Monitoring public opinion on Nanotechnology in
Europe
European Platform on Nano Outreach and Dialogue (NODE)
(Grant Agreement NMP.2011.3-4-290575)
Activity sheets
Teachers guide
Final version – V 1.0
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
Table of content
Introduction....................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.
Activity sheet - Air Pollution.............................................................................................................. 4
1.1 Activity - Ozone from a laser Printer ........................................................................................... 4
1.2 Activity – Lighted candles ................................................................................................................ 6
2.
Activity sheet - Smart Materials for Smart Green Homes ...................................................... 7
2.1 Activity - Tiny Tech for Great Homes .......................................................................................... 8
2.2 Activity - Who needs to talk to a coffee machine? .................................................................. 9
3.
Activity sheet – Nanotechnology for Health ............................................................................. 11
3.1 Activity – Nano drugs ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.2 Activity –My health and my life .................................................................................................. 12
3.3 Other recommended resources .................................................................................................. 12
4.
Activity sheet – Solar Panels ........................................................................................................... 13
4.1 Activity – Solar energy with nano .............................................................................................. 13
4.2 Activity – Smarter Solar Panels ................................................................................................... 15
4.3 Other recommended resources .................................................................................................. 15
5.
Activity sheet – Nanotechnology and the environment ....................................................... 16
5.1 Activity – Nano and the Environment ...................................................................................... 17
5.2 Activity - Environmental Hazards .............................................................................................. 18
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
Introduction
This document provides suggestions on activities with tools that are available on the
NANOPINION portal. The activity sheet offers exercises you can easily integrate in the
classroom to treat a specific theme or question on nanotechnology.
The activities created are for the use of teachers and students in order to help their
familiarization process of nanotechnology.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
1. Activity sheet - Air Pollution
Key question to investigate:
Can Nanotechnology contribute to solve air pollution? What kind of air pollution could
that be?
Keywords and concepts:
Ozone, O3, NOx, gas, filter, purifier, mechanical filtration, particles, odours, volatile
organic compounds, air pollutants, bacteria
NANOPINION related tools:
Air filters and purifiers
Have your say
Introduction:
We all know that air filters and purifiers exist. We know them from offices and homes.
But do we know, what they are there for? We cannot see what is in the air, so can we
investigate some of the gasses in the air? And can we see an example of how the gasses
can do damage?
In the following activity the idea is to investigate in what way ozone from a laser printer
affect growth of plants.
In the next activity the idea is to investigate how a dangerous gas, NOx is formed in our
homes.
These harmful particles are very small, ozone is a molecule: O3 as well as NOx, both
molecules are nano sizes. In order to filtrate or purify the molecules from the air, it
requires a nano air filter/purifier.
Activities:
 Activity 1.1: Investigate how plants are affected by ozone from a laser Printer.
The activity is simple to perform, it takes max 1 lesson. It can be performed as a
class or group activity. The result must be observed after some days, a week or
more.
 Activity 1.2: Investigate how simple everyday practices at homes provide
unhealthy gasses. The activity takes about 1 lesson to perform and is suitable as a
group activity. Special materials are needed; metal canisters with lid and
drägertubes.
1.1 Activity - Ozone from a laser Printer
Investigate how plants are affected by ozone from a laser printer
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
Some laser printers emit ozone. In this activity the idea is to investigate, whether ozone
has an effect on plants growth.
The activity can be performed by groups, each group make 3 crest dishes.
2
1
Materials:
1. Crest seed
2. Vat
3. Petri dishes (other dishes can be used)
4. A room with a laser printer and daylight
5. A room with similar conditions (daylight and temperature)
Instructions:
Sow 3 similar dishes with equal amounts of crest seed.
Water with equal amount of water.
Place 2 crest dishes in a room with a laser printer.
Place a control crest dish in another room with similar light- and temperature
conditions.
After a few days, look at the dishes, are there any differences in their growth?
Let the crest grow about 14 days, (remember to water the crest) look at it again, are
there any differences?
If the crest growing next to the laser printer gets damages - move 1 dish to the other
room and investigate, - does it recover?
1
2
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
1.2 Activity – Lighted candles
Lighted candles provide NOx
Investigate how NOx is formed by burning candles.
3
Materials:
1. Metal canister with lid and a small hole made in the bottom
2. Candles
3. Syringe 100 ml
4. Plastic hose
5. Dräger tubes for NOx, 0-10 ppm
Instruction:
Light a candle and put it under the can
Let it light for a few minutes
Carefully move the can away from the candle - it gets hot
Place the lid in the bottom
Cut the dräger tube in both ends
4
Place the plastic hose between the syringe and the tube
Place the dräger tube in the hole
Suck the air in the metal can, through the dräger tube
Read the contents of the gas, how many ppm was registered?
3
4
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
2. Activity sheet - Smart Materials for Smart Green Homes
Key question to investigate:
Will nanomaterials and nanotechnology bring us smarter and greener homes?
Keywords and concepts:
Innovation, smart houses, flexible electronics, the internet of things, environmentally
friendly buildings, nanomaterials.
NANOPINION related tools:
The virtual experiment “Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)”:
http://www.eltaller.net/pruebas/nanopinion/html/index.html
Moodle Mini-courses
Nano indoors



Air filters and purifiers
Flexible electronics
Smart food packaging
Nano outdoors



Improved sport gear
Smart surfaces
Solar panels
Introduction:
Housing is a multifaceted increasing challenge for future societies. We live in a world
with a fast increasing population that are mainly gathering in big metropolis. This brings
a need for sustainable energy saving or even self-producing homes, environmentally
friendly building materials (including recycling, restoration of existing buildings to
avoid further “concrete expansion” and to keep up with fast changing urban scenarios).
But also other issues emerge due to the population polarisation in big cities. For
example the requalification of industrial abandoned sites or the isolation and discomfort
in rural areas due to lack of opportunities or services. Also climate change will provide
more challenges for providing first aid housing in areas with natural disasters (floods,
earthquakes) or conflicts (due to refugees). In the recent years Europe has faced an
increasingly ageing population which calls for user friendly and monitoring equipped
homes improving old people self-sufficiency and independence.
There are many ways in which nanotechnology may help to tackle such challenges. In
some cases technology is already available, but sometimes what’s really missing is a
widespread knowledge of the existing technology and most of all ideas, new concepts on
how to use it. Informing future citizens and urging them to think outside the box is a first
step towards this ambitious goal.
The two proposed activities may be useful to revise and apply the knowledge gained in
the proposed pathways in the related teacher kit (new electronics and light
manipulation at the nano scale).
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
Activities:

Activity 2.1: Group activity. Nowadays Research and Implementation is based
on interdisciplinary collaborations pooling together many experts in different
areas. The many different perspectives and knowledge of the experts often
least to innovations in methods, techniques and products.
Each student in the group will be the “expert” on one of the topics in the minicourses and share her/his knowledge with the team.
Time: homework (2 hours) + 1 lesson (brainstorming and putting ideas
together) + 1 lesson presentation
N.B. In case many classes are involved in the activity, the presentation may
involve the whole school or even the local community with an exhibition in
the school hall of posters and plans (this option will however take more time
but can generate more ideas and create collaboration between classes and age
groups).

Activity 2.2: Lab activity. Nowadays you can easily find off the shelves low
cost sensing devices for multiple use. Here we suggest to play with two
devices that are easy to find and to purchase.
Students are urged to think innovatively and to implement their ideas thus
applying their previously acquired theoretical knowledge on circuits and
scientific tools calibration.
http://www.watterott.com/en/Piezo-Vibration-Sensor-Large
https://www.inventables.com/technologies/bend-sensor
Time: documenting (1 hours) + 1 lesson (brainstorming and putting ideas
together) + 1 lesson (lab test)
2.1 Activity - Tiny Tech for Great Homes
You are a group of Seven. Six group member will work at home browsing through one of
the
six
Moodle
mini-courses
and
looking
for
nanotechnology
inventions/knowledge/possibilities that might be applied within future homes. The
seventh group member go through the virtual experiment “Scanning Tunneling
Microscope (STM)” in order to know how nanotechnology can make transistors smaller
and reflect about the possible impact this can have on great homes. To supplement you
may also want to surf the Internet for further information.
In the next lesson you will compare notes and discuss in order to plan either: a) a totally
new house or alternatively b) a restored one enriched with nanotech driven technology
and devices.
Use a building plan, or make your own, writing down in each room which
materials/technology/gears you plan to implement with a few descriptive notes.
Present your work to your class and vote for best ideas.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
5
2.2 Activity - Who needs to talk to a coffee machine?
6
In 2007 Nike lounged the Air Zoom Moire Shoes which had a
wireless sensor embedded sending real time fitness data
(from pace to burned calories) to the iPod Nano and
receiving audio feed back through the earbuds. The new thin
film electronics is fast leading to new and widespread
application of similar technologies even inside our homes.
We are talking of mostly wireless heterogeneous
sensors/actuators embedded in everything, to optimise
equipment performance and enhancing control.
Some people reacted with the thought provoking question
reported in the activity title but actually incredible
possibilities are opening in extremely important fields.
On your desk you find a paper thin accelerometer. This sensor consists of a plastic film
printed with a special carbon ink. The resistance of the ink decreases the more it is bent.
1. First investigate and document individually the characteristics and behaviour of
your specific sensor.
5
6
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
7
8
2. Discuss in your groups where you can use it within a home. Try to be innovative.
Just to give you some ideas: it has been suggested to use them as alarm systems
to monitor a) babies regular breathing in the cradle; b) old people movements (a
signal could be sent out to relatives when they don’t get out of bed at the usual
hour); c) tiny earthquakes vibrations; d)opening doors by intruders .
3. Test your idea in the lab (calibrate if necessary, test the sensitivity range, etc…)
could it work? Document your experimental research.
7
8
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
3. Activity sheet – Nanotechnology for Health
Key question to investigate:
Can nanotechnology be useful to improve human health? Can nanotechnology save
lives?
Keywords and concepts:
Nanomedicine, drug delivery system, nanocapsule, ELSA
NANOPINION related tools:
NANOPINION Experiment A – Teachers document
NANOPINION Experiment A – Students document
NANOPINION Discussion Game:
Introduction:
Nanomedicine is defined by the European Science Foundation as "the science and
technology of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease and traumatic injury, or
relieving pain, and of preserving and improving human health using molecular tools and
molecular knowledge of the human body". The possibilities sounds promising but how
will nanomedicine work and what makes it so different from other medicines?
Activities:

Activity 3.1: The students are to learn about nanomedicine based on
NANOPINION Experiment A and different information sources with the aim of
being able to answering different questions asked in the beginning of the
activity.

Activity 3.2: Try to identify the stakeholders of nanomedicione and with
inspiration from the NANOPINION Discussion Game, make the students set up
arguments for the different stakeholders.
3.1 Activity – Nano drugs
Getting started: the teacher should divide the students into small teams and discuss
about the importance of nanotechnology in general and controlled drug delivery in
particular.
Collecting and sorting information about nanomedicine: obtaining information of the
subject, discuss future perspectives, do all sources claim the same, do all information
sources have the reliability level, is it possible to classify information sources.
Hands on experiment: Experiment A - teacher document and student sheet. The aim of
this activity is to illustrate through a simple model how a miniaturised drug delivery
system is created and how the release of the drug herein contained can be controlled.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
Exchanging information: The teams will have to provide a conclusion based on the
information obtained, the team discussions and the result of the experiment. What are
nanomedicine? How would they work? Is something we will see more of in a near
future? Can you think of positive and negative effects of producing nanomedicine
(Should it be different from developing any other drugs?). The conclusions are made
visible to the students, teachers, parents, local community for open discussions.
3.2 Activity –My health and my life
Based on the NANOPINION Discussion Game try to invent different stakeholder groups
that would be against/for the development of a specific nanomedicine.
Students work in groups presenting different stakeholder opinions with regard to
nanotechnology dilemmas (ELSA). Take inspiration in the topics presented in the
NANOPINION Discussion Game.
Procedure: Discuss and debate the ways in which nanotechnology might affect the
stakeholders’ interests, health and lives.
Discuss and debate the potential of nanotechnology (from stakeholders’ opinion)
beyond its current applications.
Each group present the opinions/arguments the have been dealing with and try to
assess them based on their knowledge of nanotechnology.
3.3 Other recommended resources
1. How are medicines developed and tested? – Centre of the Cell (game)
http://www.centreofthecell.org/lessonplans/lessonplan.php?lp_id=4
2. Nanotechnology in medicine: huge potential, but what are the risks?
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/244972.php
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
4. Activity sheet – Solar Panels
Key question to investigate:
How can nanotechnology help in the field of energy?
Which nanoproducts help to increase the efficiently of solar cells?
What is the advantage of Dye Solar Cells (DSC) compared to the old generation of PV
cells?
Keywords and concepts:
Solar panels. PV cells vs DSC. Use of nanotechnology to produce energy.
NANOPINION related tools:
Moodle mini-courses Nano outdoors Solar panels and Smart surfaces:
Introduction:
Photovoltaics is the direct transformation of solar energy into electricity. This
phenomenon is used in photovoltaic cells. Solar cells are made from semiconductor
materials such as silicon. The effectiveness of the transformation of solar energy into
electricity is normally around 12-15 % but in laboratory conditions up to 30 %.
Under a cloudy sky efficiency silicon photovoltaic cells rapidly decreases. Also shielding
them is bad. How to increase the efficiency of solar panels? How to make solar energy
cheaper and more usable? Look at the problem from the point of view of
nanotechnology.
Activities:
 Activity 4.1: Lean about how solar panels can become more efficient using
nanotechnology. This activity is based on the NANOPINION Moodle mini-courses
‘Solar panels’.
 Activity 4.2: Extension of activity 4.1. Go to the NANOPINION Moodle minicourses section named ‘Smart surfaces’ and try to improve the performance of
your solar panel with further nanotechnology applications.
4.1 Activity – Solar energy with nano
Go to Moodle mini-courses section about Solar panels.
Watch the video about solar panel and after that start the mini-course. Fill in the
following two tables.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
1. Add words to the table: leaf, electrical, dye molecules, chemical, Porous Titanium
Oxide Nanostructure, Chlorophyll
Natural photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis
10
9
http://www.sci.muni.cz/~an
atomy/leaves/html/ficus_1.h
tm
Solar energy is converted
to …… energy.
environment in which
energy is converted
„ light antenna“ absorbs
part of solar spectrum
2. Describe the main benefits of the use of solar cells with nanotechnology
treatments.
Benefits
http://en.wikipe
dia.org/wiki/Dye
sensitized_solar_c
ell
Explain
Benefits
Explain
http://automatiza
ce.hw.cz/novetechnologie-prolevne-i-vykonnesolarni-clanky
http://www.dyes
ol.com/aboutdsc/advantagesof-dsc
http://www.conn
ectgreen.com/tag/gr
atzel-dsc/
9
http://www.ferre
t.com.au/c/Dyeso
l/Nextgeneration-DSCsolar-modulesshowcased-inSouth-Korea-
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
n1829520
4.2 Activity – Smarter Solar Panels
Go to the NANOPINION Moodle mini-courses Smart surfaces:
Start mini-course and think about how nanotechnology can help to improve the
performance of solar panel with applications you have learned about in this course.
Nanotechnology possibility
Can help with efficiency of solar panel? How?
Self-cleaning surfaces
Anti-fog coatings
Anti-bacterial surfaces
Thermo-responsive surfaces
After that you can investigate more on the Internet about nanotechnology and surface
treatment. Here are some examples of knowledge that might be interesting:
http://www.nanofilmtechnology.com/index.aspx?bhcp=1
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8439843.htm
4.3 Other recommended resources
For more information about the development of nanotechnology application for a more
efficient energy conversion of solar energy go to:
http://www.nanocap.eu/Flex/Site/Download9995.pdf?ID=2260
http://www.youris.com/Nano/Energy/The_Latest_Developments_In_Nanotechnology_F
or_Solar_Energy.kl
http://www.youris.com/Nano/NANOTV/NanoTuned_Solar_Cells.kl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dye-sensitized_solar_cell
http://www.dyesol.com/about-dsc
http://www.connect-green.com/tag/gratzel-dsc/
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
5. Activity sheet – Nanotechnology and the environment
Key question to investigate:
Can nanotechnology products help solving environmental problems and are they safe to
use?
Keywords and concepts:
Air pollution, water pollution, Purifiers, filters, absorbent surfaces, biological
contaminants (bacteria)
Chemical contaminants (toxins)
NANOPINION related tools:
A. Video: The Environmental impacts of-nanosilver: an earthworm’s point view
B. The NANOPINION mini-courses:
Nano indoors



Air filters and purifiers
Flexible electronics
Smart food packaging
Nano outdoors



Improved sport gear
Smart surfaces
Solar panels
C. The NANOPINION Discussion Game
Introduction:
Researchers and innovators working with the development of new nanotechnology
products often put much efforts into find new ways to reduce our negative impact on the
environment.
The global warming, the decrease of the earth’s biodiversity and several environmental
catastrophes (from oil rig, agricultural use of pesticide or plants producing them, from
radioactive waste and etc.) has taught us that it is indeed important to protect the
environment and the resources or the earth. Nanotechnology is a new technology with
many potentials. To fully understand this technology it is important that we are
informed about nanotechnology and nanotechnology products in order to better
understand if it can help us protect the environment or if we need to use nanoproducts
with reservations.
Activities:

Activity 5.1: On the basis of the NANOPINION video students are to reflect
about the nanoproducts they know of. Secondly students are invited into
groups and investigate further if nanotechnology can have environmentally
negative impacts on the environment. The students use the the Moodle minicourses the Discussion Game and the internet to gain more knowledge on the
dilemmas of nanotechnology.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets

Activity 5.2: This activity is an extension of activity 5.1. The students are
asked to brainstorm on the environmental hazards they know of and to try to
think of solutions and nano solutions that can reduce the impact or replace
the contaminating product/activity/ technology. The students are also to
think of solutions and nano-solutions to the identified environmental hazards.
5.1 Activity – Nano and the Environment
The students see the movie: ’The Environmental Impacts-Nano silver –an earthworms
point view’ all together in the classroom.
The students are asked to write down all the nanoproduct they know of and try to list
whether they might be environmental damaging. Students can debate on some of the
listed products advantages\ disadvantage in relation to the environment.
Third, Students will discuss the possibilities of inventing new nanotechnology products
aimed at protecting the environment and present their role, their advantages and
disadvantages.
Fourth, group debate over the dilemmas.
Fifth, the students are divided into three groups:
Group A reads and discuss the Discussion Game and fill in the following table:
possible harm to environment
Nano product
Sunscreen
Silver nanoparticles in socks
Group B is looking for information in mini-course about nanoproducts aimed at
protecting the environment and writing whether their use can also cause damage to the
environment?
Group C looks for information on new nanoproducts designed to protect the
environment and records in a table: name, role, advantages and disadvantages.
Product advantages disadvantages role
disadvantages
advantages
role
nanoproducts
designed to
protect the
environment
At the end of the lesson each group make a presentation of what they have learned to
the rest of the class.
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Teacher Guide – Activity Sheets
5.2 Activity - Environmental Hazards
Make the students brainstorm on the environmental hazards they know of and list the
hazards on the black board (wastewater, dust on windows or on different surfaces, rust,
debris from building sites, dirty water tanks, etc.)
The class are divided into groups of 2-3 students and are invited to focus on 1 - 3 of the
environmental hazards listed on the black board and try to answer the following
questions:
1. Do you know of any nanoproducts that can address the problem exists (eventually
investigate)?
2. Do you know if the products that are developed (if any) are safe to use?
3. Do you have an idea for developing a new nanoproduct? What can it solve that we
cannot solve with traditional technologies? Would the nano-solution be more efficient?
The students present their answers at the end of the class.
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