Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Design Inspired By Nature
Ellen Goodman, Marci Jahnke
July 18, 2014
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LESSON
Grade Level and Subject Area
9-12 Biology
Time Frame
Introduction: Biomimicry (10 min.)
Part I: Reverse Engineering (45 min.)
Part II: Product Design (45 min.)
Part III: Product Presentation (60-75 min.)
Objectives: Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
•
Explain how biomimicry can be used to enhance engineering design.
•
Describe the process to reverse engineer an object.
•
Explain how brainstorming in a team can lead to more creative ideas.
Next Generation Science Standards
HS-LS4-6
Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.
HS-ETS1-2
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that
can be solved through engineering.
Standards for Technological Literacy
STL8 Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design
STL9 Students will develop an understanding of engineering design
STL11 Students will develop the abilities to apply the design process
Common Core State Standards in Mathematics
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Common Core State Standards in English and Language Arts
SL.11-12.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid
reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
Page 1
Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
Prior Learning
Students will have learned that organisms have diverse adaptations for their survival in various situations. Students will also have
observed in their daily life that some human-engineered products mimic adaptations organisms have. Errors or misconceptions
students may have include that similar structures may be used for similar or different functions.
Materials
Each team needs:
•
•
•
•
•
•
1-2 flowers (lilies, sunflowers, or snapdragons)
Tools to reverse engineer the flower (i.e., toothpicks, tweezers, cutting object)
1 magnifying glass
1 sheet of blank paper
Markers or colored pencils
1 copy of the Exploring Biomimicry Worksheet
LESSON IMPLEMENTATION
Objective: Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
•
Explain how biomimicry can be used to enhance engineering design.
•
Describe the process to reverse engineer an object.
•
Explain how brainstorming in a team can lead to more creative ideas.
Pre-Assessment
Students will use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to brainstorm what they think Biomimicry is and identify products that
currently exist that were inspired by nature, discuss with a partner, then share with the class.
Procedures
Time
Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks
Purpose
10 min.
1. Introduction – Discussion of Biomimicry (see website for content to discuss
in Introduction/Motivation and Background sections)
The Introduction will
help students
understand what
Biomimicry is;
45 min.
45 min.
2. Part I – Reverse Engineering: Students will carefully take apart a flower
and sketch its components. Complete the “Exploring Biomimicry worksheet.”
The teacher will follow up this with a group discussion of students’
observations.
3. Part II – Product Design: Students will choose their own natural artifact
(organism adaptation) and design a product inspired by that artifact.
a. Have each group brainstorm a potential product for about 10 min.
b. Require students to develop a design which helps solve an
environmental, health, or medical problem
Part I will help students
see that all organisms
have structures that
can be used for other
purposes and to model
the reverse
engineering process
required for Part II;
Part II will enable
students to use the
Engineering Design
Process to build a new
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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Science Learning Community: Science and Engineering Lesson Plans
product;
60-75
min.
4. Part III – Product Presentation: Students will present their product to their
peers (who will act as a patent review board) to obtain approval for their
design.
Part III will enable
students to
communicate their
results in a real-world
situation.
Formative Assessment
1. Collect and Evaluate Think-Pair-Share.
2. Have students incorporate the “Exploring Biomimicry worksheet” into their Science Notebook. Collect and evaluate
the notebook.
3. Utilize a rubric for scoring the presentation.
Closure
Students will present their product to their peers, who will act as a patent review board, to obtain approval for their
design.
Summative Assessment
The teacher should incorporate questions related to the Engineering Design Process into his/her unit test.
Reference
Cooper, L., Zarske, M., & Yowell, J. (2009). Design Inspired by Nature. Design Inspired by Nature - Activity
- www.TeachEngineering.org. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from
http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_lifescience/cub_lifesci
ence_lesson03_activity2.xml
Funded by an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IIb Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality Grant in
Partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Stout
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