1st Graders Investigate Animal Defenses

1st graders have been exploring the different structures animals and plants use to defend themselves.  In this investigation, students are using a model to see how different structures protect their animal (a clay ball) from the predator (a large comb). The structures are spikes (toothpicks), armor (erasers) or shells (disks). 

 

 

We discovered that all three structures can protect the clay critter, but that there were some areas that weren't protected (especially under the clay critter) and it would be easy for predators to attack there.