http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.php?url=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_lifescience/cub_lifescience_lesson03.xmllessontext/xmlIntegrated Teaching and Learning Program, biomimicrynanoporefishspidercopying naturecellBiomimicryVenom

This lesson introduces students to the idea of biomimicry — or looking to nature for engineering ideas. Biomimicry involves solving human problems by mimicking natural solutions, and it works well because the solutions exist naturally. There are numerous examples of useful applications of biomimicry, and in this lesson we look at a few fun examples.

Engineers design products that are essential to our health, happiness, and safety. To meet these human needs, engineers often look to nature for examples of efficient design solutions. Throughout nature, there are many creative solutions that can inspire effective, elegant design ideas. List products or devices that are based on examples from nature. Explain why engineers might want to copy ideas from nature in their designs.10TeachEngineering.orgGlen SirakavitMegan PodlogarKaren KingJanet Yowellhttp://www.biomimicryinstitute.orghttp://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=98115&page=1http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100676&org=NSFhttp://quest.nasa.gov/ltc/nps/images/shark.jpgS114173EInternational_Technology_Education_Association-ITEA_STL_StandardsTechnologyE. Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems. 68S114174CInternational_Technology_Education_Association-ITEA_STL_StandardsTechnologyG. Brainstorming is a group problem-solving design process in which each person in the group presents his or her ideas in an open forum. 68United StatesCopyright 2012 - Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulderhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2010-07-307Teacher