Backbone Power: Testing Strength with Clay Animals!

Build and test clay animals to discover the power of backbones! Fun science experiment for kids.

Prediction: Which animal model can carry more stuff? The one with or without backbone? Procedure Match the steps according to the correct order. (Refer to ppt) Step 1 For the first animal (with bone), form the body and legs using clay. Step 2 For support, insert straws or cleaning pipes inside the body and limbs. Step 3 Using only clay, form the body and legs of another animal. Step 4 Finalize the shape of the body for both animals.(Tryto make them similar) Step 5 Test how each animal stands and how stable they are when placing 1 object and 3 objects. Recording observation:a) What happened when you placed 1 object?b) What happened when you placed 3 objects? a) When placing 1 Jenga block on each:Animal with Straw: Stays strongand stable because the straw inside helps hold the weight.Animal without Straw: Might fall because it doesn’t have support inside.b) When placing 3 Jenga blocks on each:Animal with Straw: Will still stand, but could start to bend under the heavier weight.Animal without Straw: Will probably flatten, as the clay alone can’t hold the weight. What was the result of this experiment? The animal model with straws inside was stable and could hold more weight, while the one without straws collapsed. Both animal models were equally stable and could hold the same amount of weight. The animal model without straws was stronger and held more weight than the one with straws. Conclusion: What can you conclude from this experiment? Animals without backbones are always stronger than those with backbones. Backbones (like straws) provide support and help animals stay strong and carry weight. Both animals, with and without backbones, are equally strong.