NGSS.3-5-ETS1, NGSS.MS-ETS1
Computer with Internet access, text/print resources, paper, coloring supplies, string, thick fishing line, tape, scissors, colored water
Monogastric animals, such as pigs, poultry, and humans, only have a single-chambered stomach. Ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, are hoofed mammals that have a unique four-chambered digestive system that allows them to more easily eat roughages like grass and hay. Ruminant stomachs have four compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. Rumen microbes ferment feed and produce volatile fatty acids, which are the cow’s main energy source. Food travels through different parts of the stomach for rumination, back up to the mouth (as a cud) for further chewing, and then back again so that the grass or grain can be broken down enough for nutrients to be available when the food travels to the intestines. By better understanding how the digestive system of the ruminant works, livestock producers can better understand how to care for and feed ruminant animals.
Share the background information with the students, then share the puzzle to be solved. Determine constraints (e.g., time alotted, space, materials provided, etc.) and divide students into small groups.
Ask a series of questions to help students brainstorm solutions to the puzzle. Encourage students to list all ideas – don’t hold back! Before moving on, make sure each group selects a solution that fits within the contraints.
Students diagram the prototype, identify the materials needed to build the prototype, and write out the steps to take. Students describe the expected outcomes.
Students follow their design plan and build their prototypes. Monitor their progress and remind them about how much time they have.
Students evaluate their creation and compare it with the expected outcomes. Students seek areas of improvement and make changes where needed.
Students share their solution to the puzzle and communicate lessons learned.
Students may need more guidance on the digestive system before they start their project.
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