4th Grade Resources

This lesson sets the stage for talking about both sharks and biomimicry by introducing fun shark facts through a grammar-correcting challenge, then by considering examples of technologies modeled after sharks’ dermal denticles. In the upcoming lessons, dermal denticles will be discussed as the inspiration for Sharklet film, a micro-texture that prevents the growth of bacteria without the use of ...

In this lesson, students are introduced to the patterns and shapes found in Sharklet film. Then students are asked to apply their understanding of geometry by drawing pictures of both the natural and man-made world, and labeling lines, angles and shapes.

In this lesson, students will begin to explore how Sharklet film works to prevent the growth of bacteria. They will be considering two major properties of the micro-texture: the shape of the pattern and the size of the pattern.

In this lesson, students will evaluate their puffy-paint Sharklet surface models they made in Lesson 3. Students will use sticky notes and binder clips to simulate the accumulation of bacteria on both the Sharklet surface and a flat surface. As students compare their three models, they will collect data to compare with the rest of the class in Lesson 5.

In this culminating lesson of The Secrets of Sharks’ Skin unit, students analyze and interpret class-generated data from Sharklet-inspired surface models to determine how surface structure affects bacterial attachment. Using tables and graphs, students compare results across different pattern sizes and shapes and conclude that spacing and surface area matter more than shape in preventing adhesion ...