Busy Beavers: An Engineering Design Challenge

Grade Levels: 4-6

Beavers are often called “nature’s engineers” due to their remarkable ability to change their habitat. This keystone species has amazing adaptations that enable it to survive and thrive, especially in the northeast, and students may have seen evidence of beavers in their community. This lesson aims to introduce students to beaver adaptations and then focus on the engineering aspect of building dams. After learning why and how beavers build dams in the wild, students will design their own dam using provided materials, work with a team on a unifying design, and build, test, re-design, and re-test their dams.

Full program (Part 1 and 2) – 2 hours

Part 1: Beavers in the Ecosystem – 1 hour

– focuses on the food chains, adaptations, and ecology of the beaver and explores how and why they build dams.

2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Standards Performance Expectations:

Part 2: Engineering Design Challenge – 1 hour

– an engineering challenge in which the students take inspiration from the beavers and work in teams to design, test, and re-design their own dam

2016 Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Standards Performance Expectations:

Program Fee

Full program – Part 1 and 2 on same day: $340 + travel fee

Part 1 and 2 – On separate days: $175/Part + travel fee

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Hitchcock Center for the Environment