Biomimicry
KS3, KS4; Third Stage, Fourth Stage.
Ages 11 - 14
DURATION: 55 mins
OVERVIEW: Discover how Biology and Engineering combine! Students learn how scientists and engineers worldwide use animal-inspired technology to solve the issues of today.
With fun experiments and some animal encounters, this workshop helps us learn why snake venom is being used in medication, how gecko feet inspired sticky tape, and how cockroaches may help in natural disasters.
Learning Outcomes
All children will be able to give an example of biomimicry.
Most children will be able to explain how biomimicry has benefitted us.
Some children will be able to suggest how biomimicry could help us develop further.
You'll get to meet some of these animals:
Coming Autumn 2025:
Free pre-lesson resources and teaching packs!
"The feedback from the staff and pupils was so positive. We had a fab day. Oli was so professional and was so knowledgeable. “It was great to see pupils overcoming their fears while handling the animals and discovering how nature can inspire advances in technology and science — from frogs inspiring sticky tape, to snake venom being used in medicines, and synthetic spider silk leading to a new biodegradable glue alternative."
Smithson Secondary School
What is biomimicry?
‘Biomimicry 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
