Mississippi Science L.2.4.2
The Standard
- L.2.4
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ways animals adapt to their environment in order to survive.
Create a solution exemplified by animal adaptations to solve a human problem in a specific environment (e.g., snowshoes are like hare’s feet or flippers are like duck's feet). Use an engineering design process to define the problem, design, construct, evaluate, and improve the solution. *
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Adaptations and Diversity
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students choose a human problem in a place such as deep snow or water. They study an animal body part that works well there, then draw and build a tool based on it. They test the tool and change one part to make it work better.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can name who needs the tool, where they will use it, and what it must do. They can show which animal feature helped them design it. They compare two tests and explain why they made a change.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think an animal chose to grow a useful body part. They may copy how a paw or fin looks without thinking about how it works. They may think a tool is finished after the first try.
How to Assess It
- Ask students to draw a tool for crossing deep snow, name the animal feature that inspired it, and describe one test they would run.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a toy figure, cardboard, tape, and a tray of flour to build snowshoes, test how far the feet sink, and revise.
Show a duck foot and a plain paddle; ask, "Which would help someone push through water, and why?"
Give groups picture cards of animal feet and human problems; have them match pairs and explain how each foot could help.
Show photos of a lifeguard wearing swim fins and a duck swimming; ask students to label the shared feature on both.
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Printable L.2.4.2 Worksheet
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