Education Standards
Solving Problems by Mimicking Nature - Grade 1
Overview
Elementary school lessons utilize local phenomenon and are organized by grade level. By organizing instruction around local phenomenon, students are provided with a reason to learn shifting the focus from learning about a disconnected topic to figuring out why or how something happens. #Going 3D with GRC
Lesson - Leaves Hold Their Shape
Student Science Performance
Phenomenon: Leaves are very thin and flat but they are able to hold themselves up.
Gather:
1.Students explore leaves to find patterns in the structures on the leaves.
2. Students ask questions and define a human problem that can be solved using solutions that come from the structures of leaves.
Class Discussion:
- What patterns do you see?
- What is causing the leaf to hold itself up?
- Can you think of examples of things we use that are similar to the structure of leaves?
(Teaching Suggestions: The teacher may bring in a variety of leaves for students to explore for patterns Teachers may allow students to collect leaves to explore. Have students groups of 3. Groups may all have different problems, so it will be important to have a class discussion about the nature of problems that can be solved by using the structure of leaves. Class discussion should focus on specific aspects of a “human problem”. Examples of the solutions may include -umbrella, tents, kites, hats, etc.
There is a ppt in the link in Appendix B-2 you may wish to use with this investigation. There is a reading on structure and function in Appendix B-1 that you may wish to use prior to the investigation or during the discussion.).
Reason:
3. Students design a solution to the human problem they defined using the structure similar to leaves.
4. Students develop a model of the solution to the problem they defined using the structure similar to leaves.
5. Students test their solution by using the model of the structure they built.
(Teaching Suggestions: Provide the following materials - computer paper, coffee straws, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, paper towels, chopsticks, popsicle sticks, tape.)
Class Discussion:
- What other things hold themselves up as leaves?
- How do the veins help leaves?
- How does your structure solve the problem?
- Why are the structures in nature useful for us to copy when building things we need?
(Teaching Suggestions: Focus discussion on solutions and how the structure of the leaf is similar to the structure of your solution to the problem. Use comparative language (nature vs. man-made) to help guide discussion (e.g. buildings provide shelter; trees provide shelter).
Communicate Reasoning:
6. Students communicate an explanation for how their model functions to meet a human need.
(Teaching Suggestions: Students do an oral presentation on their solution and model and how it is similar to the structure of the veins on a leaf. Students can comment on how well their models performed on their test.)
*See attached document below for full lesson.
Additional Lessons can be found at #Going 3D with GRC (Gathering, Reasoning and Communicating). Original authors were: Clorinda Galbraith, Andrea Fernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Ann Ushiroda, and Misha Shidaki