1. Integrating Bio-Inspired Design into the Science Classroom
Presented by:
Dr. Marc Weissburg, Center for Bio-Inspired Design
Ms. Ann Gerondelis, School of Industrial Design
Ms. Raja Schaar, School of Biomedical Engineering T
GIFT Fellows
Mr. Blain Harris (Biology)
Mr. Will Hutchings (Environmental Science)
Mr. Tommy Molden (Physical Sciences)
Dr. Usha Patke (Biology)

2. “All genuine education comes about through experience.”
- John Dewey
Biomimicry is an active problem solving activity-students learn by doing

3. Real World | Your Classroom | GPS
BIOMIMICRY
This presentation will:
Introduce the concepts and real world applications of Biomimicry.
Explore how Biomimicry can enhance your classroom experience, increase your students’ development and acquisition of learning skills, and
Demonstrate how Biomimicry concepts and applications can be easily incorporated into the Georgia Performance Standards.
We will use the Engage, Explain, Explore, Extend, Evaluate framework developed for Georgia teachers
Real World | Your Classroom | GPS

4. Bios (Life) + Mimesis (Imitate)
BIOMIMICRY
Bios (Life) + Mimesis (Imitate)

5. ENGAGE
Here’s a story:
In 1934, the British inventor Percy Shaw, took inspiration from observing cats and seeing how their eyes reflected light back in the night. Many nocturnal animals have a layer of tissue at the back of the eye called a tepetum, which reflects the light back onto the photoreceptors. This helps cats and other animals see better in dim light and creates the eye shine. Shaw created the devices for highways that would do the same thing: reflect light back from headlights to let drivers navigate the road. This technology has been improved and applied to make reflective tapes, paints and surfaces. These are known as retro-reflectors, are used to make reflective surfaces on bikes to alert drivers, and also on street signs to improve visibility at night.

6. EXPLORE Found Object Exercise
Once Biomimicry is explained, students can explore the idea in a guided fashion. Begin with a found object exercise where students take a natural object and analyze it’s properties and functions. What does it do? How does it do it? Why is it important for the organism. Feathers, seeds, bones, horns, etc all work.
Found Object Exercise
Learning Objectives: By having students use all their senses and their knowledge about artifacts from nature students will recognize the amazing adaptations and design plans that are in ordinary objects.
Found Object Exercise

7. Structure + Behavior + Function
EXPLORE
The FO exercise is used to develop a way of thinking about a complex object (system).
Describing (complex) systems
Structure-behavior-function language provides a way to break a complicated system down to easily handled chunks: structures are the things, behavior (mechanism) is how the things interact, and the result is the function (why)
Basically, What, How, Why
In plain English” Something does something (to something) to accomplish something else”
This understanding can be helped and archived using:
Sketchbooks or other visual descriptions
Structure + Behavior + Function

8. Organism Function Activity
EXPLORE
Activity: Students are to look at organisms and through their BID analysis and identify possible uses
Goal: Understanding biological adaptations through SBF
Organism Function Activity
Organism Hunt
Zoo.Activity worksheet.docx
Virtual Organism Hunt website
Organism Function Activity

9. EXPLAIN
Take the student’s observations/hypothesis further-explain them or have then do research
Explain: How does it work, why does the animal doe this, why is this different from the “solution” we’ve always used.
Note that “bounce” and “reflect” have very specific meanings…
Note: going down is “how, up is “why” Percy Shaw story on how this came about reflectors
How + Why

10. EXPLAIN
Direct light straight out
Curved surface bounces light so that it leaves at same angle it came in
Redirect incoming light
Mirrored surface reflects light to strike
other side of eye at the right angle
Take the student’s observations/hypothesis further-explain them or have then do research
Explain: How does it work, why does the animal doe this, why is this different from the “solution” we’ve always used.
Here, we explain in structure, behavior, function. The reflection produced by the eye (overall function) is broken down into 3 separate sub-functions, each of which is explained.
Note that “bounce” and “reflect” have very specific meanings…
Note: going down is “how,” each sub-function is achieved; up is “why”-or how a sub-function contributes to the overall function
The eye directs light out so that it exits at the same angle it went in
Direct incoming light to mirror
Curved surface bounces direct light to focus it on mirrored back reflector

11. Solve Real World Problems?
EXTEND
Once students can explain how a given organism’s adaptation works, they can extend this by applying it to a human problem.
Interaction
What problem do you think your object might help solve, and why?
In depth activity: Students research a particular organism and through their analysis select one of the organism’s unique characteristics to design a human product utilizing the properties.
Solve Real World Problems

12. Solve Real World Problems
EXTEND
Horns have the same function as a bumper on a car; making this link is using analogy based on function to relate one thing to another. This is an important problem solving method.
Solve Real World Problems

13. Solve Real World Problems
EXTEND
Another way to extend is to pick a human problem and see how natural systems can be used to solve it differently. This can involve sketches or actual physical models. Here you see
Solve Real World Problems

14. EVALUATE Assessment There are many ways to assess BID projects:
Did the students do sufficient research on the problem or animal solution? What sources, were they credible. How many?
Is the problem function defined clearly
Do the students use diagrams or other drawings properly
Did they make the right analogy between the problem and the solution? Are the functions the same? Is the scale the same?
Have they represented the systems (solutions or problems) properly using SBF? Can they clearly define the structures, their interactions and how this produces the function?
Can they do this with pictures, words, or both?
Can the students explain their logic about how they matched the problem to the solution? DO they understand and can communicate why their solution provided by the animal is different/needed/better?
Assessment

15. Biology + Physical Science + Environmental Science
GEORGIA
PERFORMACE STANDARDS
BID addresses a number of K12 standards in STEM. See the document on the CBID website,
Biology + Physical Science + Environmental Science

16. RESOURCES
Biomimicry Institute
Sustainability Leaders Network
National Science Foundation
Biomimicry 3.8
Center for Biologically Inspired Design
Drawing from Nature Curriculum

17. FIELD TRIPS Nature Centers
Zoo: Aquarium: Botanical Garden:
Nature Centers
Elachee Natural Science Center (Gainsville) Chattahoochee Nature Center (Roswell) Skidaway Island (Savanah) St. Catherine Island (Savannah) -
Atlanta Outdoor Activity Center -
Fernbank Museum of Natural History

18. CONTACT Dr. Marc Weissburg Ms. Ann Gerondelis
Center for Bio-Inspired Design
Ms. Ann Gerondelis
School of Industrial Design
Ms. Raja Schaar
School of Biomedical Engineering
LET’S CONNECT!
Give us the cards on your table with your
Name
Grade(s)
Subject(s) and
address
We’ll send the link to these resources, and look forward to hearing about the bio-inspired design activities you are doing in your classroom!

19. LET’S CONNECT! Name Grade(s) Subject(s) Email address LET’S CONNECT!
Give us the cards on your table with your
Name
Grade(s)
Subject(s) and
address
We’ll send the link to add’l resources, and look forward to hearing about the bio-inspired design activities you are doing in your classroom!