In this lesson, we continue unpacking NGSS standard 1-LS1-1 Use materials to design a solution to a human problem mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. Wow! That's a complicated standard! When we break it down into a manageable progression of lessons, the first step is to define external parts. Then, we focus on how external parts help animals survive.
In the first few lessons of this unit, we address how birds find food to survive. First, I reviewed external parts and labeled external parts of birds in this lesson. Next, in the previous lesson, we learned about beak adaptations that help birds find food based on their needs and habitat. In today's lesson, we experiment with different beak-like materials and both record and analyze data.
I found quite a few examples of this experiment on the web, so I took parts of them to meet the needs of first graders. I also found this great video tutorial that walks you through the steps and materials. Because this experiment has a lot of materials, you will want to prep them ahead of time. As I get to steps in the experiment, I'll give you tips on getting prepared that will help your experiment run smoothly!
Groups of students will need:
I will place the bowls and "beaks" on plastic trays to keep all of the materials together. Before the lesson, I make 7 trays, so that students can be broken into groups of 3-4. Any more than 4, and they have trouble reaching around the tray. Tip: You don't want to put Swedish fish in the water too soon, or they get gooey!