Living things can change their surroundings as they grow or build. A useful change can meet a need without being a conscious plan. Separate what a record says from what you infer. Changes can help one organism and affect others. Safety: Paper-only task. Do not collect natural nests or animal materials. Stop: Stop after one supported argument. Do not inspect nests, touch wildlife, damage a dam, or pull up plants.

Materials: Paper; Pencil; Three paper strips to tear into cards 1. Copy these fact cards: Beaver: cuts branches, builds a dam, water collects upstream, pond gives access to food and shelter. Canyon wren: gathers grass and twigs into a nest, which supports eggs. Tree: roots grow into existing rock cracks; as roots thicken, cracks can widen; roots take up water. 2. Draw three boxes headed Organism, Change, and Need. Place each card beside a row. Draw a before-and-after sketch for each organism. Use arrows to show what changed. 3. Choose the beaver or bird. Write a claim that names its environmental change. Underline two details from its card as evidence. Explain how the details support the claim, not just why you like the animal. 4. Add one possible effect on another organism. For example, pond water can create habitat for water insects. Mark this as a possible consequence rather than a detail observed on your card. Done: Three change-and-need rows, three paired sketches, and one claim with two card details and a reason are present. Proof: Keep the rows and argument. Note whether an adult read the cards, supplied a need, or helped draw an arrow. Stop: Stop after one supported argument. Do not inspect nests, touch wildlife, damage a dam, or pull up plants.