESIGN A MODEL ANIMAL – PART 5

TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTION Different animals move in different ways because they have different kinds of body parts (called structures). Look at the pictures of the duck and the human legs. Then fill in the table below.

What things are the same about human and duck leg structures?

What things are different about human and duck leg structures?


5-2


TODAY’S ENGINEERING CHALLENGE: Make a movable LEGO model of a body structure that helps with an animal’s movement. STEP 1. Choose an animal to model: ______________________________________________________ STEP 2. Find a structure (body part) that helps the animal move: ___________________________ STEP 3. ANIMAL STRUCTURE STUDY: Answer the following questions about that structure. (A) How does the structure connect to the rest of the animal’s body? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ (B) What do you notice about the structure’s joints? How many joints does it have?

(A joint is a place where two bones meet and a structure bends.) _______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

(C) What do you notice about the shape of the structure (body part)? (You might want to look carefully at its length and width.)

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

STEP 4. Draw a sketch of the structure (not the whole animal, just the structure you are modeling).


5-3


STEP 5. Sketch a plan for using LEGO pieces to model the structure (body part). Think about how your model will show how the animal moves.

STEP 6. How will you make sure that your model structure moves like the real animal structure? __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________


6-1

Name: What makes a good model of an animal’s structure?

DESIGN A MODEL ANIMAL – PART 6 TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTIONS. Look carefully at the toy bear pictured below.

(1) Could you use the toy bear to teach someone how a real bear moves? Why or why not? Write and draw your ideas below. (2) Is the toy bear a good model of a real bear’s structures? Why or why not? Write and draw your ideas below.


6-2

Name: What makes a good model of an animal’s structure?

Rubric for Judging Animal Structure Models

STEP 1: Give your model and journal to another team to judge, and take their model and journal.

STEP 2: Find a photo, drawing, or live version of the other team’s animal. Use the other team’s journal to judge their model.

STEP 3: Read your model’s ratings, and improve your model. STEP 4. After improving your model, do a self-rating.

STEPS 1 & 2 STEP 4

Judges: Circle your rating below.

Judges: If you circled no, please explain why.

Modelers: Circle your self-rating below.

Does the model have the same number of joints as the real animal structure?

Yes No (1 pt) (0 pt)


Do all of the model joints move the same as the real joints?



Does the model structure have the same shape as the real structure?



Is the longest piece of the model the longest part of the real structure?



Is the shortest piece of the model the shortest part of the real structure?



Challenge: Do the model pieces stop moving in the same place that the real animal parts stop moving?



Total Points

STEP 3 Improve your model.


7-1

Name: Why do animals act they way they do?

DESIGN AN ANIMAL MODEL – PART 7 TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTION: Before you learn more about animal behavior, think about your own human behavior. Read the examples, and then complete (1) and (2) below.

(1) Think of something that you sense that always makes you take some action. In the box below, describe what you sense.

(2) Now describe the action you take when you sense what you described above.

You just described an example of your own stimulus(sense)-response(act) behavior!

Something I sense with one of my five senses is…

The action that it makes me take is…


7-2


OBSERVATIONS OF STIMULUS-RESPONSE BEHAVIOR MODELS STEP 1. Think about your observations of the robotic animal behavior models. STEP 2. Sort the behavior model cards into 4 groups of cards. Each group of cards should have:

1. A robotic behavior model (LEGO robot) 2. The real animal behavior it is modeling 3. Its computer program

STEP 3. Fill in the table to show your 4 groups.

Real Animal Behavior Robotic Behavior Model (Write the card letter)

Computer Program (Write the card number)

Dancing peacock

Crowing rooster

Frozen opossum

Running deer


7-3


WRITING RULES FOR ANIMAL BEHAVIOR MODELS STEP 1. Work with your partner and teacher to find an animal whose behavior you can model. We will model the animal behavior of a __________________________________________________. STEP 2. Describe one thing your animal often SENSES in its environment by using its sense of hearing, sight, or touch. STEP 3. Circle the words that best describe the STIMULUS (SENSE) you wrote in the box. The sound of a new noise The sight of a thing or animal The touch of a thing or animal The sight of light or darkness STEP 4. Describe the ACTION your animal takes when it senses the stimulus you described. Think of an action that is either a movement or a noise. STEP 5. Circle the words that best describe the RESPONSE (ACTION) you wrote in the box. Move forward slowly Move forward quickly Make a noise Move backward slowly Move backward quickly Spin in place STEP 6. Decide on the timing of the response. Write the number of seconds your animal spends making the response you circled above.


7-4


STEP 7. Use your ideas from Steps 3, 5, and 6 to write your animal behavior rule below. Your rule should be a sentence like this example:

Whenever my animal senses the stimulus of the smell of pizza, it responds by moving quickly toward the pizza smell for 5 seconds.

Whenever my animal senses the stimulus of ________________________________, it responds (acts) by _________________________________________________, for _____________ seconds.


7-5


Now turn your animal behavior rule into a computer program. STEP 8. Circle the sensor icon that shows what your animal is waiting to sense. (Circle the STIMULUS [SENSE].)

Touch Light Nearness Sound STEP 9. Circle the action icon that shows how your animal will respond to what it senses. (Circle the RESPONSE [ACTION].)

Make Noise Forward Fast Forward Slow Backward Fast Backward Slow Spin STEP 10. Write the number of seconds the response should last.

STEP 11. To write your program, write the names of the three icons from 8, 9, and 10 in a straight line.

Stimulus Response Timing Copyright 2008 Tufts University Center for EngineeringEducational Outreach and LEGOengineering.com

8-1

Name: What makes a good model of an animal’s behavior?

DESIGN AN ANIMAL MODEL – PART 8

TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTIONS: Imagine you are a scientist in Antarctica. You see a penguin joining a big huddle of other penguins.

(1) What do you think was the stimulus for this behavior? (What did the penguins sense?) (2) What is the response behavior? (What action did the penguins take?) (3) How do you think this stimulus-response behavior helps the penguin survive (stay alive)?


8-2


TESTING AND SHARING MODELS OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR STEP 1. Write the rule modeled by your own program: When our LEGO model senses ________________________________________________, the response action it takes is _______________________________________________, The real animal behavior we are modeling is _____________________________________. How would this behavior help the real animal stay alive? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ STEP 2. Write the rule modeled by the other team’s program: When their LEGO model senses _______________________________________________, the response action it takes is _______________________________________________, The real animal behavior they are modeling is ____________________________________. How would this behavior help the real animal stay alive? _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Copyright 2008 Tufts University Center for EngineeringEducational Outreach and LEGOengineering.com

8-3


STEP 3. Think about how your robotic model worked when you tried out its computer program. Then answer the questions below. (1) Did your robotic model sense what you wanted it to sense? YES NO

If not, how would you change the computer program to fix the sensing (stimulus) part of your model? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

(2) Did your robotic model act the way you wanted it to act? YES NO

If not, how would you change the computer program to fix the action (response) part of your model? ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________


8-4


Reflecting on Models of Animal Behavior SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES

What are some things that are the SAME about the real animal’s behavior and the model animal’s behavior?

What are some things that are DIFFERENT about the real animal’s behavior and the model animal’s behavior?

PLUSes of the LEGO Models (+) MINUSes of the LEGO Models (-)

How would the LEGO models help you explain real animal behavior?

What parts of real animal behavior can you NOT explain with the LEGO models?


9-1

Name: How can we invent and model new animal structures?

DESIGN AN ANIMAL MODEL – PART 9 TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTIONS: Read the information about the rainforest habitat. Then answer the questions below.

A tropical rainforest is a warm, humid forest where it rains at least 100 inches every year and the temperature stays near 75° F all year round. Every tropical rainforest has three layers of plant life. Way up high, just below the tops of the tallest trees, is the canopy layer with the leaves and branches of most of the trees. Many vines, flowers, and fruits are also found in the canopy. Below the canopy is the understory, with smaller trees and bushes. Much less sunlight reaches down into the understory. The lowest layer of the rainforest is the forest floor. With its very dim light, the forest floor has mainly mushrooms and fallen leaves and branches.

(1) Draw a picture that shows the three layers of rainforest plant life.

(2) What parts of the rainforest would help rainforest animals survive? (Look for clues about food, shelter, and water.)


9-2

Name: How can we invent and model new animal structures? RAINFOREST CREATURE DESIGN CHALLENGE, PART 1 Structure Model Design Summary: Design and make a model of the structures of a rainforest creature. Your creature should be a fictional animal, but it should also be believable. You want the movie viewers to believe it really exists.

Examples of animal structure models

Structure Model Requirements: To be believable, your creature must have the following structures that would help it survive in a rainforest habitat:

What structures must it have? What must they do? How will they be tested?

1A.) Really move Must flap, walk, crawl, or show some other motion

1.) Movement structures

1B.) Balance on a branch Model branch is a bamboo pole

2A.) Pick up food 2.) Eating structures

2B.) Drop food

Model food is a LEGO connector hole taped to white paper

3.) Protecting structures 3.) Show how they help the animal protect itself

You must explain your reasoning for how they help with protection


9-3

Name: How can we invent and model new animal structures? STEP 1. PLAN YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S STRUCTURES 1.) What structure(s) does it use for moving and balancing? Write at least one sentence about the structure(s): Sketch the structure(s): 2.) What structure(s) does it use for eating? Write at least one sentence about the structure(s): Sketch the structure(s): 3.) What structure(s) does it use for protecting itself? Write at least one sentence about the structure(s): Sketch the structure(s):


9-4

Name: How can we invent and model new animal structures? STEP 2. BUILD A MODEL OF YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S STRUCTURES OPTIONAL: You may use the space below to plan how to use LEGO pieces for your structure model. STEP 3. TEST YOUR MODEL Test your model to make sure that it meets all the requirements in the rubric on page 9-4. If it doesn’t , change the structures to make them better.

This is a drawing of how we will use LEGO pieces to build a structure model…

This explains how we will use LEGO pieces to build a structure model…


9-5

Name: How can we invent and model new animal structures? STEP 4. JUDGE YOUR MODEL Use the rubric below to judge your model. Be sure to explain each rating.

Read each design requirement. Circle your rating.

Write a sentence that explains your rating.

1A.) Does the model have structure(s) that really move (flap, walk, crawl, etc.)?


1B.) Does the model have structure(s) that balance it on the branch?


2A.) Does the model have structure(s) that can pick up the food?


2B.) Does the model have structure(s) that can drop the food?


3.) Does the model have structure(s) that help it protect itself?


4.) Can you write at least 2 sentences to explain how your creature’s structures make it a good survivor in the rainforest habitat?


(Write your sentences here.)

Total Points


10-1

Name: How can we invent and model new animal behaviors?


TODAY’S EXPLORATION QUESTION: Think about the real-life behaviors that could be modeled by the robotic behaviors shown below. Write your ideas on the lines.

(1)

A spinning robot could stand in for the real-life behavior of... (2)

A robot that moves forward and makes sounds could stand in for the real-life behavior of...


10-2

Name: How can we invent and model new animal behaviors? RAINFOREST CREATURE DESIGN CHALLENGE, PART 2 Behavior Model Design Summary: Design and program a model of the behavior of a rainforest creature. For your model, you will be given a LEGO robot. Your job is to write behavior rules for this LEGO robot.

Example of animal behavior models

Behavior Model Requirements: To be believable, your creature must have these behaviors that would help it survive in a rainforest habitat:

What behaviors must it have? What will be used to test the behaviors?

1.) Avoiding predators Predator = LEGO robot that leaps out at anything nearby

2.) Finding food Food = White squares of paper

3.) Taking care of baby animals Baby = LEGO robot that calls loudly for food


10-3

Name: How can we invent and model new animal behaviors? STEP 1. PLAN YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S BEHAVIOR Design at least three behavior rules for your rainforest animal. (Rule #1) How to Avoid the Predator To avoid the model predator, my robot senses ____________________________________________ with its ____________________________________ sensor. (Light, Nearness, Touch, or Sound?) Then, my robot responds by ______________________________________________________________. This sensing-responding behavior would help a real animal survive because ________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________. Circle the sensor icon that shows what your animal is waiting to sense.

Touch Light Nearness Sound

Circle the action icon that shows how your animal will respond to what it senses.

Make Noise Forward Fast Forward Slow Backward Fast Backward Slow Spin Stop If the response has another part, circle the icon that shows the second part. (It does not need to have two parts.)

Make Noise Forward Fast Forward Slow Backward Fast Backward Slow Spin Stop Write the number of seconds this response will last.

First part Second part (if needed)


10-4

(Rule #2) How to Find Food To find the model food, my robot senses __________________________________________ with its ____________________________________ sensor. (Light, Nearness, Touch, or Sound?) Then, my robot responds by ______________________________________________________________. This sensing-responding behavior would help a real animal survive because ________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________. Circle the sensor icon that shows what your animal is waiting to sense.



Make Noise Forward Fast Forward Slow Backward Fast Backward Slow Spin Stop

If the response has another part, circle the icon that shows the second part. (It does not need to have two parts.)




10-5

(Rule #3) How to Take Care of Babies To take care of model babies, my robot senses ____________________________________________ with its ____________________________________ sensor. (Light, Nearness, Touch, or Sound?) Then, my robot responds by ______________________________________________________________. This sensing-responding behavior would help a real animal survive because ________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________. Circle the sensor icon that shows what your animal is waiting to sense.



Make Noise Forward Fast Forward Slow Backward Fast Backward Slow Spin Stop

If the response has another part, circle the icon that shows the second part. (It does not need to have two parts.)




10-6

Name: How can we invent and model new animal behaviors? STEP 2. PROGRAM YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S BEHAVIOR Your teacher will help you put your programs on a computer and transfer them to your LEGO robot.

STEP 3. TEST YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S BEHAVIOR Test your robotic model to make sure it meets all the requirements in the rubric below. If it doesn’t, ask for help to change the programs to make them better.

STEP 4. JUDGE YOUR RAINFOREST CREATURE’S BEHAVIOR Use the rubric below to judge your model. Be sure to explain each rating.

Read each design requirement. Circle your rating. Write a sentence that explains your rating.

1.) Does the robotic model show a behavior for avoiding the predator?


2.) Does the robotic model show a behavior for finding food?


3.) Does the robotic model show a behavior for taking care of baby animals?


4.) Can you write at least 2 sentences to explain how your creature’s behaviors make it a good survivor in the rainforest habitat?


(Write your sentences here.)

Total Points


11-1

Name: Would our invented animals survive?


YOUR FINAL RAINFOREST CREATURE PITCH: Think about what makes your invented animal a believable rainforest creature. Using the guide below, make a poster that would persuade the movie director that your animal is designed to survive in the rainforest.

(1) Our invented animal is called a ____________________________________________. (Invent a scientific name for your animal.)

(2) It belongs to the _________________________________ group of animals because... (amphibian, bird, crustacean, fish, insect, mammal, reptile?)

____________________________________________________________________.

(3) The movie audience would believe that it

survives in the rainforest because ...

(a) ________________________________ __________________________________

__________________________________

(b) _______________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

(c) ________________________________

__________________________________

__________________________________

(Write at least 3 reasons why your animal would survive in the rainforest.)

(Use this space to sketch your animal. Or, add pictures of its structure model and behavior model.)


Section 3: Supplemental Teacher Resources

1

Animal Unit Glossary

Lesson 1


Model – A simplified version of a real thing or event that is used to describe, explain, or better

understand some part of that real thing or event. A model can be a drawing, a construction, a

math equation, or a computer simulation.


Tropical rainforest – A warm, humid forest full of trees, flowering plants, and animals where it

rains more than 100 inches per year.

Lesson 2

Amphibian – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton and spends part of its life in

water and part of its life on land.

Behavior – The way an animal acts; what an animal does; an animal’s pattern of activities.

Bird – A warm-blooded, egg-laying animal that has an inner skeleton, wings and feathers.


Crustacean – An animal that has a hard shell, jointed legs, antennae, three mouthparts, and a fan-

shaped tail, and usually lives in water.

Fish – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton, lives in water, has gills, fins, and a tail,

and moves by swimming.


Insect – A very small animal that has an outer skeleton, a segmented body, three pairs of legs,

and usually wings.

Mammal - A warm-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton and has hair or fur; female

mammals produce milk to feed their young.

Reptile – A cold-blooded animal that has an inner skeleton, lives on land, and has waterproof

skin with scales or plates.

Lesson 3

Body of water – A large amount of water all in the same place, such as a lake, pond, river, ocean,

dam, creek, or stream.



2


Land feature – A natural part of the landscape such as a hill, mountain, valley, dune, crater,

plain, or meadow.




Lesson 4


Observation – The information (data) obtained by watching carefully and trying to notice as

much as possible.

Observe – To watch carefully; to look at closely and try to notice as much as possible.

Structure – A body part with a particular function; the parts of an animal that give it its shape

and movement.

Lesson 5

Function – The specific job or purpose of something.

Joint – A place where two bones meet; a place where a body structure is able to bend.





and movement.

Lesson 6

Function – The specific job or purpose of something.

Joint – A place where two bones meet; a place where a body structure is able to bend.





3

Rubric – A checklist of goals and point values used to evaluate or judge how well something has

been done.


and movement.

Lesson 7



Computer program – A set of instructions that tell a computer what to do, usually written in a

symbol language or a shortened version of the English language.




Response – Action that an animal takes after sensing something (a stimulus).

Robot – A machine that uses a computer and electronic devices to perform tasks automatically,

without human control.

Robotic – Using a computer and electronic devices to perform tasks automatically, without

human control.


Sense structure – A body part that takes information in from the surroundings.

Sensor – An electronic device that takes in information from the surroundings and converts it to

an electrical signal.

Stimulus – Something that is sensed; information from the surroundings; something that can

cause an action.

Lesson 8

Same as Lesson 7

Lesson 9




4


Rubric – A checklist of goals and point values, used to evaluate or judge how well something has

been done.


and movement.

Tropical rainforest – A warm, humid forest full of trees, flowering plants, and animals, where it


Lesson 10

Behavior – The way an animal acts; what an animal does; an animal’s pattern of activities

Computer program – a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do, usually written in a

symbol language or a shortened version of the English language.




Response - Action that an animal takes after sensing something (a stimulus)

Robot – A machine that uses a computer and electronic devices to perform tasks automatically,

without human control.

Robotic – Using a computer and electronic devices to perform tasks automatically, without

human control.

Rubric – A checklist of goals and point values, used to evaluate or judge how well something has

been done.

Stimulus – Something that is sensed; information from the surroundings; something that can

cause an action.



Lesson 11









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