Celebrate World Wildlife Day with FabMakerStudio!
When it comes to wildlife, the first step toward conservation may be appreciation. It’s easy for students to fall in love with nature when they explore the exciting worlds of animal life (fauna), plant life (flora), and the astounding ways in which they interrelate.
In the classroom, World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2020) provides a unique opportunity learn about the importance of biodiversity. If you’re looking to incorporate this year’s theme—Sustaining All Life on Earth—into your curriculum during the coming weeks, FabMaker Studio can serve as a fun, creative, and intuitive tool for your students.
Here’s a list of some of our favorite FabMaker Studio projects that relate to wildlife!
The Flight of the Bumblebee
There is a common myth that bumble bees defy the laws of physics as they apply to aerodynamics. How is it possible that they are able to fly? Using high-speed photography, Michael Dickinson—a professor of biology and insect flight expert at the University of Washington—researched how the bumblebee takes flight and published his findings. Through this Fab@School Maker Studio activity, your students will examine the anatomy of a bumblebee, or other flying insects.
Giraffe Masks
Did you know that the small horns on top of a giraffe’s head are called ossicones? Giraffes appear to share these skin-covered, boned protuberances with an extinct relative called the Sivatherium. (Reference: National Geographic, "Sivatherium: A giraffe with a trunk?", and ”The Biggest Giraffe of All Time.”) Even as one of the most common symbols of wildlife, giraffes are relatively little-understood creatures, whose habits and origins are still being researched and discovered!
These card stock Giraffe Mask designs are a ready-made project in FabMaker Studio. For a simple activity, they can be assembled + worn by students, or combined into a classroom/hallway display.
Alternatively, you can use the mask designs to launch a lesson about the evolution of animal features, and how fossil records help researchers to decipher the evolutionary story of a species. With the FabMaker Studio design interface, students can use their imagination to adapt the features, or dream up attributes that the giraffe’s relatives could have evolved to survive. (For example, longer or differently-shaped ossicones, pointed teeth, a trunk, and more!)
Pair a Wildlife Project with a Themed Book!
For World Wildlife Day (and beyond) teachers can use FabMaker Studio projects alongside themed books to create memorable experiences for their students - especially those who like to get hands-on while learning!
For example, this January at the School Within School at Goding in Washington, DC., FableVision/Reynolds Center TLC’s own Paul Reynolds spoke about his book, Sydney & Simon: Go Green!, which addresses the threat that ocean pollution poses to the environment and aquatic life…including sea turtles! Afterwards, the third grade students assembled 3D turtles that were created using FabMaker Studio.
When considering your plans for celebrating wildlife in the classroom, remember that FabMakerStudio offers ready-made projects that feature bears, birds, foxes, turkeys, deer, and many more! Consider which of your favorite books about wildlife could be paired with a paper fabrication project!
How will you bring the lessons of World Wildlife Day in your classroom? How will you incorporate FabMakerStudio 2D and 3D fabrication to make your lessons come alive? For a chance to be featured in our FableVision Learning Spotlight, please email info@fablevisionlearning.com!
To learn more about school visits with Peter H. Reynolds and Paul Reynolds , click here.
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