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Sustainable STEM: Surefire Sharklet Lab

Sustainable STEM: Surefire Sharklet Lab
Contributors
Annette Sebuyira
Retired K-12 Educator | Beyond Benign, Inc.
Beyond Benign
Beyond Benign, Inc.
cover image with picture of shark and leaf and mushrooms and megaphone and a hand holding a cellphone
Summary
In this lesson, students will be introduced to biomimicry and Sharklet film. They will then investigate how Sharklet works through a hands-on experiment that simulates the accumulation of bacteria on surfaces with and without the pattern.

This project came about from a collaboration between Beyond Benign and Steelcase.
Keyword Tags
Sustainable STEM
Biodegradable
Biomimicry
Dermal Denticles
Diffraction Patterns
Prototype
Sharks
Bacteria
Steelcase
File (PDF, PPT, image, etc)
sustainable_stem_sharklet.docx
biomimicry_and_sharklet_talking-points.pptx
Link to external
Sharklet film
Denticles
Sharklet
Sharkskin
Making Stuff: Smarter
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.59877/LFTC8287
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
-Investigate diffraction patterns and compare how light transmits through different surfaces
-Develop and evaluate a hypothesis for why bacteria cannot grow on Sharklet film
Object Type
Laboratory experiment
Lecture or course slides/notes (e.g., PPT, Prezi, PDF)
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Audience
Middle School
Common pedagogies covered
Collaborative/cooperative learning
Context-based learning
Hands-on learning
Problem-based learning
Student-centered learning
Green Chemistry Principles
Real-Time Pollution Prevention
Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Responsible Consumption and Production
Life Below Water
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
Students should thoroughly clean work space before and after activity.
Students will be working with a laser pointer ensure the lasers are to be pointed down. It is dangerous to point the laser in their eyes or their classmates’.
Teacher Recommendations or Piloting Data (if available)
Teachers should prepare the Sharklet simulation models ahead of time. Once the pattern has been traced on white paper, making the model with the puffy paint only takes a few minutes. Note that the models need to dry overnight; they can then be used multiple times.
NGSS Standards, if applicable
MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

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Submitted by

Annette Sebuyira
Published on
Moderation state
Published
Collection
Sustainable STEM Unit
Time required (if applicable)
One 45-60 minute class period
Related Learning Objects
Sustainable STEM Overview
Sustainable STEM Lesson 1: Beginning an Investigation by Gathering Evidence
Sustainable STEM Lesson 2: Using Engineering Design to Make a Prototype
Sustainable STEM Lesson 3: Life Cycle
Sustainable STEM Lesson 4: Making Mushroom Material
Sustainable STEM Lesson 5: Testing the Cell Phone Cases
Sustainable STEM Lesson 6: Presenting a Sustainable Solution
Sustainable STEM: Fabulous Fabrics
Sustainable STEM: Polymer Properties
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.