NGSS Disciplinary Core ideas
Find free, ready-to-teach resources aligned to LS4.C-M1. Designed with teachers and artists, in partnership with STEM researchers.
LS4.C-M1 | Disciplinary Core ideas
Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes.
Created with purpose: see how resources connect to this standard.
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Bioinspired Design: Looking to Biology for Better Solutions
Students will identify a problem with an existing product and investigate biological functions to inspire a product redesign. Through independent research using AI bots and scholarly sources, students will gain a new perspective on STEM, biology, and the human interface between.
Alignment summary( Target)
Lessons: 2, 3
In their investigations, students will learn about 'traits' in biology, and think about how function forms an analogous bridge between biology and engineering. In comparing organismal adaptations in their research, they will deepen their understanding of how evolution shapes populations over time.
Included resources
5 lessons and 4 supporting media items.
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Fairywrens and the Art of Inquiry: How do scientists pick a question to study?
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Spark your scientific thinking by observing cute Australian bird behavior! Fun, interactive videos feature real biologists and student inquiry & observation. Analyze the scientists' real data to get a window into ongoing research on the evolution of group size in fairywrens.
Alignment summary( Connected)
Lessons: 1, 2
Students will engage in discussions and observations related to the research question of the scientists: Is family size in fairywren species determined by the climate of their habitat?
Included resources
2 lessons and 3 supporting media items.
What Do Birds Do in Winter?: A data-driven investigation of remarkable adaptations
Explore the secret lives of nonmigratory winter birds! Use data, games, and simulations to uncover their unique adaptations for surviving the cold and reveal the 'feathered flurries of activity' in the dead of winter.
Alignment summary( Connected)
Lesson 1
Students will observe adaptations of birds that migrate and overwinter to understand how these characteristics help each bird survive the winter months.
Included resources
3 lessons and 3 supporting media items.
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