This lesson explores the complex social structure and specialized roles within a paper wasp colony, focusing on the various jobs performed by workers to ensure the hive's survival.
Students act as environmental engineers to solve a real-world ecosystem crisis (soil erosion) by building an "Abiotic Anchor" to protect biotic factors in a coastal habitat.
Students explore the delicate balance of ecosystem communities by engineering a "Population Mobile" that demonstrates how the removal of one species impacts the entire dependency web.
Focusing on plant responses to seasonal changes, students engineer a "Dormancy Deck"—a protective structure designed to help a plant model survive a simulated winter freeze.
Students investigate how temperature affects animal survival in the desert by engineering a "Cooling Cave" that uses physical environmental characteristics to reduce heat.
Students design and build a model aquatic habitat to observe and record interactions between living fish (models) and non-living components like water, rocks, and bubbles.
Students investigate how populations and communities of organisms are dependent on one another and their environment by engineering a "Dependency Web" that maintains stability during environmental changes.
Students examine the complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors by engineering solutions to protect an ecosystem from environmental stressors.
Focusing on animal migration, hibernation, and plant dormancy, students engineer shelters that protect against temperature and precipitation changes.
Students investigate how environmental characteristics like rainfall support life by building models of environments and testing how they sustain plant and animal models.
Students explore the basic needs of living things and their interactions in a terrarium environment by engineering a "Mini-Home" that provides shelter and basic resources.