Playdough Creatures
Big Idea:
During the Permian Period, animals with different body structures lived very different lives. One key difference was whether an animal had a backbone. In this activity, students explore how internal support (a spine) affects strength and survival.

Learning Goal
Students will compare animals with and without backbones and observe how internal structures help support weight and movement.

Background for Parents
Scientists classify animals based on shared traits. One major group includes vertebrates (animals with backbones), and another includes invertebrates (animals without backbones).

During the Permian Period, both groups existed, but animals with internal skeletons were able to grow larger, move differently, and support more weight. This hands-on activity models how a backbone provides internal support.

Materials

• Playdough or modeling clay
• Pipe cleaners
• Small stackable items (coins, blocks, washers, stones, or similar)
• Flat surface

Set-Up

1. Ask your child to make two creatures using playdough:
   • One creature without anything inside
   • One creature with a pipe cleaner inside to act like a spine
2. Encourage them to shape legs, a body, or a tail. No need to be realistic.

Activity Steps

1. Place both creatures on a flat surface.
2. Begin stacking small items gently on top of each creature.
3. Count how many items each creature can support before collapsing or bending.
4. Compare the results.

What’s Happening? (Caregiver Explanation)
The pipe cleaner acts like a backbone, giving the creature internal support. The creature without a spine relies only on its soft outer body, which collapses more easily.

In real animals, backbones help:

• Support body weight
• Protect nerves
• Allow larger body sizes
• Improve movement and strength

This is one reason vertebrates became so successful during and after the Permian.

Discussion Questions 

1. Which creature held more weight?
   The one with the pipe cleaner spine.
2. What happened to the creature without a spine?
   It squished or collapsed more quickly.
3. What does the pipe cleaner represent?
   A backbone or spine.
4. Why would having a backbone be helpful during the Permian?
   It helped animals support their bodies and move more effectively.
5. Does this mean animals without backbones were weak?
   No. Many invertebrates survive in other ways, like shells, armor, or living in water.

Classification Connection
Explain that scientists classify animals by shared traits:

• Vertebrates: animals with backbones
• Invertebrates: animals without backbones

This activity helps show why that difference matters.

Optional Extensions

• Add more pipe cleaners and test if strength changes
• Try wider or taller creatures
• Connect to fossils: which kinds of animals are more likely to leave bones behind?

Key Takeaway for Kids
Having a backbone helps support weight and movement. During the Permian Period, this difference helped shape which animals could grow larger and survive in changing environments.