In this 28 minute episode from the PBS series SciGirls, nature’s strategies inspire a group of friends to design a safer shoe for walking on icy streets. An accompanying activity teaches students about friction.

The episode provides a great example and overview for students following a bio-inspired engineering design process. In the show, Elin and her best friends design a safer shoe for walking on Minnesota’s icy winter streets with mentorship provided by practitioner, Cindy Gilbert. Together they explore nature’s strategies, from polar bear paws to penguin flippers.

In a related 60-minute activity, “No Slip Grip,” students explore friction and how surface variations affect how much force is required to move an object.

View the video below and visit the SciGirls Connect website to download video clips and the “No Slip Grip” activity.