Lesson 42 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopBiodiversity and Ecosystems (Part 2)
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Every solution creates a new problem. That's good — that's the next project.
Mind = Blown
🌉 The Eiffel Tower can grow 6 inches taller in summer because metal expands when hot.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: which design will hold the most weight?
What You'll Learn
Biodiversity—the variety of life in an ecosystem—makes ecosystems more resilient. Loss of biodiversity from human activities threatens ecosystem stability worldwide.
Key Words
- amplitude
- reflection
- refraction
Materials Needed
- scissors
- straws
- paper clips
- rubber bands
Safety First
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
- Keep small objects away from young children.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Build a simple seismograph using a pen, cup, string, and paper. Shake the table and record the marks. Can you detect bigger vs. smaller shakes?
Compare the before and after states.
Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is refraction?
Where you see this in real life
Every bridge, building, and gadget you've ever used started with this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find something that's broken at home and try to figure out *why* it broke.
For the dinner table
“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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