In this 45-minute lesson students review and then practice key vocabulary used by biomimicry designers and on the AskNature website.

Objectives

  • Students will apply biomimicry terminology and conceptual understanding to describe organisms (biological models) and biomimicry innovations.
  • Students will correctly use the vocabulary terms: organism, trait, function, biological strategy, biological model.

designers—and tools created for them, such as AskNature—use terminology that blends biology and design. In this lesson students will work individually or in groups to analyze AskNature Biological Strategy pages and practice applying biomimicry terminology to describe their components and core concepts. A handout with the definition of key terms is provided.

The activity begins with a guided analysis of two Biological Strategies. Students then select a Strategy page of their choice to analyze.

This lesson can be extended by having students review brief articles or videos about biomimicry innovations and practice identifying the biological strategy that was mimicked and applying biomimicry terminology to describe them.