Total Duration: |
61 to 90 Minutes |
Materials and Resources: |
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Technology Resources Needed: |
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Background/Preparation: |
Teachers:
Students:
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This lesson can be completed in a one 90 minute session or two 45 minute sessions. Before/Engage 1. Read What If You Had Animal Ears? by Sandra Markle. Discuss how each ear is designed and how it helps the animal survive. 2. The teacher will display Examples of Bat Ears via projector or another device. The class will discuss what the bat ears have in common and why the ear designs help bats hear so well. 3. The students will look at a partner's ear. What part of our ears helps us hear? (the curvy shapes on our ears) Why would a bat's ear be better at hearing than ours?
During/Explore/Explain 4. The teacher will explain the STEM challenge: How can you create bat ears from the available materials that will improve your hearing? 5. The teacher will distribute How Can I Have Bat Ears? Design Page and explain the task sheet.
6. Have students examine and feel materials before designing bat ear models. Students need to think about properties of each material and how it will help with the design or challenge. 7. As students work on bat ear designs, the teacher will have one student up at a time to test human hearing (control test). Refer to the How Can I Have Bat Ears? Design Page for guidance.
8. Once all students have collected the control data, the students will design/create bat ears with the provided materials. 9. Instruct the students to follow the directions on the How Can I Have Bat Ears? Design Page to create model bat ears.
9. Once the models are complete, the students will test the bat ear designs by completing another hearing test and comparing data.
11. Students will redesign the bat ear models to improve their ability to hear using bat ears and write about changes needed to improve the designs using the How Can I Have Bat Ears? Design Page. 12. Have students make adjustments to the bat ear designs and conduct one last Bat Ears Test 2 following the previous steps. Students should compare results to determine if the improvements were successful.
After/Explain/Elaborate 13. In pairs, have students turn and talk to discuss the bat ear design models using the following questions/topics.
14. In a whole group discussion pose the question, "How can we design a solution to help people who may experience a loss of hearing to meet their needs?" Provide feedback throughout the discussion to include key vocabulary and terms. 15. Display the bat ear models in the hallway for other classrooms to observe. |
Assessment Strategies |
Evaluate
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Acceleration: |
Students can choose one of the other books in the What If You Had Animal _____? series and create a model to mimic the animal and find how this can solve a human problem. |
Intervention: |
Students that struggle with the design phase can be placed in small groups with the teacher. The teacher can show the examples of bat ears and discuss different features of the bat ears. The small group can look at the materials and decide which materials would best mimic the bat's ears. The small group can work in pairs to create a model to test. |
View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
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