What better way to study the structures of organisms than by creating a new being? After considering different types of skeletal supports (exoskeleton and endoskeleton), budding biogeneticists work together to create their own animals - first on paper, then using basic materials. They must decide whether an external or internal skeleton would work best, then think about how the creature will move. Depending on the background knowledge your class has, you may want to allow for some research time to look into different skeletal structures of a variety of animals to help them brainstorm. The actual time needed for the activity will vary depending on the age of the learners.

Concepts

the skeletal system, skeletons, endoskeletons, exoskeletons, bones

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Additional Tags

science

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Pros

• Creative and engaging way to think about the function of a skeleton
• Hands-on activity helps make the concept more concrete
• The questions on the worksheet encourage higher-level thinking

Cons

• Working as a group on a project such as this can cause conflict between some kids