STEAM Challenge #1: Can you build an imaginary animal inspired by If I Ran the Zoo?

Materials:

• Play Dough
• Plastic Animal
• Fun Craft Supplies (like jewels, googly eyes, bits of yarn, feathers)

Step 1: Design your Seuss-inspired zoo animal by covering your plastic animal with play dough.

In the book, we see a lion with 10 legs. How many body parts does your animal have?

Step 2: Add details to your animal with the remaining craft supplies.

Step 3: Give your animal a name and tell a story about what it likes to eat and where it likes to live.

STEAM Challenge #2: Can you build a cage that fits your animal?

Materials: Blocks, Craft Sticks

Use the materials to build a cage or zoo habitat for your animal!

Collaborate together and build the most remarkable zoo!

A building challenge is a great opportunity to introduce your students to the Engineer Design Process.

Like the scientific method, the engineer design process is a framework to solve a problem.

The steps are not always done “step by step” but rather in a cycle especially between create, experiment, and improve!

To apply the process to this challenge it may look something like this…

ASK: What is the problem?

I need to build a cage for my animal.

IMAGINE: What are the possible solutions?

Brainstorm different ideas about cages for animals. Maybe even research different zoo habitats.

PLAN: What will your solution look like?

Draw different ideas and plans for your cage.

CREATE: Build the cage

EXPERIMENT: Test Your Solution

Put your animal in the cage. Does it fit?

IMPROVE: How can you make it better?

What can you do to make your cage sturdier or a better fit for your animal?

(This is where you may repeat the Create, Experiment, and Improve steps).

Once you are satisfied with your design SHARE your results!

Click Here to Download the Engineer Design Poster