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Small Group Activity: Nature Walk Analysis

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Small Group Activity: Nature Walk Analysis

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Students take a short nature walk (school grounds or virtual) to:
1. Observe natural structures
2. Document interesting features
3. Brainstorm potential human applications
4. Share findings with class

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Students work in small groups to identify a local or global problem, then observe nature to find potential solutions. Groups document their observations and brainstorming using sketches and notes.

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We hope you enjoy exploring our unit on Biomimicry!

We’d be thrilled to welcome you and your class to the Geelong Botanic Gardens for an engaging learning experience outside the classroom.

To complement your lessons, we recommend visiting the Geelong Botanic Garden for our Biomimicry lesson, or you could take a self-guided tour around the Gardens to deepen the concepts learned in class.

If you’d like to book either an educator-led or self-guided experience, please follow the link below.

Book an education program at the Geelong Botanic Gardens

Geelong Botanic Gardens Education Department

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Students will analyze biological adaptations and explain how these natural solutions can be applied to human engineering challenges.

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Students will apply biomimicry principles to develop innovative solutions for a real-world problem.

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How can nature's time-tested patterns and strategies inspire solutions to human challenges?

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Watch 'Nature's Engineering Marvels' video to spark discussion about amazing adaptations in nature. Students take notes on biological features that could inspire human innovation.

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Essential Question: How does nature solve problems, and what can we learn from it?

Show students various examples of biomimicry in action and ask them to guess the natural inspiration behind each innovation.

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In pairs, students will research and present one famous biomimicry example (e.g., Velcro from burrs, bullet train from kingfisher). Pairs will create presentations in multi-media methods to share their findings with the class.

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Direct Instruction: Introduction to Biomimicry

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Direct Instruction: Introduction to Biomimicry

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Teacher presents key concepts:
- Definition of biomimicry
- Historical examples
- Current applications in technology
- The design thinking process in biomimicry

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CHOOSE YOUR BIOMIMICRY PATH

Whether you are a student, parent, educator, entrepreneur, or a concerned citizen, you have found your place in advancing regenerative solutions. You can begin your journey by following one of the pathways below to connect with nature and bring biomimicry into your life.

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The Biomimicry Institute - Inspired by Nature

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The Biomimicry Institute is on a mission to help solve humanity's biggest challenges through the adoption of biomimicry (nature-inspired innovation) in education, culture, and industry.

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Groups will present their biomimicry solutions to the class, explaining the natural inspiration and how it solves their chosen problem. Assessment rubric focuses on understanding of biomimicry principles and innovation.

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Groups develop preliminary designs for their nature-inspired solutions, including drawings and explanations of how their design mimics natural processes or structures.

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Classes will collaboratively create a wall highlighting the most innovative biomimicry solutions presented and discussing their potential impact.

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Students complete a 3-2-1 reflection: 3 things they learned, 2 things they found interesting, 1 question they still have about biomimicry.

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Students spend 15 minutes observing nature in their local environment and document one example of an adaptation that could inspire human innovation.

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Read about a current biomimicry innovation in development and write a short summary of its potential impact.

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How does nature ...
produce color?

Humanity faces many challenges. Nature holds
solutions. To discover them, all we have to do is
ask. Begin your search here, or explore featured
content below to learn from other species'
successful strategies and adaptations.

Youth Design Challenge Gallery

Working with groups made me feel like I made an impact on the world. Youth Design Challenge Participant

The 2023-2024 Youth Design Challenge is here! Once again, students around the world will learn to use biomimicry to address some of the biggest environmental challenges we face. Learn more and view winners' projects from 2018 to the present.

Whether it is tool use among chimpanzees or song practice among zebra finches, the process of perfecting the craft lies in diligent practice. Karuna Skariah Educator

Education isn't just about memorization, but practicing into mastery. Looking to other species, we see that long-term success is all about incorporating new knowledge into your very being.

When materials that comprise living systems are subjected to repeated loads, they can weaken over time. This is called fatigue and it can lead to cracks and eventually failure. However, fatigue doesn't occur just anywhere on a material; the cracks usually start in areas subjected to elevated local stresses. Therefore, living systems often employ shapes, materials, and/or smooth transitions to decrease the potential for fatigue. An example of using shape is found in brown algae, an intertidal seaweed. Rather than being bent by the constant flow forces of waves and currents, its shape causes it to be pulled. This reduces stress by roughly 800 times compared to another species that bends with the flow, ultimately reducing structural fatigue.

Featured Pages for October 2023

Enjoy a hand-picked selection of pages, including seasonally themed, recently updated, or newly added Biological Strategies, Innovations, and more.

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Innovation Inspired by Nature - AskNature

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Continue developing biomimicry solution designs, including detailed sketches and explanations of the natural inspiration.

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By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define biomimicry and explain its importance in technological innovation.
- Identify at least three examples of biomimicry in real-world applications.
- Analyse natural structures and processes to inspire solutions to human challenges.

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This lesson aligns with:
- Science Understanding (Biological Sciences)
- Science as a Human Endeavour
- Design and Technologies
- Critical and Creative Thinking Capability

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Students individually:
1. Choose a human problem to solve.
2. Research natural solutions.
3. Sketch and describe their biomimicry-inspired design.
4. Document their design process.