Week 4: April 27 - May 1

Learning Goal:

• I can identify 2 ways plants and animals adapt to survive.
• I can understand the different ways animals use their senses.

Estimated Time for The Week:

60-75 Minutes

Type of Lesson:

Life Science

Materials:

• paper
• pencils
• markers/colored pencils

Learn/Practice:

For the Google Slides to click-through the below directions, click here! (It includes pictures for the steps below.)

1. Choose one or several ways you want to learn about plants and animals!
   • Learn about how plants defend themselves.
   • Watch a show to learn about how animals defend themselves.
   • Read about animals adapting.
   • Play some games.
   • Read an interactive book.
2. Extend your learning! Create your own animal or plant! You will need to pick:
   • Your animal/plant’s name
   • Your animal/plant’s basic needs
   • How your animal/plant’s needs are met
   • Where your animal/plant lives
3. Extend your learning! An illustration of your animal/plant in its natural habitat
   • Use your imagination! Choose an animal/scenario from below. You can create a comic strip, news cast or story about how your animal will adapt, change and survive to the scenario that happens.
   • You will likely need to research your animal and why the scenario change would impact them before you begin writing or creating.
     • Animal/Scenario:
       • Lions/ Gazelle become extinct
       • Snakes/ A snowstorm hits
       • Chickens/ Flood
       • Coyotes/ Deforestation (loss of trees)
       • Polar Bears/ Global Warming
       • Elephant/ Drought
4. Reflect (Share your answer in a journal, video or on a post-it note.
   • What was your favorite activity from the choice board?
   • What are two new things you learned?

Learning Goal:

I can build a model of a bone and cast that protects the bone from further injury.

Estimated Time for The Week:

45-60 minutes *an additional hour if making your own plaster*

Materials:

• Activity Directions and Additional Information
• Art and building supplies found in your house:
  • Aluminum foil
  • Newspaper
  • Cardboard
  • Tape
  • Paper
  • Liquid Glue
  • Play-Doh
  • Food or candy
  • Pencil/Stick
• Plaster: below are the materials (and instructions) to make your own from home:
  • White, all-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Water
  • Food coloring
  • Cooking Pot
  • Spoon
  • Creating plaster with flour, salt, and water:
    1. Add about 2 cups of flour and ¾ cup of salt to your cooking pot.
    2. Turn the heat on your cooking pot to medium and begin adding water to your flour-salt mixture.
    3. Continue adding water to the flour until the mixture is the consistency of thick honey.
    4. Optional: Drip drops of food coloring, if desired, into the translucent plaster.
    5. Move the translucent flour plaster to a cool place on the stove. ***Let it cool for about an hour.*** Mold and shape as desired or press into molds.

Background Knowledge:

• The number of bones you have has changed since you were first born. Any guesses as to how many you have now and what they are made of? Watch this video to find out more about your super skeleton!
• Casts are meant to protect bones. Watch this video to see how casts are put on.
• Orthopedists are doctors who specialize in the study of bones and often fix broken bones with casts.

Learn & Practice:

Click here for the Google Slides with pictures that go with this lesson!

1. Look through the slides to see orthopedists at work, the different purposes that each layer of the bone serves, what casts are made of, and how they are made.
2. Build a model of a bone. You can use whatever materials you have at your house to create the different layers of a bone.
3. Create a cast for your bone. You will want to use materials that are durable and strong. **You can make homemade plaster.**
4. Wrap your bone model in the cast when your cast is completed.
5. Test out your cast to see how strong it is.
   • Vigorously shake the cast with the bone inside of it.
   • CAREFULLY stand on top of a chair or a staircase and throw your model to the ground.
   • Open your cast to see if your bone model is in the same condition as it was before the drop. Did it break? Did it stay exactly the same? What could be changed about the cast design to make it more durable?
6. Collect data similar to what is in the picture as you test out you cast. Write down any observations that you make.

*Reminder: If you would like to, please share your pictures and fun with your teachers!*

Optional Extension Activity:

• Written response: Write a paragraph explaining what you could do or use to stabilize an injury if you were not able to get medical attention immediately.
• **Example: Someone has fallen down a hill while on a hike in the woods and no one has a first aid kit. Their leg appears to be broken. It is an oblique fracture. How could you help? What nearby materials could you use that would stabilize the injury until you were able to get help? Be sure to use complete sentences, correct capitalization, and spelling. Make sure you have a topic and conclusion sentence.