• Literacy: information reports on animals. This could be presented as an oral presentation or students could make an information report book.
• Science: adaptations (describe relationships that assist the survival of living things; analyse how the form of living things enables them to function in their environments.)
• STEM: follow the engineering design process to design a technology based on an animal adaptation (biomimicry): identify a need; research; develop possible solutions; select a promising solution; create; test/evaluation; redesign as needed.

Adaptations

Introduction
Introduce adaptations as features or characteristics of plants or animals that help them to survive in their environment.

Watch the following video about frogs and discuss the adaptations described in the video. Students could do a labelled diagram of a frog to identify adaptations. Video reference: http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/2519447/all-about-frogs

Types of adaptations

Bird Beak Adaptations

Resource: Bird beak types

Biomimicry 

 

Websites students could use to research examples of biomimicry. 

• https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/biomimicry-examples/
• https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/biomimetic-design-10-examples-of-nature-inspiring-technology/
• https://interestingengineering.com/biomimicry-9-ways-engineers-have-been-inspired-by-nature
• https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/

 

STEM Biomimicry lesson plans

https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_bio_lesson05_activity1

 

Engineering Design Process for students to follow, to create their own technology inspired by nature.

 

Resources

Animal Oral Presentation Rubric 

Biomimicry Assessment Rubric

Live animal hire and biology science kits in Adelaide: https://www.nature.sa.edu.au/

Primary Connections Resources: available free via Scootle for teachers in Australia

• Biological Science: Yr 3 Feathers_fur_or_leaves (lessons about living and non-living things)
• Biological Science: Yr 5 desert_survivors (lessons about adaptations)

Biomimicry Teacher Resources: Resource 1 ; Resource 2

 

Cross-curriculum connections and student engagement 

Students researched an animal and created a collage of their habitat. 

Science Kits 

 

Class Pets 

 

Oral Presentation- Class set-up, Self Reflection and PowerPoint Example 

Click here to see more examples of STEM units which use the engineering design process.