Artificial Nest Box Engineering Challenge Introduction How Can We

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ACTIVITY :Artificial Nest Box Engineering Challenge VIDEO Watch the video Penguins International Design Challenge

Introduction Exactly 10 out of 18 penguin species are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Humboldt Penguin is one warm weather penguin species that is classified as vulnerable due to the loss of theirnests as a result of guano harvesting by humans. Penguin poop, called guano, makes a great fertilizer. Humans commercially harvest guano from penguin colonies. But penguins need their guano! They us it to build their nests. Because penguins can easily succumb to heat stress, guano serves as a natural insulation keeping penguins, their eggs, and chicks cool from hot temperatures. Penguin burrows also serve as protection from extreme weather events and predators such as gulls. How can we help? Scientists have been studying ways to help penguins that have lost their nests due to guano harvesting by humans. The African Penguin is another species in a similar situation to the Humboldt Penguin, they too have had their guano harvested and are classified as endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Scientists have jumped into action for African Penguins and have created and deployed several artificial nest designs to protect and ensure African Penguin survival. Before these artificial nests were created, scientists started out by experimenting - just like you!

Your challenge today is to design and build an artificial nest prototype for Humboldt Penguins. You will use the engineering design process to test different building materials found around your home and create an artificial nest. Objective An ice cube will represent a Humboldt Penguin egg. Your job is to create an artificial nest that will accomplish the following: 1. It provides shelter from predators and extreme weather (meaning it should have a covering) 2. It keeps the egg (ice cube) cool from the sun. To test out the efficiency of the artificial nests, put the ice cube in a Ziplock bag to collect the water that melts. We will be measuring the melted water using a measuring cup.

Engineering and Design Start out by taking a look at the Humboldt Penguin Fact File provided by our Penguin Scientist (see below). What are some things you might want to consider before designing an artificial nest out of household items? Write your response.

After scientists experimented and determined what might work best for penguins, they began to design more accurate prototypes. A prototype is the first model of something, from which other forms are developed or copied. Take a look at real Artificial Nest Box Designs used for African Penguins (see below). Don’t worry about what these nests are made of because we will be using materials around the house. What ideas do these nest boxes inspire for your design? Is it the shape? Layers? Ventilation holes? Write your response. Engineering Design Process 1. Brainstorm: Brainstorm a list of materials you might be able to find around the house that are good insulators. Will you use fabric, tinfoil, paper, styrofoam, cotton balls, tape or old socks? Record your materials list on the Artificial Nest Box Design Sheet. 2. Develop: Draw your first artificial nest design using the list of household materials on the Artificial Nest Box Design Sheet. This is the first nest you will test. 3. Record: Check the thermostat in your home to see what temperature your house is, and record the temperature on the data sheet. You will control this variable, meaning that the temperature where our experiment takes place shouldn’t change. 4. Build Prototype: a. Gather your building materials based on your design b. Get an ice cube from the freezer and put it in a Ziplock bag and seal it tightly to make sure no water escapes! c. Build the nest around the bagged ice cube. Take a picture of Prototype Artificial Nest Box 1. Let the nest rest for 2 hours. 5. Test & Evaluate: Return to your experiment and see how much of the ice cube is remaining. Use a measuring cup or kitchen scale to measure how much water was lost from the experiment. Record your measurements on the data sheet and graph your results. 6. Refine the Design: Draw your second artificial nest design on the Artificial Nest Box Design Sheet. Re- design the artificial nest based on what you learned from the first design. 7. Build Prototype 2: a. Gather your building materials based on design 2 b. Get a new ice cube from the freezer and put it in a Ziplock bag and seal it tightly to make sure no water escapes. Build the nest around bagged ice cube. Take a picture of Prototype Artificial Nest Box 2. Let the nest rest for 2 hours. c. Make sure you record the temperature of your house again (it should be the same as the first experiment!) 7. Communicate Results: Use a measuring cup or kitchen scale to record how much water was lost from experiment 2. Record your measurements on the data sheet and graph your results.

Artificial Nest Box Design Sheet Building Materials List – what materials from around the house could you use? Use as many or as few materials as you’d like in your designs. 1. ______11. ______2. ______12. ______3. ______13. ______4. ______14. ______5. ______15. ______6. ______16. ______7. ______17. ______8. ______18. ______9. ______19. ______10. ______20. ______

Draw Artificial Nest Box Design #1 Draw Artificial Nest Box Design #2

Artificial Nest Box Data Sheet Name: ______Date: ______

TEST 1: Prototype Artificial Nest Box 1 TEST 2: Prototype Artificial Nest Box 2 Thermostat Temperature (in oF): Thermostat Temperature (in oF):

oF oF

Building Materials Used: Building Materials Used: 1. ______1. ______2. ______2. ______3. ______3. ______4. ______4. ______5. ______5. ______6. ______6. ______

Water Melted: Water Melted:

What was the difference in the Nest Box Prototype vs. Water Melted measurements of melted water between the first and second experiment? water melted water

If you’d like to share pictures of your nest boxes on social media, be sure to tag @COSI on Twitter or @cosiscience on Instagram/Facebook! nest box 1 nest box 2

Future Predictions Make some predictions: • Would the experiment change if you put the nest under a heat lamp? How? • How would doing this experiment outside affect your outcomes? • What might happen if you put the experiment outside and ran the experiment once in the morning and again in the afternoon? • What alternatives to guano harvesting can you think of to help save the penguin’s habitats?

Scientists consider weather, climate, habitat, insulating materials, and predators when they design artificial penguin nests. They create prototypes of their nest designs and test them with small controlled groups of penguins. Scientists must re-design and re-test artificial nests many times before they find something that works. The latest model for African Penguins just came out in 2019! To read more about the current African Penguin Artificial Nest Project, check outwww.savingpenguins.org . Scientists are still designing nest boxes for Humboldt Penguins in South America. Hopefully they will be able to test those designs soon.

Penguins International is a non-profit organization working to provide nest boxes to Humboldt Penguins and support colony rehabilitation programs in South America. You can find out more about these projects by checking out www.penguinsinternational.org Engineering and Design Start out by taking a look at the Humboldt Penguin Fact File provided by our Penguin Scientist (see below). What are some things you might want to consider before designing an artificial nest out of household items? Write your response.

FACT FILE

Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti Population: 16,000 breeding pairs Height: 72 cm Lifespan: 12-15 years Geographic breeding range: Chile/Peru

Conservation Status: Vulnerable Population Trend: Decreasing

Humboldt Penguin Distribution: 41 colonies in Peru 19 colonies in Chile The most important breeding colony in Chile is Isla Chanaral (~22,000 penguins)

Egg to Fledglings: Female Humboldt Penguins lay 2 eggs and incubate them for six weeks. Chick rearing takes 10-12 weeks.

Borboroglu, Pablo. “Humboldt Penguin.” Penguins Natural History and Conservation, edited by P.Dee Boersma, Seattle, 2013, 265-279.

RealWorld: Artificial Nest Box Designs

Artificial nest box made from pine plywood that was varnished on the outside. Wall thickness was 0.3 cm. The boxes were a triangular prism with a small opening at the top of the rear of the box to allow for ventilation. This design was used in 2001 for African Penguins on Robben Island, Africa. (R.B. Sherley et al. 2012)

Artificial nest box made from plastic rubbish bins cut in half lengthwise. Bin was lowered into excavated area and covered with rocks and excavated substrate. This design was used in 2002 for African Penguins on Halifax Island, Namibia, Africa. (Kemper et al. 2007)

Artificial nest box made from fiberglass and resin mesh with a translucent appearance. Wall thickness measuring about 0.3 cm. Burrows were dug into the ground with an open floor allowing for water to drain. Holes drilled into the top to allow ventilation. This design was used in 2007 for African Penguins on Robben Island, Africa. (R.B. Sherley et al. 2007)

Artificial nest box made from cement half pipes. Wallthickness 2 cm. This design was used in 2012 for African Penguins on Bird Island, South Africa. (B.R. Lei et al. 2014)

Artificial nest box made from a mixture of ceramic powder on top of gray fabric using a fiberglass mold. Holes are drilled on top of the inside layer of the nest for ventilation. This design was used in 2019 for African Penguins on Bird Island, South Africa. (Graham et al, Saving Penguins 2019)

www.penguinsinternational.org

Ohio Learning Standards: • K-2.DT.2.b.: Demonstrate the ability to follow a simple design process: identify a problem, think about ways to solve the problem, develop possible solutions, and share and evaluate solutions with others. • K-2.DT.2.c.: Explain that a design process is a plan to find solutions to problems. • 3-5.DT.2.b.: Plan and implement a design process: identify a problem, think about ways to solve the problem, develop possible solutions, test and evaluate solution(s), present a possible solution, and redesign to improve the solution. • 3-5.DT.2.c.: Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and decisions using appropriate terms and graphical representations. • 6-8.DT.2.a.: Apply a complete design process to solve an identified individual or community problem: research, develop, test, evaluate and present several possible solutions, and redesign to improve the solution.

Now Teachback what you learned! Click the teachback logo for a teachback guide, and be sure to tag us if you post on social media using #COSITeachback, #CantStopCbus, #TeachbackCbus. Additional Resources: Reach out to the COSI Department of Science Content if you have any questions or comments.

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