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Plant You Believe It? A Nature Inspired Water Capturing System

A 6th grade STEM lesson

Author:

Lydia Carlson

Date: 6/9/24

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Standards

This lesson is an extension of the following standards:

6.L2U1.14- Construct a model that shows the cycling of matter and flow of energy in ecosystems.

6.L2U3.11-Use evidence to construct an argument regarding the impact of human activities on the environment and how they positively and negatively affect the competition for energy and resources in ecosystems.

Core Idea U2: The knowledge produced by science is used in engineering and technologies to solve problems and/or create products.

Technology application option:

6-8.6.b. Students create original works or responsibly repurpose digital resources into new creative works.

6-8.6.c. Students create artifacts using digital tools to communicate complex ideas textually, visually, graphically, and auditorily.

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Objectives:

Today students will understand how humans and plants use certain structures to capture or store water.

Today students will apply that knowledge to design their own water capturing system that includes 2 or more plant features.

Today students will build a model of their design using the materials provided.

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Agenda (about 40 minute class periods)

Day 1: Introduce the concept of biomimicry and the engineering challenge. Then, start to work through the understand slides.

Day 2: Finish understand slides, then allow students to start to plan their design.

Day 3: Draw final design

Day 4-6: Build design and evaluate the design.

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What is Biomimicry? Inventions inspired by nature.

What from nature inspired his invention?

According to microphotonics.com, Velcro was invented by George de Mestral in 1941 and was inspired by the burrs he found on himself and on his dog. Being an engineer and entrepreneur, Mr. de Mestral examined the burr under a microscope and realized the small hooks of the burr and loops of the fur/fabric allowed the burr to adhere exceedingly well. This sparked his idea to mimic the structure as a potential fastener.

learnbiomimicry.com

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Engineering Challenge

Build a water capturing system using the biomimicry of plants in your design and prototype.

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Hands-on Activity Tips

Make sure students have set groups for the entire engineering challenge. Groups of 2-4 are best.
As you work through the understand slides have them keep track of what they are learning through a note taker or graphic organizer.
Print the slides with the design challenge and criteria and constraints for them so they can use it as a reference.
Alter the materials slide to reflect what you have available in your classroom, and plan ahead for the collection of cardboard and paper towel rolls.
I like to give them individual time to think about a design, then they come together as a group to share ideas, and pick what they want to move forward with as a group. That could be using one person's idea completely or combining ideas.
Students can use the assessment rubric to self-evaluate their design.

Trays are wonderful for laying out the supplies or for students to store their design and materials on in between classes.

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Understand: Slide 1

How do humans capture and store water? What are some of the structures we use, and what is their function?

Image: Linkedin.com

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Understand: Slide 2

How do plants capture and store water? What are some of the structures they use, and what is their function?

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Understand Slide 3:

Plants continued! Check out these cool structures!

Xylem and Phloem: plant tissue that soaks up water and transports it up the stock of the celery

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Design Challenge

Criteria- Requirements of your solution

Must be designed to capture and store rainwater
Must include 2 or more features from plants
Must fit in a shoe box

Constraints- obstacles or limits for your solution

Limited to the materials provided
Three building days
Model size
Functionality- it’s okay to pretend that something is electronic in your model like using a lego to simulate a water pump. You’re only limited by your imagination.

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Possible Materials- pick up to 10

cardboard
paper towel rolls
styrofoam
plastic cup
tape
glue
crayons
tin foil
air dry clay

paper
pipe cleaners
sponge
tooth picks
popsicle sticks
markers
cotton ball
acrylic paint
filter paper

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Design: Draw your own water capturing system inspired by nature.

Where will your system capture rainwater? Off a roof, from the road, free standing in the yard?
What will the outer structure look like?
What will the inside of the structure look like?
What three features from plants will you use in your design?
What materials will you use in your design?

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Teacher Slide- Technology Application Option

Have students take their design and make a final version on Chrome Canvas or another drawing application your school has access too. I would suggest each person in the group makes their own final drawing on Canvas with the design their group decided on.

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Build- Teacher Slide

Tips for building days

Assign jobs for students working in groups to minimize the number of students out of their seats and to assure all students are participating.
Have a space set up with supplies for students to choose from.
Limit the total number of supplies they can grab at a time.
Allow ample time for clean up- have students organize the supplies, and clean up the floors.
Be prepared with a space to store projects and label them so that groups don't mix up projects.

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Assessment Rubric Example *5 being the highest score

The design includes 2 or more features from plants	1	2	3	4	5
It is designed to capture and store rainwater	1	2	3	4	5
The design drawing is complete and labeled with labels that describe the materials being used, and the structure and function of the materials	1	2	3	4	5
The final build is complete, shows a degree of engineering, and resembles the intended design	1	2	3	4	5

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Differentiation

Students may need more guidance when ideating their design. Walk them through the decision making about the interior and exterior of their design, and create a graphic organizer so they can keep track of work.

Show more examples of structure and function for bellwork or a quick lesson so they can better label their design.

If your students struggle with group work, give them discussion guidelines such as being open to new ideas, or not dominating discussion.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students present their design to the class.

Iterate- give them another chance to make changes and continue to build.

Have students explore the structure of celery more with the classic dye experiment.

Have a lesson on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.

An art lesson on texture.