Biomimetics
KS3, KS4; Third Stage, Fourth Stage.
Ages 11 - 16
DURATION: 55 mins
OVERVIEW: Biomimetics looks at concepts in nature that inspire engineers and scientists to mirror these concepts synthetically to help solve human problems.
Looking at amazing animal adaptations with the help of our ZooLab friends, we discuss why snail shells inspire architects, the importance of spider silk, and how frogs and cockroaches are inspiring the future of surgery (and more).
Learning Outcomes
All children will be able to give an example of biomimetics.
Most children will be able to explain how biomimetics has benefitted us.
Some children will be able to suggest how biomimetics could help us develop further.
You'll get to meet some of these animals:
Coming Autumn 2025:
Free pre-lesson resources and teaching packs!
"Excellent session! Zoolab were incredibly flexible, and we managed to plan sessions that worked perfectly for our busy school. Joey brought in a great range of animals and ran the sessions incredibly well. We received great feedback from teachers and students. Thank you again to all!"
Smithson Secondary School
What is biomimetics?
Biomimetics is the science of applying nature-inspired designs in human engineering and invention to solve human problems.’
Scientists and Engineers study plants and animals, looking for nature-inspired solutions to solve the problems of today.
Thanks to evolution, plants and wildlife have come up with ingenious ways to survive and thrive in their natural environment.
We can then use similar strategies to solve our own issues, like using the science of shark skin to reduce drag on aeroplanes or creating cockroach-like robots to explore the rubble of disaster sites.
Curriculum Outcomes England & Wales
Curriculum Outcomes Scotland
