Compare Human-Made Objects with Natural Objects
The Sydney Opera House, a human-made structureCopyright Wikimedia Commons http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Sydney_Opera_House_Sails.jpg
In small groups, students experiment and observe the similarities and differences between human-made objects and objects from nature. They compare the function and structure of hollow bones with drinking straws, bird beaks, tool pliers, bat wings and airplane wings. Observations are recorded in a compare & contrast chart, and then shared in a classroom discussion, along with follow up assessment activities such as journal writing and Venn diagrams.
Engineers find many brilliant ideas by observing the mechanisms seen in natural systems and bodies. This activity encourages students to make such observations and identify how they might be applied to designing human-made products for everyday use.
- Observe that many human-made objects get their basic design from nature.
- The importance of function in design.