This book for kids aged 8-12, celebrates examples of nature's influence on the design of buildings and bridges around world and includes a few simple activities that help illustrate some concepts.

Objectives

  • Students will learn about examples of nature-inspired architecture.
  • Students will learn about the organisms that inspired the design of buildings and bridges.
  • Students will understand how learning from nature can lead to more sustainable, eco-friendly designs.

This book is a good choice for educators who want to present easily understood examples of and nature-inspired architectural design. It provides more than 30 examples of how learning from nature influenced building and bridge designs all over the world. Author Etta Kaner and artist Carl Wiens present the information in a way that is clear and engaging. Sidebar biographies about famous architects who have used nature in their designs are included as well as some simple experiments and a design-your-own-structure activity.

The book emphasizes problem-solving and critical thinking, making it an excellent choice for science and technology lessons on structures, mechanisms, and engineering. It also promotes sustainability and eco-friendly structures, making it useful for studying earth science and the environment.

The author, Etta Kaner, has also written several other books about animal behaviors and s that may interest parents and teachers.

Book cover
Image: Kids Can Press / Copyright © - All rights reserved

Book cover

Sample pages beetle inspired greenhouse and a related activity.
Image: Kids Can Press / Copyright © - All rights reserved

Sample page spread from the book.