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How are animal bodies like a machine? - Previous Version
Human Machine Unit | Performance Task
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How are animal bodies like a machine? - Previous Version

Human Machine Unit | Performance Task
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# Unit Review: Anchoring Phenomenon
  • How do the owl's body parts work together as a system?
  • How does information flow in the system?
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# Unit Review: Key Concepts
  • Muscles pull on bones to create movement.
  • Eyes are sensory organs that receive information about the world.
  • Light enters the eye, which provides information about surroundings.
  • The pupil gets larger to let more light in when it is dark.
  • The brain receives information from the senses, processes the information, and controls the muscles to enable movement.
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# Unit Review: Owl System Model

If you haven't completed your final Owl System Model worksheet, now is the time to do so. We'll review how the owl senses and responds to its environment in the next few slides.

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Step 1: Light reflects off the mouse and enters the owl's eye. The eyes are sensory organs.

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Step 2: The information signal travels from the eye to the owl's brain.

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Step 3: The owl's brain processes the information and sends a signal to the muscles in the wings.

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Step 4: The owl's brain also sends a signal to the muscles in its claws.

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Step 5: The owl's muscles receive the signal and pull on the bones, creating movement. The wings flap and the claws contract.

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In today's activity, you will use your owl system model to help you explain how another animal senses information, processes it, and responds to its environment.

We'll walk you through it, step by step.

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

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Angler Fish Female Males by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Neil Bromhall
Bombardier Beetle by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Johannviloria
Bombardier Beetles by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Kasira Suda
Childs drawing frog on blue by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Nestyda
Cute Black Girl Stand on soccer ball by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Sergey Novikov
Empty Class Room by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Fotosr52
Flying Fox Huge Bat by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Panda3800
Frog with cricket by Image used under license from Candler Hobbs-Georgia Tech
Girl kicking soccer ball toward goalie by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Blend Images
Green pit viperasian by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Ging o_o
Pipistrelle Bat Pipistrellus by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Rudmer Zwerver
Sheet paper isolated by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Spacezerocom
Small tree frog by Image used under license from Shutterstock.com: Tsekhmister
Vogel's Pit Viper by Image used under license from Wikimedia Commons: David Frohlich
Credits

Grade 4

Human Body, Vision, & The Brain

System Modeling & Explanation

4-PS4-2, 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2

Activity Prep

Print Prep

In the Performance Task, students research another animal. They create a system model to explain how the animal's body parts work together as a system to receive information, process it, and respond to its environment.

Preview activity

In this performance task, students choose an animal to research in order to find out how its body parts work together as a system in order to respond to the environment. Next, they create a system model to explain how information from the environment is processed by their animal's body parts. If you have time to extend the performance task, we recommend having your students present their research using a multimedia format.

Step 1: Plan ahead

We have chosen six animals and a non-fiction reading for each that your students can use for the performance task. Before the lesson, decide if you will use the provided resources or if you will have your students select their own animals and find research resources independently.

If using the provided resources, print out copies of each reading for students to annotate while researching. The resources are linked in Step 2.

Students will need their completed Owl System Model that they have been adding to after each Mystery.

Step 2: Print out worksheets

Each teacher will need:

Each student will need:

Unit Review

20 mins

Hands-On Activity

120 mins

Grade 4

Human Body, Vision, & The Brain

System Modeling & Explanation

4-PS4-2, 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2

Extend this lesson

Assessments

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