NANOTECHNOLOGY: “SO SMALL YET SO
USEFUL”
Teacher: Angel M. Pina
Subject Area: Comprehensive Science 6th, 7th and 8th Grade.
Associated Unit: Nature of Science/Matter/Energy
Lesson Title: “Nanotechnology and Society”
Grade Level: 6th,7th and 8th
Lesson #1of 1
Lesson Dependency:
Time Required: Two periods of 90 minutes each.
Summary:
Nanotechnology is a very important part of the 21st century way of living. It is not
only reducing the size of different useful elements of our lives but also making
them more efficient in more than one way. It is impacting multiple areas of society
with diverse applications in the areas of Medicine, Electronics, Defense, and
security, Sports, Energy, Environment, Food, Communication and Space.
Engineering Connection:
During the Research Experience for Teachers at FIU this summer I was expose to
how the field of engineering is interconnected with other fields of science.
Engineers doing research connecting Biology with Engineering to produce Nano
sensors to be used in the field of Medicine. In the process of making a Nano
instrument researchers connected engineering with Mathematics, physics and
Chemistry.
Engineering Category:
Relating different fields of science and/or mathematics concept(s) to engineering.
Keywords:
Metric system, Nanometer, nanotechnology, English system, conductivity, matter,
Educational Standards:
NGSSS:
Big Idea #1 Practice of Science
SC.7.N.1.1
SC.7.N.1.2
ITEEA Standard:
NGSS:
MS-PS1&2 Matter and its interactions
CCSS Standard
Labs/MAFS
Pre-requisite Knowledge:
Students should have an understanding of the metric system, specially the
subdivisions of the meter.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson students should be able to:
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Explain what is nanotechnology.
Explain the importance nanotechnology to society.
Explain the impact of nanotechnology
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Describe how small nanometers are.
Understand that nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary field.
Understand that nanotechnology is an enabling technology with diverse
applications.
Introduction/Motivation
It is important that middle school students be expose to what nanotechnology
represents in terms of developing different sensor, instruments and other
applications at a very small size with very efficient performance.
Also they need to understand the usefulness of this elements.
Vocabulary/Definitions
Metric System
A decimal system of mass, volume, and length based
upon the meter, the gram and the liter.
English System
The foot/pounds system of units
Engineering
The work of designing or creating structures, new
products or systems by using scientific methods.
Step by step procedure to solve a scientific question.
Scientific Method
Hypothesis
Variables
A statement that can be tested using the scientific
method.
Factors that can be change in an experiment
Constants
Factors that stay the same in an experiment
Atoms
The smallest particle of an element that has the
properties of that element.
A prefix in the metric system that denote a factor of
10-9 (it is 1 billionth of a meter)
Energy from the sun.
Nano
Solar Energy
Nanotechnology
Meter
The engineering of functional systems at the
molecular scale (1 and 1000 nanometers).
the unit of length in the metric system
Centimeter
Milimeter
1/100 of a meter
1/1000 of a meter
Activities:
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Video:“Power of ten”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
How can you explain what is meant by nanotechnology (Google it!)
Let’s look at hair diameter(1/75000 of a Nano)
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On line activity on usefulness using Microsoft
laptop
Identifying 2/3 applications for each of the following:
Medicine, Electronics, Defense, Security, Energy,
Sports, Food, Environment, Communication & Space
Websites: Nanozone.org; Nanowerk.com
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Quiz Bowl –Vocabulary: Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology Webquest –Assessment
Slide “What is in the Name”
Scale of Lengths (Nanotechnology size comparisons)
A truly interdisciplinary field
Introduction/Motivation
Nanotechnology means smaller which makes things better, portable, wearable,
lightweight, less power, cheaper, uses less materials and more scale. It is
definitely the field of the future, as it makes electronics in general smaller and
more efficient. Let look at how cell phones have not only become smaller but
with a lot more applications.
Background & Concepts for Teachers
Nanotechnology is the knowledge and control of matter at the nanoscale (1 to
1000 nanometers) to create innovative structures and devices:
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Structures (Example: Sensors)
Systems (Example: Nano-Electro-Mechanichal Systems (NEMS).
Assessment
Nanotechnology Webquest
Home learning Activity
Check around your home and write down as many things as you can that you
understand are using NANOTECHNOLOGY.
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