Education

Curriculum

We recognize the importance of fostering creativity and preparing K-12 students for future innovative challenges, so we developed our Bioinspire! curriculum.

BioInspire! exposes students to prototype development in the creative environment of art class. In this environment, students are encouraged to develop their creative problem solving ability while taking risks and working collaboratively. After observing the adaptations like those that allow Geckos to climb walls, Pangolins to protect themselves from predators, and Namib Desert Beetles to survive in one of the driest places on earth, students work in small teams to develop inventions in a unit that was developed based on naturally aligned common core standards from Science, Engineering, and Visual Arts curricula. Students learn not only about adaptations, but also about the engineering design process, product design, and teamwork. 

Free for use in the classroom, BioInspire! is a complete, easy-to-follow unit that can be adapted for the 5th or 6th grade art or science classroom. Email bioinspire@umass.edu for more information.

Photo of Adaptations Info Sheets Photo of Student Photo of Student and PostDoc Collaboratiing Photo of Students with their Final Design