Cornerstone Tiered Lessons
Cornerstone kits are carefully designed to align with the skill levels and interests of students from K-1 through 6-8. When appropriate, lessons are tiered across age groups to build upon foundational skills while introducing more advanced concepts to older students.
However, not all lessons are identical across age groups. Some lessons may be very similar, allowing younger and older students to engage with the same core idea at different depths. Others may be somewhat similar, presenting related themes with adjusted complexity. And in some cases, lessons may be completely different, tailored to developmental appropriateness.
The following example demonstrates how the concept of Animal Adaptations is explored across different grade levels in the Exploration (Science) subject. While all students learn about how animals survive in their environments, the activities evolve to match their cognitive and skill development.
K-1: Recognizing & Acting Out Adaptations
Lesson: I’m Adaptable (Exploration, K-1, Block B)
- Young learners explore how animals survive through movement and behavior.
- Through animal charades, they act out adaptations (e.g., a rabbit hopping to escape predators, a turtle retreating into its shell).
- Students create simple models of animals using craft materials to highlight specific traits.
Focus: Hands-on play-based learning that builds observation skills.
2-5: Designing New Adaptations
Lesson: I’m Adaptable (Exploration, 2-5, Block B)
- Older elementary students take on the role of biologists, designing an original animal suited for a specific environment.
- Using modeling clay and craft materials, they create animals with unique survival traits.
- They analyze why certain adaptations help animals thrive in different ecosystems.
Focus: Encourages critical thinking and scientific reasoning in problem-solving.
6-8: Innovating Through Biomimicry
Lesson: Naturally Inspired (Exploration, Middle School, Block B)
- Middle schoolers explore biomimicry, the process of using nature’s adaptations to inspire human inventions.
- Students identify real-world problems and brainstorm solutions based on animal adaptations (e.g., camouflage inspired by octopuses, self-cleaning materials based on lotus leaves).
Focus: Develops STEM connections, introducing students to engineering design and scientific application.
How This Demonstrates Tiered Learning
- K-1: Observation & Play – Students recognize adaptations through movement and hands-on crafts.
- 2-5: Creative Application – Students apply their knowledge by designing original animals with survival traits.
- 6-8: Real-World Innovation – Students connect adaptations to technology, linking science to engineering and problem-solving.
This progression showcases how Cornerstone kits build foundational knowledge in early grades and extend learning into real-world applications as students grow. Whether acting like animals, designing new species, or creating biomimicry-based innovations, students engage deeply at every level.
Want to See It in Action?
Bring Mayhem at the Museum to your program and watch students explore, invent, and innovate—one adaptation at a time!