Beavers as Engineers

Next to humans, beavers are the only other animals who modify their environment so extensively to meet their needs. This unit introduces students to the role of beavers as engineers and guides them to consider the impacts of beaver activity on landscapes and biodiversity. Students will have the opportunity to build and test dams through the engineering design process, practice graphing coordinates on a beaver-inspired board game, write narratives to tell the tale of how beaver dams change the landscape and work together to create a mural dedicated to beavers in the Pacific Northwest.