Biomimicry Project: Do Ptarmigans Have Snowshoes?
A ptarmigan during winter in the tundraCopyright Rocky Mountain National Park http://www.nps.gov/romo/ptarmigan_camouflage.htm
Students learn about the amazing adaptations of the ptarmigan to the alpine tundra. They focus on one adaptation, the feathered feet of the ptarmigan, and ask whether the feathers serve to only keep the feet warm or to also provide the bird with floatation capability. They create model ptarmigan feet, with and without feathers, and test the hypothesis on the function of the feathers. Ultimately, students make a claim about whether the feathers provide floatation and support this claim with their testing evidence.
Engineers often design using inspiration from the incredible adaptations of plants and animals in their natural environments—an approach called biomimicry. When engineers and researchers observe an interesting adaptation, such as feathered feet on a ptarmigan, they make a hypothesis about the function of the adaptation. Then, they design experiments to test the hypothesis and support their conclusion with evidence. In this activity, students practice this method through making a hypothesis about the function of an adaptation and then generating a claim based on their experimental evidence.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Develop and test a hypothesis.
- Define the term adaptation, describe how the ptarmigan is adapted to its harsh and challenging environment, and provide examples.
- Define the term floatation, and explain how snowshoes provide floatation.
- Use a protractor for constructing a model with a specified angle.
- Provide evidence to support the claim that the feathers on ptarmigan feet provide floatation to the bird.