The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project
Animal Prosthetics
Animal Prosthetics
Animal Prosthetics
Rose Harvey
December 2023
Notes for teachers
I found the idea for this project on Defined Learning and have modified it for my needs.
This is a multi-week project where students learn what a prosthetic is and why they a needed.
Student’s must choose and animal and create a story about an accident the animal had creating a need for a prosthetic.
Students then must research and learn about the muscular and skeletal systems of the chosen animal. They will draw/trace diagrams of the relevant muscles, ligaments and tendons as well as bones for the prosthetic.
Students then create a scale drawing of the prosthetic they are proposing to make.
Students will create a prototype out of “found” materials and will analyze it for areas of improvement.
Students will then use Tinkercad to create a 3D print model of their prosthetic.
Lastly they will 3D print the prosthetic.
List of Materials
Standards
Life Science:
7.L1U1.10 Develop and use a model to explain how cells, tissues, and organ systems maintain life (animals).
Writing Standards: 7.W.3, 7.W.4, 7.W.5, 7.W.6
Develop and produce clear and coherent writing for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences using argumentative, informational, and narrative writing types.
Routinely plan, draft, revise and edit writing tasks
Language Standards: 7.L.1, 7.L.2, 7.L.3
Demonstrate mastery of grade level conventions (grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling) Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentence structures to signal differing relationships among ideas.
Standards:
Science & Engineering Practices:
Introduce:
-Ask Questions and Define Problems
-Develop and Use Models
-Plan and Carry Out Investigations
-Analyze and Interpret Data
-Use Mathematics and Computational Thinking
-Construct Explanations and Design Solutions
-Engage in Argument from Evidence
-Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information
Objective:
Our objective is to understand what and when prosthetics are necessary to maintain or improve an animal’s quality of life and to use empathy to design and create a 3D printable functional prosthetic for an animal.
Today we will introduce the concept and background information for this project.
Agenda (10 to 16 hours)
Stage 1:Introduce prosthetics to the students
Partner discussion - working in grade level pairs only
Guiding Questions:
Stage 2:
Goal: What is the short term goal and the long term goal.
Role: What position will the students play in this simulation.
Audience: Who will the students be presenting/responding to.
Situation: An animal in need of a prosthetic device.
Product: Narrative story
scale drawings
prototype
infomercial
slide show
print advertisement
3D renderings on Tinkercad
3D printed final prosthetic
How can we engage with animals to try to improve their quality of life? Human activity has many effects on animals and sometimes are detrimental to the animal. Focusing on saving an entire species can be overwhelming. Let’s focus on just 1 animal and go from there.
Student investigations focus on collecting and making sense of observational data and measurements using the science and engineering practices: ask questions and define problems, develop and use models, plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, use mathematics and computational thinking, construct explanations and design solutions.
Hands-on Activity Instructions
Assessment
G.R.A.S.P. (The P stands for Product and that would be their final assessment.)
Goal
Your goal is to provide important information to pet owners and people working with animal shelters, zoos, and aquariums. Your team of veterinarians has decided to open a new clinic specifically designed to help animals that have lost limbs. Your team wants to do this through the use of a 3D printer that can create prosthetics for a wide-range of animals.
Role
You are a veterinarian who has passion for helping injured animals. You have met a number of other veterinarians with similar beliefs. You have all decided to open a clinic that specializes in creating prosthetics for these animals. Part of your team will include a biomechanical engineer who will be important in the creation of the prosthetics through the use of a 3D Printer.
Audience
Your audience will be pet owners who care deeply about their pets. People working and managing zoos, aquariums, and animal shelters will also be included within your potential audience. Everyone will need to be educated regarding how the prosthetics work and how they can be created through 3D printing.
Situation
Prosthetic devices are engineered to replace limbs and other body parts that have been lost to sickness or injury. Prosthetic devices are important to people who have lost a limb as they allow the individual to regain capabilities they may have lost. These limbs can also be used by a variety of animals including cats, dogs, and even birds!
3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. The creation of a 3D printed object is achieved using additive processes. In an additive process an object is created by laying down successive layers of material until the entire object is created.
Your veterinary team is opening clinic which will help serve animals that have lost limbs. Your team wants to focus specifically on prosthetic devices that can be created using a 3D printer. As part of your work, you will create a technical drawing and prototype of your new prosthesis. Select one animal to focus on in this task. You may want to consider a dog, cat, bird, dolphin, or any other animal that interests your team.
Product
Differentiation
Choose student groups purposefully to pair students with someone who can help them be successful.
Check in with groups daily.
Allow for speech to text and text-to-speech on technology as available.
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
Students could discuss their prototype with a veterinarian in the community if possible to get more feedback.