Unit Plan 17 (Grade 5 Science): Engineering for Ecosystems

Focus: Use the engineering design process to define, design, test, and improve a solution that helps restore or support ecosystems (e.g., pollinator habitats, erosion control, water filtration, wildlife shelters).

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Science (Engineering • Life Science Connections • Environmental Science)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become ecosystem engineers, using what they know about ecosystems, food webs, and human impacts to design a solution that helps restore or support part of an ecosystem. They learn how to define a design problem with clear criteria and constraints, brainstorm and compare solutions, and plan and carry out fair tests on simple models or prototypes. By the end of the week, students present an improved design that supports plants, animals, or habitats in a specific ecosystem scenario.

Essential Questions

• How can the engineering design process help us solve environmental and ecosystem problems?
• What does it mean to define a design problem with criteria and constraints?
• How can we generate, compare, and test different solutions to support or restore an ecosystem?
• Why is it important to improve prototypes based on test results and failure points?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Define an ecosystem-related design problem that reflects a need or want (e.g., more pollinators, less erosion, cleaner water) and includes criteria for success and constraints (materials, time, cost).
2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to their design problem and explain which one best meets the criteria and constraints.
3. Plan and carry out a fair test of a model or prototype, clearly identifying and controlling variables and noting possible failure points.
4. Collect and record data during testing (e.g., amount of soil lost, water clarity, number of “pollinator visits”) to evaluate how well the solution works.
5. Revise and improve their design using evidence from test results and feedback, then present an updated ecosystem-supporting solution.

Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (NGSS-Aligned)

• 3-5-ETS1-1 — Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
• 3-5-ETS1-2 — Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints.
• 3-5-ETS1-3 — Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can describe a design problem that helps an ecosystem and list clear criteria and constraints.
• I can brainstorm more than one solution and explain which design best meets the criteria and constraints.
• I can plan a fair test for my prototype by changing only one variable and keeping others the same.
• I can collect and use data from my test to decide how well my design works.
• I can improve my design and explain how the changes are based on my evidence.