Biodegradable Husk-Bags Design Challenge
Students engineer a biodegradable bag for potato chips.Copyright 2020 Melissa M. Mason, Rice University RET
This activity allows students to engage in design thinking that focuses on engineering a biodegradable bag for potato chips. In doing so, students move through the engineering design process. Students focus on design qualities such as if the bag retains moisture, how the bag is sealed, package aesthetics, and its shelf life. Students must meet the design criteria by using a rubric to guide their plans. The edges of bag must be sealed, and the entire bag must pass a quality control inspection (the shake, drop, toss, and moisture test). In addition, the bag must be aesthetically pleasing to the customer’s eye.
- 8 ears of corn with husk and silk, or dried corn husks
- large bag of potato chips (can be an empty bag)
- waterproof wood and/or plastic glue; (students can make their own glue too; see Teacher Notes (PDF) for more information)
- edible glue
- small bowl filled with potato chips or small wood chips
- plastic bin with water (filled enough to submerge the prototype bag)
- golf balls (at least six)
- meter sticks
- heat lamp
- digital scale
- Biodegradable Husk-Bag Student Worksheet (PDF) (one per student)
- Consumer Survey (PDF) (optional)
Contributors
Melissa M. Mason; Alphonso A. Causey, Jr
Supporting Program
Research Experience for Teachers (RET), Rice University
Acknowledgements
This material was developed in collaboration with Rice University Office of STEM Engagement, based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. NSF 1711515--the Nanotechnology Research Experience for Teachers at the Rice University School Science and Technology in Houston, TX. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or Rice University.
Thank you Nanotechnology Research Experience for Teachers at Rice University School of Science and Technology in Houston, Texas for an amazing experience and for introducing Teachengineering.org.
Special thanks to Isaias Cerda for being a guiding light that helped navigation through such a remarkable program, Research Experience for Teachers.
Copyright
2020 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2019 Rice University