This Ecology Unit covers all 5th Grade Life Science Standards. It is designed to take approximately one semester. It includes labs, discussion questions, and projects.

The engineering question would be how to create a tool to throw (or roll) the ball farther. Students would test initial throws (or rolls) Then they would be tasked with planning an investigation - creating criteria and constraints (if in grade 5). Students would then be introduced to the news article about the birdstone found in Door County. They would read the wikipedia article about the theories of birdstones, look at a map of where birdstones were said to be found and the tribes that were present. Then students would design an investigation to test how the atlatl worked (the science of energy quantities and transference of energy - depending on the grade) using pictures and art from history and the present. They create an atlatl-type tool and test it against their original throws or rolls. They look at two extensions of the atlatl, one a game that the cherokee played using the atlatl as a symbol and another from modern times, the chuckit. They then discuss whether attributions of the chuckit should be given to the first nations who actually invented the idea. (Criticality)

In this lesson, students develop and use models to explain the impacts of batter that is too thin or too thick in the manufacturing of McCain’s Mozzarella Cheese Sticks. They will then use the engineering design process to develop, test, and refine a method to test the viscosity of the batter.

In this lesson, students will consider what it means to be a robot. They will also learn how programmers control robots to complete tasks and solve problems.