Survival of the Fittest-Lesson Plan

Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Overview During this lesson, students will gain understanding of how changes in the environment can have a negative impact on living things. They will also explore how animals coexist in the same habitat and how they can adapt in order to survive.

Students will integrate and exhibit learning by creating a system that facilitates a game to simulate the competition between coexisting animals to gather food.

Key Information 45 or 90 minute lesson

Lesson Structure

Learning Objectives

Warm-Up

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to: ➜ Recognise ​environments may change and this can be negative for animals.

Mini-lesson

➜ Explain​ that some animals have adapted in order to survive in their environment.

Worked Example​ ​– Let’s Build!

Challenge 1 Challenge ​1​ ​– Debug It!

Challenge 2 Chilli Challenges​ &​ Exit Ticket

➜ Create ​a system to count how many ‘food items’ have been ‘gathered’ in the ‘race for food’ game. ➜ Create ​an addition to the system to show progress in the race for food. ➜ Opportunity to extend understanding and reflect on learning.

Curriculum Topic ​(refer to the ​Curriculum Alignment Map​)

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Science Year 4

Materials Required SAM Labs STEAM kit

Bowls

Small food items e.g. jelly beans

The Student Handouts can be used alongside each lesson.

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Warm-Up

Recognise that environments may change and this can be negative for animals.

Key Information To Share: ● An ​environment ​is the surroundings in which an animal, plant or person exists. ● A ​habitat ​is the natural environment of a particular species. ● Environments are subject to change — ​environmental change​ — this can have a negative impact on living things. ● Examples of environmental change: ○ Global warming which contributes to rising sea levels. This can change the habitat of many animals. ○ Pollution by plastic in the oceans. Animals can become entangled in plastic or even ingest (eat) it and become poisoned.

Activity: ● Display the examples of changes in the environment (rising sea levels and plastic pollution). Think, pair, share: ​“How might animals be affected by a change in their habitat?” ● In pairs, students can choose one of the following to brainstorm: ○ Reasons why this change may have occurred ○ Solutions to help prevent further damage.

Link Forward:​ ​Students learn how animals have adapted in order to survive.

Mini-lesson

Explain that animals have adapted in order to survive in their environment.

Key Information To Share: ● Animals live together — ​coexist ​— in the same habitat using the same resources e.g. food, shelter and water. ● Animals have adapted to their environment in order to survive. ● Competition is the struggle among organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources – this is referred to as ‘survival of the fittest’. ● Adaptation​ means characteristics that animals have developed over a long period of time to help them survive e.g. a polar bear’s paws and claws to help it hunt for fish and thick fur to keep it warm. ● Competition is the struggle among organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources e.g. food – this is referred to as ‘survival of the fittest’.

Activity: ● Display the series images of animals and their habitats. Think, pair, share: “How has each animal adapted to living in its habitat?”

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

In their Student Handout, students can label the environment each of the three animals and how they have adapted in order to survive in their habitat.

Encourage students to consider the key features which are advantageous in order for the animal to secure food. ●

Discuss with students: ​“Do different animals sometimes compete for the same food source?” “What do you think seals and seagulls are competing for?”

Students can complete the keyword activity in the Student Handout.

Keywords: Environment

The surroundings in which an animal, plant or person exists.

Habitat

The natural home of a living thing.

Environmental A change in the environment caused by either human Change intervention or natural processes, e.g. natural disasters or animal interaction.

Coexist

To exist together at the same time and in the same place; sharing resources such as food.

Adaptation

The process through which living things become better suited to their habitat.

Let’s Discuss:​ “Which three are adapted characteristics of a polar bear?” ​With a partner, students can discuss how some animals may have to change their habitats because of environmental change.

Link Forward:​ Students create a system to simulate the race between coexisting animals to gather food.

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Worked Example – Let’s Build!

Create a system that will start a race.

Instructions Step 1 Drag onto the workspace: ● 1 Key Press block ● 1 Sound Player block.

Connect the blocks as shown.

Workspace

Notes

Explain that the Key Press block will be the input and the Sound Player block will be the output in this system.

Step 2 In the settings of the Key Press, set to a letter.

Note, if using a computer, the Key Press can be set to any key on the keyboard. Here it has been set as the space bar. ​If using a tablet, the Key Press has a dot above it to trigger input.

Step 3 In the settings of the Sound Player, set ‘54321 Go’ from ‘Games’.

Note, there are many sound files to choose from but this file is appropriate for counting down to the race start.

Step 4 Test your system.

Once students start their system, opportunity for them to complete an activity against the clock to check the system works as a ‘race starter’.

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Challenge 1

Create a system to count how many ‘food items’ have been ‘gathered’ in the ‘Race for Food Game’.

Instructions

Workspace

Notes

Step 1 Drag onto the workspace: ● 2 virtual Button blocks ● 2 Counter blocks ● 2 Compare blocks ● 2 additional Sound Player blocks.

Connect the blocks as shown.

NB.Hardware Button blocks can be used if available.

Explain that the aim is to create three systems running alongside each other: 1. ‘Race starter’ (from the Worked example) 2. Team 1* Counter 3. Team 2* Counter

*Either split the class into two groups, or smaller groups (with two teams within each). Teams will compete together in the ‘Race for Food Game’.

Encourage students to consider the layout of the three systems on the workspace, as there will need to be different people operating different systems.

Step 2 In the settings of both Counters, set to ‘Restart’ ‘0–30’.

Explain that this means when the Counter has reached ‘30’, the next press of the Button will reset the Counters to ‘0’.

Explain that the system will now activate the output – the Sound Player – when the Counter block equals ‘30’.

Step 3 In the settings of both Compare blocks set to ‘= 30’.

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest Step 4 In the settings of both Sound Players, set to ‘Success Sting’ from ‘Sound FX 1’.

Step 5 Test your system in a game to simulate food gathering.

Play the ‘Race for Food Game’!

Discuss with students why this sound (which reflects a clear winning sound) is more appropriate than the default ‘Doorbell’ for this system.

For each group of students (two teams), three students are needed to activate each system: ● One presses the Key Press to start the ‘race’ ● One presses the Button for Team 1. ● One presses the Button for Team 2.

See below for the rules of the game.

Explain that the aim of the system is to simulate the importance of collecting food for survival.

‘Race for Food’ game:

Split class into Team 1 (the ‘lions’) and Team 2 (the ‘wolves’). Each team must collect 30 objects in order to survive.

Each team has two bowls; one empty, one with 30 food items such as jelly beans. Set the two bowls apart from each other (the same distance for both teams). The aim is to move the items from one bowl to another in the quickest time. Only one person can run at a time in a relay effect.

One student or the teacher starts the game by pressing the Key Press (the ‘54321 Go’ sound should play). Then as students transfer items from one bowl to another, one student per team presses the Button to record each item transferred.

Encourage students to check that the output sound effect plays as expected once 30 items are gathered.

Checks for Understanding:​ ​“How many outputs are there on the workspace?

What are reasons why animals adapt to their habitat?”

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Challenge 1 – Debug It! How can we tell who has won?

Instructions

Workspace

Notes

Step 1 In the settings of the Sound Players, set as follows: ● 1st: ‘Lion Roar’ ● 2nd: ‘Wolf’ from ‘Animals’.

Explain that Team 1 are the ‘lions’ and will have a lion roar sound effect if they win.

Explain that Team 2 are the ‘wolves’ and will have a Wolf sound effect if they win.

Explain that lions and wolves do not coexist in the wild but are chosen here to distinguish the teams.

Step 2 Test your system.

Encourage students to test the system by pressing the Button block until it reaches 30, and to ensure the output sound effect plays as expected.

Encourage students to discuss whether it is clear who won this time.

Challenge 2

Create an addition to the system to show progress in the ‘race for food’.

Instructions Step 1 Turn on and pair: ● 2 RGB LED blocks and drag onto the workspace. Also drag on: ● 2 Threshold blocks.

Connect as shown.

Workspace

Notes

NB. Virtual RGB LED blocks can be used instead.

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest Step 2 In the settings of the RGB LEDs, set a different colour for each team.

Note, here red has been selected for Team 1 and blue for Team 2.

Explain that this means numbers above the set threshold (here 25) become ‘true’, so activate the output (here the RGB LED).

Step 3 In the settings of both Threshold blocks, set the ‘True’ value to ‘25’.

Step 4 Test your system - play the ‘Race for Food Game’!

Explain that when a team reaches the number set on the Threshold (here 25), their light will come on, indicating they are close to winning.

Explain that the system simulates the importance of collecting food for survival.

Opportunity to reinforce learning from the Mini-lesson: many animals are competing for the same food supplies and gathering the food is important to ensure their survival.

Students can play an extended challenge in the ‘race for food’ game: there are only enough objects for one team to win, e.g.

50 objects total, in a central bowl. The team that gathers 30 objects first is the winner.

Discuss how this simulates ‘survival of the fittest’.

Checks for Understanding:​ ​“What will happen when Team 1 reach 30? Which statement about adaptation is correct?”

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Year 4 Lesson 4

Survival of the Fittest

Chilli Challenges

Experiment with additional sound. Can you add a sound alert to indicate when a team is getting close to winning?

Experiment with additional light. Can you add virtual RGB LEDs with a Cycle Colours block to indicate when a team has won?

Hint: use an Interval block.

Experiment with behaviour blocks. Can you replace the Threshold with a Filter and decide on an effective range?

Exit Ticket

Reinforce the learning objectives of the lesson.

In the Student Handout, students can: ● record and reflect​ on their results from the Challenge ● annotate ​their system ● apply ​what they have learned to the real world.

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