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Created bySherlyn Cruz

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Animated October Adventures: Engineering Animal Needs

Grade 1Science4 days

In this integrated science and technology project, first-grade students act as 'Wildlife Engineers' to solve a digital mystery by animating the survival behaviors of bats and spiders. Students follow the engineering design process to research how specific body parts help animals meet their needs, create detailed storyboards, and develop digital prototypes using ScratchJr or stop-motion techniques. Through testing and iterating on their work, students refine their animations to accurately represent animal movement and explain the relationship between physical traits and survival.

Engineering Design ProcessAnimal SurvivalDigital AnimationStoryboardingIterative DesignComputational ThinkingHabitats

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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we use the engineering design process to create an "October Adventure" animation that shows how a bat or spider uses its body parts to survive?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.

What do bats and spiders need to survive, and which body parts do they use to meet those needs?
How can we use the "Plan" step of the engineering design process to sketch out our animal's story?
How does testing our animation help us find problems and improve our final project?
How can we use technology to show others how an animal moves and lives in its habitat?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Students will define the "problem" of how to visually represent animal movement and needs through animation.
Students will develop a storyboard or sketch as a model to plan the sequence and function of their animation before building.
Students will construct a functional animation (prototype) using digital tools or stop-motion techniques.
Students will test their animations and use feedback or observation to identify specific areas for improvement.
Students will explain how their final animation successfully meets the goal of showing a bat or spider's survival behavior.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

K-2-ETS1-1

Primary

Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.Reason: Students must define the problem of how to represent animal survival behaviors using the constraints of digital or stop-motion animation.

K-2-ETS1-2

Primary

Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.Reason: The project requires students to create a storyboard or plan to map out how their animation will function to show animal movement.

K-2-ETS1-3

Primary

Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same academic problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.Reason: During the 'Improve' phase, students test their animations, compare versions, and identify which movements best represent the animal's needs.

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards

1A-AP-15

Secondary

Using an iterative process, plan and develop a program or artifact that includes symbols or graphics to represent information.Reason: The animation process in Scratch or Stop Motion is an iterative engineering cycle of planning, creating, and refining a digital artifact.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The Glitched October Adventure

Students enter to find a 'broken' animation on the screen where a bat or spider is frozen mid-air, unable to reach its food. The teacher explains that the 'magic of movement' has been lost, and the class must use engineering and coding to help these animals survive their October hunt.

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Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.

Activity 1

Mission: Survival Specs

In this activity, students act as 'Wildlife Engineers' to solve the mystery of the 'Glitched October Adventure.' After seeing the frozen animation, students must research their chosen animal (bat or spider) to determine what it needs to survive and what body parts help it move. They will define the 'problem' as a lack of movement and food, and brainstorm how their animation will solve this.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Observe the 'glitched' animation and discuss as a class: What is missing? Why can't the animal survive if it can't move?

2. Choose a character (Bat or Spider) and explore a provided book or video to find out how that animal moves and what it eats.

3. Draw the animal and label the specific body parts that will be 'animated' (e.g., 'wings for flying' or 'legs for crawling').

4. Complete the sentence frame: 'My animal is stuck because it cannot _____. I will build an animation to help it _____ so it can eat.'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Survival Profile' page featuring a drawing of their animal with at least three labeled body parts (e.g., wings, fangs, silk spinners) and a written 'Problem Statement' explaining what their animation needs to show.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with NGSS K-2-ETS1-1 (Ask questions, make observations, and gather information to define a simple problem). By identifying what the animal needs to 'unfreeze' the glitch, students are defining the design problem.

Activity 2

The Action Blueprint

Before touching the tablets or cameras, students must create a 'Map of Movement.' This is a storyboard where students plan the sequence of their animation. They will sketch out the 'Start,' 'Middle' (The Action), and 'End' (Success!) of their animal’s adventure, ensuring they show how the body parts they identified in Activity 1 will actually function.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Look at your 'Survival Profile' from Activity 1 and decide on one 'Goal' for your animal (e.g., catching a moth or spinning a web).

2. In Frame 1 (The Start), sketch your animal in its habitat (a cave or a corner).

3. In Frame 2 (The Action), sketch the movement. Use arrows to show which way the wings flap or how the legs crawl.

4. In Frame 3 (The Goal), sketch the animal reaching its food or finishing its home.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 3-frame storyboard (The Blueprint) that shows the step-by-step plan for the animation's sequence.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with NGSS K-2-ETS1-2 (Develop a simple sketch or drawing to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function). This activity focuses on planning the 'function' of the animation through modeling on paper.

Activity 3

Animators in Action

It is time to build! Students will take their 'Action Blueprint' and move into their chosen medium (ScratchJr, Scratch, or Stop Motion). They will design their backgrounds and characters, then use coding blocks or frame-by-frame movements to bring their animal to life. The focus is on translating their paper plan into a working digital prototype.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Open your chosen tool (ScratchJr or Stop Motion Studio) and select or draw a background that matches your animal's home.

2. Create or select your 'Sprite' (character) and your food item.

3. Using your storyboard as a guide, start coding movements (for Scratch) or taking photos (for Stop Motion) to make the character move toward the food.

4. Play the animation back to see if the animal reaches the goal as planned in your blueprint.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA draft animation (Version 1.0) that shows the animal moving across the screen toward a goal.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CSTA 1A-AP-15 (Plan and develop an artifact that includes symbols or graphics to represent information). This is the 'Create' phase where students use symbols (coding blocks) or graphics (stop-motion frames) to build their model.

Activity 4

The Great Bug-Fix & Premiere

In the final stage, students participate in a 'Peer Review Premiere.' They watch their draft animation, identify one 'glitch' or area to make the movement more realistic, and fix it. After the final polish, students share their work and explain how their animation shows the animal meeting its needs using its body parts.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.

1. Watch your Version 1.0 animation. Find one thing that looks 'glitchy' (e.g., the bat moves too fast, or the spider jumps instead of crawls).

2. Use the 'Improve' step of the engineering process to change your code or photos to fix that one problem.

3. Compare the 'before' and 'after'—discuss with a partner which version better shows how a real animal survives.

4. Share the final animation with the class and explain the science: 'This is my spider; it uses legs to crawl to its web to eat a fly.'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityThe 'Grand Finale' Animation and a short recorded or written reflection explaining: 'My animal used its [body part] to [action] so it could [need].'

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with NGSS K-2-ETS1-3 (Analyze data from tests of two objects to compare strengths and weaknesses). By comparing their 'draft' to their 'final,' students engage in the 'Improve' step of the engineering design process.

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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Animate an October Adventure Rubric

Category 1

Wildlife Engineering Research

The 'Define' phase of the Engineering Design Process, focusing on identifying animal needs and survival body parts.

Criterion 1

Problem Definition & Research

Measures the student's ability to identify animal needs, research body parts, and define the engineering problem (the 'glitch').

Exemplary

4 Points

Identifies more than 3 body parts with precise labels; independently completes the problem statement with a sophisticated understanding of survival needs.

Proficient

3 Points

Identifies 3 body parts with clear labels; accurately completes the problem statement explaining why the animal is 'stuck.'

Developing

2 Points

Identifies 1-2 body parts; completes the problem statement with teacher support or provides a basic explanation.

Beginning

1 Points

Struggles to identify body parts or labels; cannot define why the 'glitched' animal needs to move to survive.

Category 2

Planning and Storyboarding

The 'Plan' phase, where students use sketches to model how the shape of their animal helps it function in the animation.

Criterion 1

Action Blueprint (Modeling)

Evaluates the quality and sequence of the 3-frame storyboard used to plan the animation.

Exemplary

4 Points

Storyboard is highly detailed with clear directional arrows and shows a logical, creative progression from habitat to survival goal.

Proficient

3 Points

Storyboard includes 3 distinct frames (Start, Action, Goal) that clearly map out the intended animation sequence.

Developing

2 Points

Storyboard is missing one frame or the sequence of movement is difficult to follow without explanation.

Beginning

1 Points

Storyboard is incomplete or does not show a clear plan for movement or the animal's goal.

Category 3

Digital Animation Creation

The 'Create' phase, focusing on computational thinking and the technical application of animation tools.

Criterion 1

Iterative Development

Assesses the student's ability to use ScratchJr, Scratch, or Stop Motion tools to translate their plan into a working digital model.

Exemplary

4 Points

Animation is smooth and perfectly matches the blueprint; uses advanced features (like multiple coding blocks or many frames) to show realistic movement.

Proficient

3 Points

Animation successfully shows the animal moving across the screen to reach its goal; digital output aligns with the paper storyboard.

Developing

2 Points

Animation is functional but contains 'glitches' (e.g., animal doesn't reach the goal) or deviates significantly from the plan.

Beginning

1 Points

Animation does not play or show movement; student struggled to use the basic functions of the chosen tool.

Category 4

Improvement and Communication

The 'Improve' and 'Share' phases, emphasizing data analysis from tests and communicating scientific findings.

Criterion 1

Testing and Scientific Explanation

Measures the student's ability to test their work, fix errors, and explain the science behind their animal's movement.

Exemplary

4 Points

Independently identifies and fixes multiple glitches; provides a deep explanation connecting specific body parts to survival behaviors.

Proficient

3 Points

Identifies one specific glitch and improves the animation; clearly explains how the animal used its body part to meet a need.

Developing

2 Points

Identifies a problem but needs help fixing it; provides a basic explanation of the animal's actions.

Beginning

1 Points

Does not change or improve the animation after testing; cannot explain how the animal's movement helps it survive.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning

Question 1

Which part of the Engineering Design Process was your favorite?

Multiple choice

Required

Options

Planning: Sketching my story on paper.

Creating: Coding or taking photos to make it move.

Improving: Finding a 'glitch' and fixing it.

Sharing: Showing my animal's adventure to the class.

Question 2

How did your animal use its body parts to find food or a home?

Text

Required

Question 3

How do you feel about your skills as a 'Wildlife Engineer'?

Scale

Required

Question 4

What was the most surprising thing you learned during this project?

Text

Optional