Sustainable STEM Lesson 2: Using Engineering Design to Make a Prototype
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Summary
In this lesson, students will be tasked with designing a biodegradable cell phone case made with mycelium material by Ecovative Design. They will explore how Ecovative is combating the global problem of plastics by using Styrofoam-alternative materials grown from mycelium, which are the parts of a fungi analogous to the roots of a plant. They will then be introduced to the engineering design process, which they will use to design, construct, and evaluate a prototype for their cell phone case.
This project came about from a collaboration between Beyond Benign and Steelcase.
This project came about from a collaboration between Beyond Benign and Steelcase.
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
Wash hands and clean work area before and after each activity. Aprons and goggles are a must.
Teacher Recommendations or Piloting Data (if available)
The full project will require a total of 10-15 days for completion, depending on speed of mycelium growth, which relies on classroom conditions. See lesson 4 for more details.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.59877/FVMR6275
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