Science · Grade 9

Active learning ideas

Biomimicry: Nature's Designs

Active learning works because biomimicry demands both creative problem-solving and precise analysis. Students need to move from observation to application, testing ideas in real time rather than just absorbing facts. Movement and collaboration mirror the iterative process engineers use when adapting natural designs.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• HS-LS2-7
• HS-ETS1-2

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 50 min · Small Groups

Design Challenge: Wing-Inspired Blades

Provide craft materials like foam and straws. Students research bird wings, sketch designs, build mini turbine blade models, and test in a fan airflow for lift. Groups present findings and iterate based on peer feedback.

Explain how the structure of a bird's wing can inspire more efficient wind turbine blades.

Facilitation Tip

During Design Challenge: Wing-Inspired Blades, provide simple materials like paper, tape, and straws so students can prototype quickly and fail productively.

What to look for

Present students with images of three different natural phenomena (e.g., a kingfisher's beak, a gecko's foot, a termite mound). Ask them to identify one potential engineering application for each and briefly explain the connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Biomimicry Examples

Set up stations for lotus leaf (wax paper and water drops), gecko feet (tape adhesion tests), shark skin (riblet patterns on cards), and termite mounds (passive cooling models). Groups rotate, observe, and note engineering applications.

Analyze what the hydrophobic properties of a lotus leaf can teach us about manufacturing self-cleaning surfaces.

Facilitation Tip

For Station Rotation: Biomimicry Examples, assign each station a timer and a recording sheet to keep groups focused and accountable for their observations.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are an engineer tasked with designing a new type of waterproof jacket. What natural organism or phenomenon would you study, and why? What specific features would you try to replicate?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Compare and Critique: Case Studies

Assign pairs real biomimicry products like Velcro or bullet trains. They compare nature source to human adaptation, critique effectiveness, and suggest improvements using curriculum criteria.

Compare different examples of biomimicry in modern engineering.

Facilitation Tip

During Compare and Critique: Case Studies, model how to use a Venn diagram to organize similarities and differences before whole-class sharing.

What to look for

Students complete an exit ticket answering: 'Name one biomimetic product you learned about today. Explain how its design was inspired by nature and what problem it solves.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 40 min · Whole Class

Nature Walk Observation

Lead a schoolyard walk to spot natural designs like pinecones or spider silk. Students photograph, describe functions, and brainstorm engineering uses in field journals.

Explain how the structure of a bird's wing can inspire more efficient wind turbine blades.

Facilitation Tip

On the Nature Walk Observation, provide handheld lenses for close-up study and assign roles like recorder, sketcher, and collector to keep all students engaged.

What to look for

Present students with images of three different natural phenomena (e.g., a kingfisher's beak, a gecko's foot, a termite mound). Ask them to identify one potential engineering application for each and briefly explain the connection.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete examples before abstracting to principles. Students need to see, touch, and manipulate before they can generalize about form and function. Avoid rushing to definitions, and instead let students discover patterns through guided exploration. Research shows that when learners connect concepts to prior knowledge through hands-on tasks, retention and transfer improve significantly.

Students will explain how structure relates to function in natural systems and apply those principles to engineering challenges. They will justify their design choices using evidence from observations and group discussions. Clear connections between biology and technology will appear in their sketches, explanations, and critiques.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Station Rotation: Biomimicry Examples, watch for students who assume natural structures can be copied exactly without adaptation.

  Have students note the environmental context of each organism in their station notes, then prompt them to ask: 'Would this work in all conditions? What would need to change for human use?'

• During Station Rotation: Biomimicry Examples, watch for students limiting their thinking to animal examples only.

  Point students to the plant station first, then ask them to find at least one non-animal example in their group discussion before sharing with the class.

• During Design Challenge: Wing-Inspired Blades, watch for students dismissing historical biomimicry as irrelevant.

  Share the story of the Wright brothers’ early gliders inspired by bird wings, then ask students to research one other historical example during their design process.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning
• Stations Rotation