Biomimicry Prototype Project: Sustainable Design Inspired by Rolly Pollies – SCOPES-DF
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Lesson Details

Subjects *
Engineering, Science
Age Ranges *
8-11,
Fab Tools *
3D Printer, Classroom Materials, Hand Tools,
Author
Amaria Hernandez

Author

Amaria Hernandez
Amaria Hernandez
K-12 teacher
STEAM teacher willing to explore the teaching and learning universe. Read More

Summary

In this lesson, 3rd grade students will observe and study characteristics and patterns found in nature that can be imitated to solve real-world problems. This approach is called biomimicry. As a final outcome, students will design a prototype that presents an invention or innovation inspired by their observations of rolly pollies, animals with interesting features that can inspire design solutions.

During the process, students may design either a part of their invention or a complete prototype using Tinkercad, which can later be printed using a 3D printer. This lesson primarily integrates Science and Engineering, while also addressing sustainability, specifically Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

 

 

What You'll Need

Students explore biomimicry, the practice of learning from nature to solve human problems. By observing rolly pollies, students identify interesting characteristics and design a prototype inspired by these features.

Students will design a sustainable invention or innovation that solves a problem while considering responsible production and consumption (SDG #12).

Prototypes may be:

  • Digital (created in Tinkercad)
  • 3D printed
  • Built with physical materials

 

Lesson Materials

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Explain why biomimicry is important for solving real-world problems and how it relates to responsible production and consumption.
  • Create a labeled sketch that clearly communicates their design idea.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of SDG #12 by incorporating responsible production and consumption into their prototype within the Guatemalan context.
  • Design a digital or physical prototype inspired by characteristics of rolly pollies using Tinkercad, analog materials, and/or a 3D printer.
  • Present their prototype and explain why their idea represents biomimicry and how it contributes to sustainability.

 

Reflection

With this lesson, I observe that my learning was more detailed by considering the alignment between objectives and evaluation through pedagogical, technical, and sustainable lenses, as well as technological fluency among other aspects. It has also been interesting to have planned many details and to receive feedback from the AI—in my case, because it was my choice. Something that really caught my attention is that I did this project for a long time in an analog way; however, for the first time and because I recently acquired 3D printers in class, I incorporated the option that allowed students to choose if they wanted to expand their proposal by designing and printing a part or the complete prototype for their presentation. I liked the result very much upon seeing the satisfaction of the students who participated, while on the other hand, I noticed how it sparked a curiosity to learn about 3D and Tinkercad to design and apply biomimicry learning in the generated models. I observed that not everyone has that skill well-established, yet the sustainability component was more conscious and practical since the students knew they would be copying something from nature in exchange for taking care of it. The experience with AI was also interesting as I was able to apply other personal learnings.

 

The Instructions

Day One

Introduction and exploration through observation and making connections

Students will be introduced to the unit by observing rolly pollies in their natural environment. Using magnifiers, they will carefully observe the organisms, draw what they see, and record notes about the patterns and characteristics they notice.

 

(35 minutes)

 

Next, students will watch a short video about biomimicry to introduce the concept and provide real-world examples. After the video, students will discuss the examples and share any others they may already know.

 

(15 minutes)

Day Two

Explanation of the criteria and sustainability

The teacher will introduce the Biomimicry Prototype Project and explain the criteria students must follow. The project consists of designing a prototype that demonstrates how an invention or innovation works. The design must meet the following criteria:

 

Include at least one characteristic inspired by a rolly pollie.

Solve a real problem or address a need.

Demonstrate sustainable design by considering responsible production and consumption.

(10 minutes)

 

The teacher will then introduce SDG #12: Responsible Consumption and Production and guide students in analyzing how this goal relates to the situation in Guatemala. The teacher will facilitate a class discussion using the following questions:

 

Why is this SDG important to consider when planning and building our prototype?

How can people in Guatemala produce and consume resources in a more sustainable way?

What is the connection between biomimicry and sustainability in the ideas you could create?

(15 minutes)

 

Individually, each student will create a sketch of their idea on blank paper. This drawing will help them generate a design idea that they will later share with their group.

 

(25 minutes)

Day three

Decision making and interview

The teacher will organize students into groups of three. Students will share their individual ideas with their group members. The group will then decide whether to:

  • Develop one student’s idea
  • Combine multiple ideas
  • Create a completely new idea inspired by the discussion

(15 minutes)

Once the group agrees on a concept, they will create a final sketch on the provided worksheet. This sketch will be shared with the teacher for feedback.

Teacher Interview (Formative Assessment)

The teacher will conduct a brief interview with each group using the following guiding questions:

  • What characteristic(s) of rolly pollies will your design imitate?
  • Please explain your sketch and how your invention works.
  • What problem does your invention solve?
  • Is your idea an invention or an innovation?
  • How will your design be sustainable in terms of production and consumption?

If the idea is clear and meets the criteria, the teacher will give the group a green sticker, indicating that they may begin building their prototype.

Groups may choose to:

  • Create a digital prototype in Tinkercad, which may later be printed using a 3D printer, or
  • Build an analog prototype using physical materials if they are less familiar with digital design tools.

(35 minutes)

Days Four and Five

Design and building

Students will continue designing and building their prototypes either digitally or using physical materials.

 

(50 minutes each day)

 

Between Days Five and Six, the teacher may 3D print selected designs created in Tinkercad. Some students may prefer to present their digital prototype directly from the computer, while others may choose to present a 3D printed model.

Days Six and Seven

Presentation time and evaluation

Students will present their prototypes through a presentation and gallery walk format. Each group will have 5 minutes to present their idea and explain:

  • The characteristics inspired by rolly pollies
  • How their invention works
  • How their design connects to SDG #12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Presentations are open and flexible within the time limit. However, key aspects of the project will be evaluated using a rubric.

(50 minutes)

 

 

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