As computing becomes increasingly intertwined with other disciplines research that centers computing education in an interdisciplinary context (and the challenges surrounding it) is increasingly relevant. In particular, writing modular code (i.e. using functions) is a fundamental part of scientific programming. However, functions have been identified as challenging for students to learn. This assignment leverages a fun, real, and approachable dataset from the 2018 Central Park Squirrel Census as well as experiences authentic to developing scientific programs to introduce the concept of functions in Python. The assignment is intended to be delivered in a “flipped classroom” format, where students are first introduced to concepts in videos and short problems prior to coming to class. Once in class, the students work collaboratively in groups of 4-6 with a hands-on programming activity. By the end of the assignment, students have not only had the opportunity to learn about functions in an authentic context, but they have also been able to make calculations and propose their own problems to learn about the data.