Nanotechnology Scavenger Hunt!
Nanotechnology takes on a variety of forms, and even colors, such as these quantum dot nanocrystals.Copyright 2012 Antipoff, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quantum_Dots_with_emission_maxima_in_a_10-nm_step_are_being_produced_at_PlasmaChem_in_a_kg_scale.jpg
Through a scavenger hunt, students are introduced to the world of nanotechnology. In the form of a competition, groups race to locate symbols that correlate to an answer to a general nanotechnology question. Each team receives paper slips with questions; the remaining questions are hidden behind QR codes. Groups need to answer eight total questions in the correct order. Because this is an intro to nanotechnology and its associated engineering, students need to use problem-solving skills in order to identify the correct answers. After the initial scavenger hunt, a brief class discussion explores advances in nanotechnology. Next, students work in teams to research different areas of nanotechnology as they create their own scavenger hunt games.
Critical thinking is the deliberate and cognitive act of reflecting on one’s choices and reasoning in order to determine a solution, and engineers employ critical thinking in many ways. For example, mechanical engineers use critical thinking to design machines. Environmental engineers use critical thinking to improve recycling methods. Engineers who work with nanoparticles are becoming more innovative, both in the way they develop nanoparticles and in potential nanotechnology applications. Students relate their newfound knowledge to engineering while they create their own scavenger hunts based off their nanotechnology research.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Create questions related to the use of nanotechnology.
- Use critical thinking and problem solving skills to address a problem.