5 min Script: With your help, the people of Ingenia have been sketching different parts of the mystery animal and some of the clues we have found to help us identify it. Here’s what we have so far:
[display each Mystery Animal sketch image: tail like a cheetah; ears like an elephant; scratch marks on a tree limb; small holes in the ground]
If we look at all of these sketches, maybe we can figure out what the animal is. In the meantime, we’ve decided to set a humane trap to try and catch one. It will be so exciting to have one that we can study more closely!
Biologists, can you use your science skills to help identify this animal? The people of Ingenia are counting on you!
5 min Lead a discussion:
Play a version of charades using features and behaviors of 2 or more animals to get students thinking about animals and animal characteristics and behaviors.
Script: We’re going to play another game of charades, but instead of animals you’ll be trying to guess the miximal I am acting out.
Play charades by acting like the following miximals:
Tip: If this is challenging for your students, invite them to guess each animal separately then put them together or allow the use of sounds to give additional cues (i.e., quacking like a duck and trumpeting like an elephant).
As time allows, continue playing with other miximals. You can invite students to act out animals for others to guess, too.
Students will use what they’ve learned about animal features and behaviors to make a hypothesis about what the mystery animal on Ingenia could be.
5 min Script: Now that we know how people learn about different animals through their features and behaviors, you are challenged to make a hypothesis, or informed guess, as to what this mystery animal on Ingenia could be. Since the animal on Ingenia is a new species, it will be a combination of different animals, like a miximal.
Have students turn and talk to discuss:
15 min Distribute the Mystery Animal Hypothesis pages. Explain that students will circle the animal parts they think make up the mystery animal and draw a quick sketch.
Based on their hypothesis, students will make a model of the mystery animal from Ingenia using craft materials and recyclables.
5 min: Gather students together and have them turn and talk to share their Mystery Animal Hypothesis pages. After, have a few students share their hypotheses with the whole class. Highlight common ideas and key differences from student’s hypotheses. Let students know that any idea grounded in evidence, or what they’ve learned about the animal on Ingenia, is worth considering.
5 min: Script There are a lot of possibilities for what the mystery animal on Ingenia could be! Now that you’ve made a hypothesis, you’ll create a model of what the animal may look like. You can use any of these craft and recycled materials.
NOTE: As needed, demonstrate how to use some of the available materials or how to connect materials together using glue or tape.
40 min Dismiss students to create their mystery animal models. As students work, circulate to support them using questions like:
Students circulate around the room to observe and celebrate the mystery animal models of their peers and discuss the animal choices.
Display the Mystery Animal models around the classroom. Divide the class in half and explain that one half will first stand by their model and be prepared to explain what it is and its features. The other half will walk around to observe and learn about the models. Then, they will switch roles.
Before you begin, invite students to identify some norms with you like respect one another’s work, do not touch the models, ask questions to learn more, etc.
Divide the class and have students circulate to observe and discuss each others’ mystery animal models.
5 min Script: Biologist, thank you so much for all your help! We’ve finally done it! We caught the mystery animal late last night and here it is [display the mystery animal drawing]. Discuss:
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