Green STEM Programs
Amazing Arthropods (Grades 2-3)
Introduce students to the incredible diversity of Sonoran Desert insects, spiders, and other fascinating arthropods. Examine live and preserved specimens to learn about habitats and adaptations. Determine the roles of various arthropods in desert food chains. Discover desert animals that devour these succulent and crunchy creatures.
Program Objectives:
Through the examination of live animals, artifacts and interactive demonstrations students will:
- Describe features used to classify arthropods.
- Identify organisms from the five classes of arthropods.
- Develop an appreciation for a diverse group of Sonoran Desert arthropods.
- Explain the importance of arthropods in living systems and reasons to promote their conservation.
Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:
- Science Standards:
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- Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- Concept 1: Changes in Environments
- Strand 4: Life Science
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Concept 1: Characteristics of Organisms
Concept 2: Life Cycles
Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior
Exploring Adaptations (Grades 3-12)
Desert plants and animals display a fascinating variety of adaptations that help them thrive here. Examine desert plants’ structures to reveal how they deal with the temperature extremes and aridity of this environment. Then meet some live desert animals and identify their secrets to success as desert dwellers.
Program Objectives:
Through the examination of desert plants, live animals, and preserved specimens, students will:
- Identify limited water, extreme temperatures, and aridity as challenges to life in the Sonoran Desert.
- Understand that adaptations are heritable traits expressed by populations of organisms through time.
- Describe at least 3 adaptations cacti have that enable them to survive the aridity, scant and variable rainfall, and temperature extremes of the desert climate.
- Describe how native shrubs and trees are adapted for desert survival.
- Develop an appreciation for the behavioral and physiological adaptations resident animals have for desert survival.
- Consider what effects rapid environmental change (i.e. global warming) could have on organisms adapted to specific environmental conditions.
This Program is 60 minutes long and offered only at the Museum.
Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:
- Science Standards:
-
- Strand 1. Inquiry Process
-
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling)
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
Concept 4: Communication - Strand 4: Life Science
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Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems
Concept 3: Organisms and Environments
Populations of Organisms in an Ecosystem
Interdependence of Organisms
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior
Biological Evolution
Design by Nature (Grades 4-12)
Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time tested patterns and strategies. Through experimentation with models, a live animal encounter, and exploration of how animal and plant adaptations have inspired human innovation, students will undertake a design challenge for the arid southwest.
Program Objectives:
Through the examination and manipulation of materials and models at activity stations and interaction with live animals students will:
- Compare adaptations in nature that inspired design by humans.
- Observe and describe desert plant and animal adaptations for survival in a dry, hot land.
- Incorporate desert plant and animal adaptations into a design for a dwelling that saves water and uses very little energy to keep cool.
This Program is 60 minutes long and offered only at the Museum.
Arizona Academic Standards Correlation:
- Science Standards:
-
- Strand 1: Inquiry Process
-
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses: Observe, ask questions, and make predictions.
Concept 2: Scientific Testing (Investigating and Modeling): Participate in planning and conducting investigations, and recording data.
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions: Organize and analyze data; compare to predictions. - Strand 3: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
- Concept 2: Science and Technology in Society: Develop viable solutions to a need or problem
- Strand 4: Life Science
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Concept 1: Structure and Function in Living Systems: Understand the relationships between structures and functions of organisms
Concept 4: Diversity, Adaptation, and Behavior: Identify structural and behavioral adaptations.