Assign this lesson as a student resource. Have students read and watch the video.

This section prepares students to engage the lesson. Throughout the teaching of this entire lesson, the facilitator provides an opportunity for students to collaborate with each other and provide feedback on their individual or group project.

Imagine section is a critical phase where students are encouraged to conceptualize, and visualize their ideas before diving into the building and prototyping stage in Build section. Pause to have a short group reflection.

Common Core Mathematics

For CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.G.A.2 introduce the tetrahedron, a 3D shape composed of four equilateral triangles. Challenge your students to classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel or perpendicular lines and angles of specific sizes. Make sure they can recognize right triangles as a category. Keep an eye out for these properties as you explore the tetrahedron together.

Platonic Solids List (bold is the featured shape in this lesson):

• Tetrahedron: A tetrahedron is a three-dimensional geometric shape with four faces, and each face is an equilateral triangle. It has four vertices and six edges.
• Hexahedron (Cube): The hexahedron, often referred to as a cube, is characterized by having six square faces. It has eight vertices and twelve edges.
• Octahedron: An octahedron is a polyhedron with eight faces, and each face is an equilateral triangle. It has six vertices and twelve edges.
• Dodecahedron: The dodecahedron has twelve regular pentagonal faces. It features twenty vertices and thirty edges.
• Icosahedron: An icosahedron is a three-dimensional shape composed of twenty equilateral triangle faces. It has twelve vertices and thirty edges.

Florida - NGSSS

For MA.4.GR.1.1 - MATHEMATICS (B.E.S.T.) draw, classify, and measure angles using the tetrahedron as an example for geometric reasoning. Although the tetrahedron primarily consists of triangles, we can still explore angles within its faces. Discuss how angles are an attribute of two-dimensional figures and relate this to the triangular faces of the tetrahedron. Are there any acute, right, obtuse, straight, or reflex angles within these triangles?

Platonic Solids List (bold is the featured shape in this lesson):

• Tetrahedron: A tetrahedron is a three-dimensional geometric shape with four faces, and each face is an equilateral triangle. It has four vertices and six edges.
• Hexahedron (Cube): The hexahedron, often referred to as a cube, is characterized by having six square faces. It has eight vertices and twelve edges.
• Octahedron: An octahedron is a polyhedron with eight faces, and each face is an equilateral triangle. It has six vertices and twelve edges.
• Dodecahedron: The dodecahedron has twelve regular pentagonal faces. It features twenty vertices and thirty edges.
• Icosahedron: An icosahedron is a three-dimensional shape composed of twenty equilateral triangle faces. It has twelve vertices and thirty edges.

Watch the video to get an idea of the project's structure and a demonstration of how it works. Some may figure out how to construct the project just from pausing the video or looking at a few images from the steps. The instructions are helpful for new builders or those seeking general guidance.

Florida - NGSSS

For SC.35.CS-CS.1.2 - COMPUTER SCIENCE introduce students to the concept of computational thinking, emphasizing problem decomposition, and the importance of breaking complex problems into smaller parts. Explain how this will be applied to building the animal. They can create fins, ears, increasing body size, claws, etc. for iterating on its adaptation. And for SC.35.CS-CC.1.3 - COMPUTER SCIENCE direct students to test how their animals would live by crafting the biome and their habitat.

NGSS

For 3-5-ETS1-1 - ENGINEERING DESIGN, students will consider constraints, such as the materials they have available, the time they have to complete the project, and any limitations when starting to build. For 3-5-ETS1-2 - ENGINEERING DESIGN, students understand how to design and build functional prototypes, as well as how to evaluate and refine their design through testing. And for 3-5-ETS1-3 - ENGINEERING DESIGN students engaged in this learning experience helps students understand how to design and build functional prototypes, as well as how to evaluate and refine their design through testing.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.G.A.2

Classify two-dimensional figures based on the presence or absence of parallel or perpendicular lines, or the presence or absence of angles of a specified size. Recognize right triangles as a category, and identify right triangles.

1.6.c Creative Communicator

Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

MA.4.GR.1.1

Informally explore angles as an attribute of two-dimensional figures. Identify and classify angles as acute, right, obtuse, straight or reflex.