Wider Curriculum: Unit Plan for Home learning Subject: Science Unit

Wider Curriculum: Unit Plan for Home learning

Subject: Science

Unit: Biomimicry and Design in Nature

Year: 5

This unit will be about what we can learn from the 3.8 billion years of design genius in in

nature and how we can use this to be more sustainable and solve problems

Session 1

What can the natural world tell us about design? What is biomimicry?

 Make a list of things that you may see that spring has started. Have you seen

any from this list? Or check those in the resources.

 Think: How do these plants and animals know what to do and when?

 Watch this *film as an introduction to Biomimicry What surprised you? What

questions do you have?

*Note: This is an adult level talk but will make you think in a good way! Do not worry if you do not

understand everything. The scientist Janine Benyus is an amazing world expert.

 Tell someone at home something you have learned or thought about today.

Challenge: Choose one of the questions from the video to research more about.

Session 2

What is biomimicry? Why is it important?

 Watch this 2 minute summary on what is biomimicry?

 Write your own definition of biomimicry in ‘easy to understand’ language.

Imagine you are explaining it to someone in your class who has missed the last 2 lessons

 Relisten to the video or research other definitions and improve yours.

 Why is biomimicry important? Give 3 clear examples from what you have

learned already. You can use diagrams or photos to explain.

 What questions do you have about biomimicry?

Create a list of things this has made you want to know more about.

Challenge: Find out more about Janine Benyus or another scientist, engineer or designer

working in biomimicry and what their main achievement is.

Session 3

How has biomimicry helped improve transport?

 Look at the picture in the resource. What do you notice?

 Look at shapes of different forms of transport. Are there any connections with

the shape or form of any animals or plants? surf board -

 Make connections with your understanding of forces, air resistance and water

resistance. Draw pictures or use photos from internet and note anything you

notice about shapes.

 Watch up to 2.05 of this video (you can watch more if you like!) about how a

birdwatcher changed Japanese train problem.

 Watch this BBC video which shows it in a different way.

 Use labelled diagrams to explain how the kingfisher solved the train problem.

Challenge: Find out and explain how the boxfish inspired Mercedes through biomimicry.

Start here. Would this design or 2005 appeal in 2021?

Session 4

What can we learn from studying how birds fly?

 Look at the pictures biomimicry in flight resource. What do you notice?

 Human flight is all based on study of birds. Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in

art, science and invention. His observations showed how much he

understood. What do you notice here?

 Look at these 3 biomimicry examples how birds are inspiring design and

engineers now to answer: What can we learn from studying how birds fly?

o OWLS – noise reduction: Watch this. Read resource.

o Falcons –Watch this.(video scroll down page) Read resource.

o Geese – flying together Watch this.

 Answer the key question using pictures to help your explanation.

You can choose one example in detail or give a short example from different birds.

Challenge: Find out how this research into studying birds is going to mean the flight of

drones can improved.

Session 5

What materials are there in nature to explore?

 Start to think like a designer, scientist and engineer with biomimicry ideas. Go

outside (if you can) to look closely at different animals and plants and what

they do and especially what they produce.

You can use knowledge of other animals/plants if you cannot go out.

 Think/observe: What is produced by plants or animals or done by them that

could be useful?

eg a way of joining things, attracting attention, defending, use of colour, shape of body

 Record at least 5 ideas. You can complete a table (see resource) or present

clearly in a different form if you prefer.

You are thinking about the potential or possibilities of materials/substances in nature.

 Every invention has come from close study and observation. Choose an

animal or plant and create a set of observations, questions, notes about what

you see (like Leonardo da Vinci).

Challenge: Investigate the biomimicry potential in spider webs.

Session 6

What are the best sticking solutions in natural world?

 You are to compare 2 biomimicry sticking solutions: Velcro and Slug Slime.

1. Velcro:

o Look at the pictures in the resource. What do you notice?

o Have you got Velcro on a bag or shoes? Have you thought about how

it works, if you have some go and have a closer look!

o Check here find out how this plant led to Velcro being invented.

Scroll down to watch the video at the bottom of the page.

2. Slug slime is sticky even on wet surfaces, how could this be useful?

o Read more in the resource or listen to it being read here.

 Answer: Which is the most useful sticking solution: Velcro or Slug Slime?

Why? Write or record your explanation using scientific language and

evidence.

Challenge: Why hasn’t the slug slime solution be used straight away in surgery?

Session

7 and 8

What are the best sticking solutions in natural world?

How are geckos such good climbers? How is this useful for design?

 Read the pages ‘Geckos Stick anywhere’ below from the book Beastly Bionics

 Watch this video Beyond Bionic - Geckos. Could humans ever climb like a

gecko? What other reasons are there for knowing about how they do climb?

 Look at the partly finished page in resources. It has some but not all of the

information to answer the key question. Think: What more could you add?

Go back and find information that explains more about why geckos are such

good climbers and how this helps designers solve other problems.

 Answer the key question: How do geckos such good climbers? How is this useful for design?

 You can either

o finish the resource by writing/drawing in the blank spaces

o create your own infographic poster or page for a Biomimicry book for children on paper or a

digital presentation using Book Creator, Powerpoint or other application

o do a voice over or video talking about chosen images (like Janine Benyus)

o If you prefer the content from last lesson, you could choose to answer the Session 6 question:

What are the best sticking solutions in natural world?

Challenge: Watch David Attenborough’s short video BBC The Wonder of Science.

Which source, explanation or image has been the best to learn from and why?

Session 9

What is the impact of biomimicry?

Choose one of the questions in resources to present on. You can of course

choose a question about biomimicry that is not mentioned. If you want to find

other examples look here. eg How can shark skin help create swimwear to help athletes?

 Research your question using the internet. If not possible you can answer the

question using the examples you have from previous lessons.

 Make notes, find the key pictures to help you explain the impact of design.

 Present your learning in less than 2 minutes as a spoken presentation.

 Try it on someone at home and share with your teacher.

Challenge: Is the impact of biomimicry always positive?

Session

Are the secrets to a sustainable world really all around us?

 Look around your home or school area and create some questions that have

solutions in nature. You can refer to your work in lesson 5 and collect a range

of ideas in the table in resources.

eg How can such a small animal like an ant carry such a large object?

 Think of one animal or plant which has a particular skill that makes it successful

and think how that might help designers or scientists answer other problems.

 Develop one of your ideas as a how can help designers think of a new way.

Remember to use drawings like Leonardo da Vinci or the diagrams for the Japanese train.

 Present your ideas and thoughts in your own way, this could be:

○ a video of the animal/plant explaining what you see and your questions and

design ideas

○ a page from our ‘Beastly Bionics’ book (like Geckos) about your idea

○ a proposal to a company about your animal and how it might help their business

Session

What technologies will change our world?

 What discoveries or problems do you think scientists and designers should be

working on to change our world for the better?

 Scan the titles 22 technology ideas in BBC Science Focus on this website (just

look quickly through the range of ideas first)

 Choose 2 to read more closely and watch video linked to the idea if there is

one. Which was the better idea and why?

 You are going to review ONE idea from this site.

You can do this in writing, as an audio or video presentation.

 What is the main idea? (Summarise)

o How well do you think it will work? (Evaluate)

o How successful do you think it will be?

o What might stop it being a success?

Challenge: Which of the 22 ideas will make the biggest difference to the biggest

number of people? Does that mean it would be the most successful?

Session

How could nature shape our future?

 What discoveries or problems do you think scientists and designers should be

working on to change our world for the better?

You could consider: environment, buildings, food and farming, medicine, transport, disabilities,

disease, robotics or ….. you decide!

 Set a problem or question you would like the scientific community to answer.

What is there in nature than might be worth investigating to help with the

answer? Has anything already begun on this?

 If you are not sure or cannot come up with anything there are lots more

amazing examples to explore here.

 Answer: What are your hopes for the future of biomimicry?

Challenge: If nature is 3.8 billion years old, why is biomimicry relatively new area?

Session 1

Session 3

Shark – surfboard biomimicry

Session 4 Biomimicry and flight

Resource 1

Session 4 resource 2

Leonardo da Vinci 1452- 1519

Session 4

Resource 3

Resource 4

Session 4 Resource 5

Session 5

Exploring ideas

Idea

Produces

Could be useful in…

Leaves

Bark of trees

Sap – a sticky liquid

Medicines

making glue

Dandelion seeds

Light seeds that fly well

Transport design, carrying

weights

Session 6

Velcro vs Slug Slime

Session 6

Resource 2 Slug Slime

Session 7 and 8

Session 8 Geckos

Session 10

Looking at Nature

Differently

Session 9

What is the impact of biomimicry?

Possible Presentation Questions:

- How can shark skin help create swimwear to help athletes?

- How can butterflies help with solar power?

- How can leaves show us how to make waterproof materials?

- How did geckos and burrs help astronauts?

- How can ants/termites teach us how to design better buildings?

- How can elephant trunks teach us about lifting heavy objects?

- What can bees/ants teach us about teamwork and organisation?

- How can deer antlers teach us about the strength of materials?

- OR choose your own question to present on.

- If you want to find other examples you could look here.

Session 10

Name

Questions

Skill or design feature

How might it

help?

Earthworm

How can such a soft bodied

animal push through heavy

soil?

Strength

Flexibility

Farming

Building

Tree

How can roots must be to

hold such a heavy structure

steady?

What transport of water to

get water from roots to

leaves? (bottom to top –

moving vertically)

Trees balance and

are very strong

structures

Water moves from low

to high

Buildings

foundations

Ant

How can it carry an object so

much bigger than itself?

Strength

Communicating with

other ants and

teamwork

Session 12