GOALS OF THE PROJECT

Students develop 'Design Thinking' skills by combining life science and STEM standards to create 'The Ultimate Animal' which can be shared at the virtual MN Zoo Ultimate Animal Exhibition.

project overview video

View this short video to see how one class participated in the Ultimate Animal Design Challenge!

Project sequencing GUIDE


This website is an excellent research tool for students as they are gaining a deeper understanding of animals.

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals

To gain a deeper understanding of animals and how their parts help them to survive, students will:

  • view this Animal Adaptation video

  • utilize the National Geographic Kids Animals website

  • use the animal card set as a resource with your students

To identify needs and insights of all animals, and how that would affect the design of their Ultimate Animal, students will address the following questions:

  • What must animals have to survive? (water, food, air, home)

  • How do animals' external parts help them meet their needs in their environment?

Create a problem sentence:

"____________'s (Teacher's name) class will design the ultimate animal that can survive in every environment by finding food, water, air and shelter."

To list as many visual solutions to the problem sentence as possible, students will illustrate external parts of animals and share with a partner. Peers may have valuable questions, feedback and insight to support students' critical and creative thinking. *the Explain Everything App may be useful at this stage.

IDEATE TIPS

Don't judge Build on others' ideas Wild ideas are OK

Go for quantity Kids ideas only


K-1st Grade- Materials Demonstration video

2nd - 3rd Grade- Materials Demonstration video

Students create a physical mock-up of their animal using their best visual solutions of external parts.

Students present their ultimate animal prototype to a partner, small group, class, or a teacher and explain how their animal could find food, water, shelter, protect itself, ect. & why they believe it is an ultimate animal.

Join the MN Zoo Ultimate Animal Exhibition to see projects from other classrooms, learn about unique animals & their adaptations, and have an opportunity to share their prototype with animal experts.

Please review Zoom Exhibition guidelines below.

DATE- Friday, May 7th, 2021

There will be one zoo animal expert per call and they will do their best to highlight as many prototypes as possible (aiming for one student per classroom), while discussing animal adaptations. There could be up to 35 classrooms on each call from all around Region 5.

It's recommended that students experience sharing/presenting their prototypes to a partner or small group, so if they're asked to show their animal prototype on the Zoom call, they will feel prepared.

Please see below for Zoom Exhibition guidelines.



Zoo Zoom Ultimate Animal Exhibition Guidelines

  1. Choose a timeslot for your grade level that works with your schedule.

  2. Please keep any child off camera and unnamed if they don't have guardian permission to appear in photos on your school/classroom website. These live calls will not be recorded, but students will likely be seen by other students & school staff from across the region.

  3. Enter waiting room 5 minutes early, and wait for the host to admit you, to get started right away.

  4. The host will address you by your Zoom name, so you can change that to "Mr. or Ms. _________"'s Class, if that's how you'd like to be recognized.

  5. Camera off means, "Our class is only observing."

Camera on means, "A student in my class is prepared to present their animal prototype, so please call on me as you're able."

  1. If your camera is on, make sure you set your screen to "Gallery View", so your class and their prototypes can be seen by others and they will be able to see themselves on screen. The host will periodically feature the Gallery View for kids to see themselves and each other, adding to the excitement of the Exhibition.

Agenda

Welcome- Zoo host welcomes classes and congratulates students on their engineered animals. (1-2 minutes)

Presentations

  • Zoo host will invite a student from a classroom to share their prototype. (1.5 minutes) and receive feedback (.5 minutes)

*Our zoo hosts will work hard to recognize each classroom, but they can not guarantee it, depending on how many classes are participating in each Zoom call.

  • As a brief break in between a few student presentations, Zoo host will introduce an unusual animal and highlight its adaptations that help it survive. (1 minute)

  • Zoo host will repeat this pattern of inviting students to present and sharing unusual animals and adaptations throughout the hour.

Closing- (2 minutes)

  • Zoo host will thank participants for joining the 'Ultimate Animal Exhibition' and answer questions if time allows.


EXPLAIN EVERYTHING APP

STEPS to download the Explain Everything App:

iOS

Android

Chromebook

access to app via web browser

This app can be used throughout the Design Thinking process to photograph, sketch, label, communicate with classmates and partners, and share the students' animals on this digital whiteboard platform.

DESIGN THINKING

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