Snapshot
Going Out On A Limb: Designing Prosthetics in Science
October 2016 Presentation:
By incorporating design principles with anatomy topics, one area where modern materials have made a huge impact is in the development of prosthetic devices. Some of these devices are beginning to outperform ‘natural’ body parts. Lessons and activities related to such medical breakthroughs encourage students to investigate the properties of smart materials and carry out some manipulation of function. Students will also explore the possible moral and ethical issues associated with people potentially choosing to replace healthy body parts with artificial prostheses because they offer higher performance.
By using intelligent design concepts, students will work together to design and develop a unique prosthesis that will remedy a problem or ‘better’ an already functional body part. Students will learn about the nature of structure and function and how the two things correspond to one another. Students will then work in teams to develop a medical situation in which they are trying to better and will design a blueprint, patent proposal, and prototype model of their design using typical modeling materials and/or the 3D printers at our school media center. We will use grand funds to purchase drafting materials such as grid paper for blueprints, presentation notebooks for their patent proposals, and model magic, building supplies, and 3D printer filament for their prosthetic device. It will be the goal of students to make the prosthetic as fully functional as possible. Finally, students will prepare a presentation to present their marketable idea. Their presentations and models will be on display for their peers, school visitors, and then again at our Academic Showcase.
April 2017 – FIREsummit Presentation:
Biomimicry Basics: Engineering from Nature
October 2016 Presentation:
We are surrounded daily by products and systems that were designed by engineers and modeled originally by nature. By using biomimicry design in class students will work together to design and develop a unique product based on nature to serve as a practical solution to a problem or challenge. Students will learn about the art of using biomimicry in design, then work in teams to develop a blueprint, patent proposal, and prototype model of their design using typical modeling materials and/or the 3D printers at our school media center. We will use grand funds to purchase drafting materials such as grid paper for blueprints, presentation notebooks for their patent proposals, and model magic and 3D printer filament for their prototype models. Finally, students will prepare a presentation to present their marketable idea. Their presentations and models will be on display for their peers, school visitors, and then again at our Academic Showcase. (with Jonathan Parsons)