We wanted an open-ended unit that would motivate high school life science students to explore locomotion. In order to "design" a better jumping frog, students need to think about how the frog's leg muscles and bones act together to propel the animal into the air. They need to know which bones and muscles are involved. They need to study how the launching force might change if various bones were lengthened. Specialists in biomechanics do this sort of thinking in their efforts to understand human injuries and athletic performance.
What the student sees to launch the Unit
Resources useful in completing this Unit