Design in Nature

In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all...

How does nature select some adaptations over others? Scholars experiment picking up seeds with two different types of tools simulating beaks. After practicing, they experience a drought where one type of seed suddenly isn't available....

The topic of trigonometric ratios is often covered with loads of rote memorization baked into the activity. This activity set, however, leans more on using similar triangles and discovery learning to help young geometers develop a deeper...

Section eight of the twelve-part series continues the trend towards a higher level of algebraic rigor. Emphasis on graphing and interpreting results reigns supreme in this section, be the graphs piecewise, logarithmic, or radical....

Don't wait for a crisis to get your finances together. An economics instructional activity demonstrates the importance of understanding crucial documents, banking basics, and financial tools with the focus on Hurricane Katrina in 2005...

The attitudes of European settlers toward the American wilderness, as reflected in art and literature, is the focus of this resource packet designed for teachers. Included in the unit overview you will find lists or paintings and works...

Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.

Some gorgeous images will inspire your students to create different fashion designs from a wide variety of natural sources. Students study color, pattern, texture, shape and form to create their own original piece in this vocational...

Research patterns in nature which illustrate biological and mathematical concepts. Your class will discover and explore aspects of fractals, Fibonaccis numbers, whale and butterfly migration patterns, whale identification, flower...

Students consider the ways nature has been used in art, and then design and create their own original sculptures using materials from nature for a class exhibit.