Super Students Create "Superspecies"

The Plainview-Old Bethpage School District’s H. B. Mattlin Middle School organized a workshop for students to learn about the Earth’s six major land biomes and the structural adaptations of the animals that live in them as part of the District’s emphasis on STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics). Fifth grade students in Mrs. Krowles and Mrs. Cohen’s science classes researched an assigned biome, including how animals live their lives and how they have adapted to that specific environment. Students were then challenged to create “superspecies,” which combined the strongest traits of three animals that live in the assigned biome.

Models of the invented animals were created using craft and recycled materials according to the structural adaptations including a specific height, length and weight constraints. Students presented their animals and gave a PowerPoint presentation to teach their classmates about their biome and animal adaptations.

For more information about the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District and events, please visit the District’s website at http://www.pob.k12.ny.us.

Photo 1: Plainview-Old Bethpage School District’s H.B. Mattlin Middle School students learned about the Earth’s major biomes and the structural adaptations of the animals that live there as part of their STEAM lessons.

Photo 2: Plainview-Old Bethpage School District’s H.B. Mattlin Middle School students created a “superspecies” by combining the strongest traits of three animals that live in a specific biome. After researching as assigned biome, students created models of their innovated specie as part of their STEAM lessons.