Imagine you are a junior scientist on a mission to create a brand-new animal by combining the amazing traits of two different species!
Overall Goal of the Project
The overall goal of this project is for students to apply their understanding of animal characteristics and habitats by creatively designing a new species that combines traits from two real animals. Through this interdisciplinary activity, students deepen their knowledge of life science concepts while expressing their creativity through art and writing. The project encourages students to think like scientists by making evidence-based decisions about how their animal is born, breathes, survives, and interacts with its environment.
Students would achieve success by:
- Thoughtfully combining traits from two real animals in a logical and scientifically accurate way.
- Completing detailed drawings that visually represent their new animal and its habitat.
- Providing clear written descriptions explaining birth, body covering, breathing, habitat, social behavior, diet, and predator protection.
- Using appropriate scientific vocabulary such as habitat, predator, prey, gills, lungs, fur, feathers, and scales.
- Demonstrating understanding of how physical traits help animals survive in their environments.
- Participating in discussions or presentations to share their creations with classmates.
Assessment can include a rubric evaluating scientific accuracy, creativity, completeness, clarity of explanations, and effort.
#DCE2020
April 09, 2026 .
English
Ashley,
This is such an engaging and imaginative project idea. As a student I would have loved the role of “junior scientists”! I appreciate how it blends creativity with strong life science concepts. Having students justify how and why their animal survives in its habitat is a great way to push beyond simple creativity into deeper, evidence based thinking. #DCE2020
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