In year 9 all students start the year with a six week unit of work called Biomimicry (this is where humans copy or imitatate a natural phenomenon in manufacturing processes).
Biomimicry was chosen as it's an exciting area of research that extends across scientific disciplines using inspiration from nature to help scientists solve contemporary problems. This first teaching unit aims to bridge the gap between what students will have studied at KS3 (e.g. energy transfer, chemical reactions and photosynthesis) and areas studied at GCSE (e.g. nanotechnology, nerve impulses and forces).
The lessons show how amazing ideas from the natural world have been used by scientists and manufacturers.
Lessons include:
Throughout the unit students get the chance to develop the scientific skills that they need for GCSE. They are assessed on these skills at the end of the unit and will then begin their full GCSE course.
Biomimicry was chosen as it's an exciting area of research that extends across scientific disciplines using inspiration from nature to help scientists solve contemporary problems. This first teaching unit aims to bridge the gap between what students will have studied at KS3 (e.g. energy transfer, chemical reactions and photosynthesis) and areas studied at GCSE (e.g. nanotechnology, nerve impulses and forces).
The lessons show how amazing ideas from the natural world have been used by scientists and manufacturers.
Lessons include:
- Nanotechnology
- Developments in microscopy
- Using fluorescence
- The spiny headed-worm and skin grafts
- Neural networks
- Muscle adhesive
- Tardigrades and vaccines
Throughout the unit students get the chance to develop the scientific skills that they need for GCSE. They are assessed on these skills at the end of the unit and will then begin their full GCSE course.